How Much of a Threat Was the Spanish Armada? (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

How did Anglo-Spanish relations change in the years leading up to the Spanish Armada? - Summary 

Anglo-Spanish relations were initially strong in the Tudor period. Under Mary I, England and Spain were closely allied through her marriage to King Philip II of Spain in 1554. This strengthened the Catholic connection between the two nations. 

When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, relations remained friendly at first, with profitable trade links and mutual interest in avoiding conflict. However, tensions grew as Elizabeth established Protestantism in England and supported Protestant rebels in the Netherlands against Spanish rule. English privateers, encouraged by Elizabeth, attacked Spanish ships and seized treasure, angering Philip. The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and English involvement in the Dutch Revolt further worsened relations.

By the mid-1580s, religious rivalry, political tensions, piracy, and Elizabeth’s open support for Spain’s enemies led Philip to plan an invasion. Growing tensions and religious feuds resulted in the launch of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

War in the Netherlands

• At the start of Elizabeth’s reign, relations between the English crown and Spain were friendly 

  • Economic links remained profitable, and neither side wanted this to end 

• However, relations started to change in 1566

• Spain severely punished the Dutch Protestants in the Netherlands

  • Spain was leading a counter-reformation campaign against Protestantism

  • Spain saw the Dutch Protestants as a threat to its rule in the Netherlands

    • The Dutch Revolt in 1566 proved that both Dutch Catholics and Protestants wanted to rid the Netherlands of Spanish control

• In 1567, Spain sent the Duke of Alba along with 10,000 troops to the Netherlands to regain control of the region

  • Alba established the 'Council of Troubles'

    • The Council condemned many thousands of Protestants to death and arrested 18,000 Dutch Protestants

• The events in the Netherlands alarmed many English Protestants

  • If Spain treated Protestants in this manner, English Protestants were worried about what could happen to them

    • Spain could declare war on all Protestantism

  • Elizabeth’s privy council pressured her to protect the Dutch rebels

How did Elizabeth react to the events in the Netherlands?

• Despite conflicting options from her privy councilors, Elizabeth chose a non-aggressive strategy to deal with Spain’s control of the Netherlands

  • England was weaker than Spain

  • A war with Spain might cause a civil war between English Catholics and Protestants

  • Elizabeth did not want to trigger a war with Spain

  • She believed that applying the right amount of pressure on Philip would force Spain to withdraw from the Netherlands

• Elizabeth’s tactics against Spain included:

  • Helping the Dutch rebels indirectly by sending money and mercenaries to the Netherlands

  • Encouraging privateers to attack Spanish ships and colonies

  • Improving England’s relationship with France, to encourage them to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands

    • By promising to marry the Duke of Alençon, the heir to the French throne 

    • This was a risky strategy, as she knew that it would anger Spain and increase tensions 

    • Elizabeth had no intention of actually marrying the Duke of Alençon; if they found this out, France could become Elizabeth’s enemy 

Elizabeth & the Treaty of Nonsuch, 1585 

• In 1576, a rebellion started again in the Netherlands

  • Spain could not afford to pay their soldiers, which caused a mutiny in the Netherlands 

  • The violence united Dutch Catholics and Protestants, resulting in Philip II signing the Pacification of Ghent, 1576 

    • This promised to stop the religious persecution of the Dutch

    • Elizabeth promised to intervene if Philip broke the Pacification of Ghent 

  • In February 1577, Philip broke the Pacification of Ghent 

    • Elizabeth did not send forces

• By 1579, the Netherlands was split into two 

  • The South created the Union of Arras and made a peace deal with Spain 

  • The North, led by William the Silent (William of Orange), created the Union of Utrecht and was against Spanish rule 

  • The Duke of Parma, under the direction of Phillip II, started to retake land previously occupied by the Dutch Protestant rebels

• Elizabeth finally decided to help the Dutch rebels as

  • The Duke of Alençon died 

    • Elizabeth could no longer use France’s military strength 

  • William the Silent died in 1584

    • Elizabeth was now seen as their leader and figurehead of Protestantism 

  • Philip II and the French Catholic League signed the Treaty of Joinville 

    • They allied together to fight against the French Protestants 

    • Elizabeth believed that the eradication of English and Welsh Protestants would be next

• Elizabeth signed the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585

  • It was agreed that Elizabeth would send 5,000 troops and 1,000 cavalry  

  • Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, would command these troops and help the rebellion

  • It effectively meant Spain and England were at war with each other

• Alongside the Treaty of Nonsuch, Elizabeth used Sir Francis Drake

  • She ordered Drake to raid the Spanish settlements in the Americas

  • Drake’s actions in the Americas angered Philip

    • Philip was in communication with the Pope about a possible invasion of England by the end of 1585

Reasons for the Armada

• There were many reasons why Philip I sent the Spanish Armada in 1588

Long-Term Causes of the Spanish Armada 

• King Philip II was a Catholic, and Elizabeth I was a Protestant 

  • The two monarchs had opposing religious beliefs 

• King Philip II had asked Elizabeth I to marry him in 1559

  • Elizabeth rejected his proposal 

• English privateers were stealing Spanish treasures and attacking Spanish settlements 

  • English Privateers like Sir Francis Drake had stolen hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of treasure from Spanish ships in the Americas 

    • For example, during Drake’s circumnavigation of the Globe in 1577, he stole gold, silver, and jewels worth £140,000 (£2 million in today's money)  

  • Philip was furious with Drake’s actions, and he called for his execution

    • Instead, Elizabeth knighted him 

  • Elizabeth encouraged the actions of the privateers and even took a percentage of their findings 

• Spain had been supporting Catholic plots against Elizabeth I 

  • The Pope, in the Papal Bull, asked all Catholics to plot against Elizabeth I 

  • Philip II wanted to restore Catholicism in England 

Short-Term Causes of the Spanish Armada 

• Elizabeth supported the Protestant Dutch rebels in the Netherlands 

  • Philip II controlled the Netherlands and was fighting a religious civil war against the Protestants 

  • This meant that Elizabeth and Philip were already at war with each other 

• Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed by Elizabeth I in 1587

  • Mary was a legitimate Catholic queen

  • Philip II wanted to see a Catholic monarch in England, but Elizabeth stopped that from happening 

• Sir Francis Drake attacked the Spanish fleet in Cadiz, 1587

  • The attack destroyed 

    • Approximately 24 Spanish ships 

    • Timber supplies needed for the Spanish Armada ships and storage barrels 

  • This attack delayed the Spanish Armada for a year 

Course of the Armada

Comparison of the forces of England and Spain

What was Philip's strategy for the Armada?

• Once Philip became aware of the number of Spanish troops and ships available, he created a plan for the Armada

• Philip requested that:

  • The Armada sailed from Lisbon to Calais through the English Channel

  • The Duke of Parma marched an army of 20,000 soldiers from the Netherlands. Parma would meet the Armada in Calais

  • Parma's army would land in Kent, England, with the protection of the Armada

  • The arrival of the Spanish army in England would trigger an uprising from English Catholics

    • The Spanish army, along with the English Catholics, would depose Elizabeth and restore Catholicism in England

Events of the Spanish Armada 

• Philip launched the Armada in May 1588
  

AWAITING IMAGE

A storyboard illustrating the key events of the Spanish Armada, 1588

Fireships 

• When the Spanish Armada reached Calais, the Duke of Medina Sionia had to wait for the Duke of Parma’s troops 

• On 7th August, the English pushed eight ‘fireships’ towards the anchored Spanish Armada 

  • Onboard these ships were flammable materials such as tar and gunpowder 

• The ‘fireships’ sent the Spanish into a panic, and they cut their anchors 

  • This caused them to break their defensive crescent formation

• The Battle of Gravelines began on August 8th near Dunkirk 

  • The battle lasted for eight hours

  • English warships attacked the scattered Armada  

  • The Spanish 

    • Lost three ships

    • Had 1,000 Spaniards killed  

    • Had 800 Spaniards wounded 

  • The English 

    • Lost zero ships 

    • Had 50 sailors killed 

  • The battle finished as the English ran out of ammunition 

    • However, the Spanish plan to join with the Duke of Parma’s army had failed 

• Elizabeth rode out to meet her troops awaiting on the shoreline at Tilbury and gave the soldiers waiting a motivating speech: 

• On August 9th, the wind changed direction, and the Spanish Armada sailed into the North Sea 

  • They had to return to Spain by travelling around the coast of Scotland and Ireland 

    • Once the Armada sailed past the Scottish border on August 12th, the English stopped following them and returned home 

  • The Spanish lost several ships due to 

    • A lack of accurate maps on the coastlines of Scotland and Ireland 

    • Severe storms 

  • Only 67 ships returned to Spain in September and October of 1588 

Results of the Armada

Spanish Mistakes

• Some historians argue that Spain failed to invade England because Philip and his commanders made mistakes, including 

  • Poor preparation 

    • Bad weather delayed Spain's fleet from reaching England. By the time they reached England, Spain’s food provisions started to rot 

    • Poor-quality barrels contributed to the food rotting 

  • Poor communication 

    • The Duke of Parma and Medina Sidonia communicated by sea, and their messages would take a week to reach their destination 

  • Poor leadership 

    • Philip II did not listen to his commander’s advice

    • The Duke of Medina Sidonia had little naval experience 

  • Spanish tactics 

    • The crescent formation lacked the maneuverability needed against the English ships 

    • The Spanish were planning on using grappling hooks and planks to board English ships, but they stayed out of range, so they were unable to use this tactic 

  • Spanish ships 

    • Known as ‘floating castles’ 

    • The supplies for a land invasion made them heavy and hard to manoeuvre 

England’s Actions 

• Some historians argue that England's actions defeated the Spanish Armada, including: 

  • Ship design

    • Galleons moved quicker than Spanish warships, allowing them to turn around and attack the enemy quickly 

    • English ships had smaller cannons with longer range

  • English tactics 

    • English kept the Spanish ships at a distance to prevent boarding

  • Sir Francis Drake 

    • Drake used the fireship tactic against the Spanish at Calais

    • Forcing the Spanish to cut their anchors and flee 

• Elizabeth also credited her victory to the support of God

  • The Spanish Armada was forced to go into the North Sea and around the British Isles to return to Spain 

  • They were met by storms that destroyed the Armada 

    • Out of the 151 ships that left Spain, only 67 returned 

  • This showed that:

    • God supported Elizabeth’s reign 

    • Protestantism was the one true religion 

• Elizabeth used this divine intervention as propaganda to strengthen her reign 

• The victory over the Spanish helped Elizabeth’s reign as 

  • Protestantism remained the country’s religion 

  • No more Catholic plots happened after 1588 

• Despite this victory, 

  • The war against Spain continued for another decade 

    • Philip attempted to invade England on two separate occasions but failed

  • Spanish control remained in the Netherlands 

    • Elizabeth continued to support the rebels in the Netherlands