C8 - Conflict with Spain Flashcards
Why was there conflict between England and Spain - the issue of marriage?
- King Phillip II of Spain has been married to Elizabeth’s sister, Mary I. During this time, he had been joint monarch of England. The plan was that their child would unite England and Spain under one Catholic king or queen. When Mary died childless in 1558, so did the plan. Phillip proposed to Elizabeth in 1559, but she kept him waiting for an answer. As it became clear marriage would not happen, tensions between the countries grew.
Why was there conflict between England and Spain - religious difference?
Elizabeth had returned England to the Protestant faith after the Catholic years of Mary I. Spain had remained Catholic throughout all the religious changes of the Reformation. Such opposing religious ideas led to conflict.
Why was there conflict between England and Spain - the actions of sailors?
- sir Francis Drake and other English sailors had spent years raiding Spanish ports and ships, and stealing treasures from Spanish colonies in South America and other places. In 1587, Drake led a raid on the port of Cadiz. He destroyed dozens of Spanish ships.
- Elizabeth encouraged these acts by granting licenses in exchange for sharing the treasures with the country
Why was there conflict between England and Spain - the papal bull?
In 1570, the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called for all Catholics to challenge her rule. As a Catholic, Philip was keen to follow the Pope’s instructions.
Why was there conflict between England and Spain - the Netherlands?
- as well as Spain, Philip also ruled the Netherlands. In 1566, there was a Protestant uprising in the country. Philip sent troops to restore order, but this led to even greater resistance from the rebels.
- Elizabeth agreed to send money to support the Protestants and she allowed English volunteers to go and fight. She let rebel ships use English ports, which angered Philip greatly
- William of Orange, the Dutch rebel leader, was assassinated in 1584. In Dec 1585, Elizabeth finally agreed to send English troops to support the rebels. She sent Robert Dudley with 7000 soldiers. They had very little impact but it was a clear act of war against Spain.
How did the size of the fleet affect naval warfare?
Henry VIII had spent a fortune building a huge navy to protect his island nation. Before 1500, ships were built as a way to get to battle, but Tudor ships were designed to fight. During Elizabeth’s reign, under the command of John Hawkins, England’s navy continued to grow. At the same time, Philip of Spain spared no expense in trying to make his navy the largest and most powerful in the world.
How did tactics affect naval warfare?
- line of battle - ships formed a single line and fired together on the enemy, trying to sink as many as possible
- raids - common form of attack. Took enemy ports by surprise and destroyed as many ships as possible before the enemy had the chance to fight back. This allowed treasure to be stolen.
- fire ships - an old ship would be set alight and sent into the middle of an enemy fleet. This would send panic across the wooden ships and cause great damage at little risk to the attacker.
How did technology affect naval warfare?
- a new type of triangular sail, called a lateen, allowed for much faster travel and new ships allowed for greater speed and manoeuvrability. Ships could travel much further and perform better in raids and battles
- new, more powerful cannons meant it was possible to fire at enemy ships from a distance
- new inventions like the astrolabe allowed for greater accuracy when planning voyages and working out locations. This helped sailors prepare better for long voyages, particularly those which ventured into hostile waters.
What was the Spanish plan for the Spanish Armada?
- in 1588, Philip II of Spain launched his great Armada: 151 ships, 7000 sailors and 34,000 soldiers would sail to the Netherlands and collect more men before invading England
- they would sail in an unbreakable crescent formation
- Philip was so confident that he would defeat the English navy that he filled the ships with weapons for land battles that would follow once the fleet arrived in England
What actually happened during the Spanish Armada?
- the Spanish were delayed for several days waiting for the additional soldiers to arrive
- the English chose to strike first. They sent 8 fire ships into the Spanish fleet. There was mass panic and the well organised armada was plunged into chaos
- 8 Aug 1588 - battle of gravelines began. The English fired constantly from a distance of 100m. Spanish ships were badly damaged and they tried to lead the ships home
- a great storm blew the armada off course. Their food rotten, their water polluted and with no maps for the waters around northern Britain, many ships were wrecked. Survivors who made it to shore were slaughtered by the Scots or the Irish
- of 151 ships, only 65 returned to Spain
Why was the Armada defeated - English tactics
- the fire ships broke the formation of the fleet and made individual ships vulnerable to attack
- the bombardment by the English cannons made regrouping impossible
- the English had faster ships and more experienced and skilled commanders
Why was the Armada defeated - Spanish mistakes
- Spanish ships were designed for the Mediterranean and could not cope with the harsh conditions of the English Channel and the North Sea
- they were delayed in the Netherlands because the soldiers were nit ready to board
- their weapons were mostly for land use, leaving them almost defenceless at sea. They had also brought many of the wrong cannonballs
- the commander of the fleet was inexperienced
Why was the Armada defeated - the weather?
- storms caused great destruction to the Spanish fleet
- the storms delayed their return to Spain, meaning that their food and water went off or ran out. Many sailors became too sick to sail.
What were the consequences of the defeat of the Armada?
It was a great victory for Elizabeth. It proved that England was a major naval power. Philip quickly began planning a second attempt, but it never actually happened. Elizabeth continued to strengthen the navy. The armada had brought England together. Under the threat of foreign invasion, most Catholics declared their total loyalty to Elizabeth. It made Elizabeth even more popular as a leader and helped boost the idea of a ‘Golden Age’.
