Challenges at Home and Abroad

Question 1

why did the Northern Earls revolt?

Answer 1

• wanted England to be Catholic
• they lost a lot of their influence at court under Elizabeth
• Elizabeth not having an heir created uncertainty, the earls feared a future Protestant monarch

Question 2

what was the marriage plan?

Answer 2

• Mary would marry the Duke of Norfolk and remove Elizabeth to become queen
• Mary told the Spanish that she would become queen
• however, Robert Dudley told Elizabeth of the plan leading to Norfolk’s arrest and imprisonment

Question 3

why did the revolt of the Northern Earls fail?

Answer 3

• support from Spain never arrived
• many northern landowners remained loyal to Elizabeth
• many landowners didn’t want to risk losing wealth gained by backing a failed revolt

Question 4

what was significance of the revolt of the Northern Earls?

Answer 4

• it showed Mary could not be trusted
• the pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called on Catholics to remove her
• the loyalty of England’s Catholics was now in doubt
• Elizabeth’s control over the north of England was strengthened

Question 5

give background information to the Ridolfi plot of 1571:

Answer 5

• one of the Catholic plots
• the failure of the earl plot meant that Elizabeth treated Catholics with suspicion
• laws were implemented against Catholics, which angered them
• this led to the Ridolfi plot of 1571

Question 6

describe the progress of the Ridolfi plot (1571):

Answer 6

• Ridolfi was a spy for the Pope
• Ridolfi plotted to kill Liz, put Mary on the throne
• Ridolfi travelled to the Netherlands to discuss the plot with Philip II and the Duke of Alba
• Philip told Alba to prepare troops and send them across the English Channel
• Sir William Cecil discovered the plot, so Ridolfi remained abroad and never returned
• Duke of Norfolk was executed but Mary left unpunished

Question 7

what was the significance of the Ridolfi Plot 1571?

Answer 7

• reinforced the threat from Spain
• confirmed that Catholics remained a threat
• the Spanish threat meant that England needed to improve their French relations, as they could not fight both countries
• the government began to monitor Catholic activity

Question 8

what was the Throckmorton plot 1583?

Answer 8

• the French Duke of Guise plotted to invade England to overthrow Liz and free Mary
• Philip II offered to pay for the revolt and the pope approved of the conspiracy
• Throckmorton would pass letters between the plotters and Mary

Question 9

why did the Throckmorton plot 1583 fail?

Answer 9

• Sir Francis Walsingham discovered the plot in May 1583
• in November 1583, Walsingham’s spies found Throckmorton’s papers
• Throckmorton was arrested and tortured

Question 10

why was the Throckmorton plot significant?

Answer 10

• revealed the Catholic threat
• confirmed government’s fears of enemies within
• Catholics treated with suspicion

Question 11

describe the events of the Babington plot 1586:

Answer 11

• the Duke of Guise would invade England, murder Liz and put Mary on the throne
• Babington wrote to Mary about the plot
• Walsingham intercepted
• Babington and the plotters were sentenced to death
• in Oct 1586, Mary was sentenced to death
• Liz signed Mary’s death warrant in Feb 1587 and Mary was beheaded shortly after

Question 12

why was the Babington plot significant?

Answer 12

• Liz’s situation was more precarious than before
• by 1585, Spain and ENG were virtually at war
• Liz’s government became determined to crush the Catholic threat
• persecution of the Catholics intensified
• Mary was executed

Question 13

why was Sir Walsingham important?

Answer 13

• his actions provided intelligence that defeated Catholic plots
• his intelligence unmasked the activities of Mary
• his actions deterred further plots against Elizabeth

Question 14

what was Walsingham’s spy network?

Answer 14

• he had a network of spies and informants in every town
• his agents were paid and trained by the government
• others were paid informants
• he used spies abroad

Question 15

what was Walsingham’ use of ciphers?

Answer 15

• he used ciphers for all correspondence
• he also had the means of decoding the codes of the plotters

Question 16

what was Walsingham’s use of torture and execution?

Answer 16

• some priests were tortured
• the threat of execution and torture was often more effective as it provided him with informants
• he only used torture and execution in the most serious casees

Question 17

why was Mary, Queen of Scots executed?

Answer 17

• she was involved in a series of plots
• Walsingham’s spies unearthed evidence that Mary was involved with the plotters
• the Spanish threat was very real
• Mary was a rallying point for disgruntled Catholics
• Mary was an alternative monarch who could take the throne

Question 18

what was the significance of Mary, QoS’s execuution?

Answer 18

• made Liz’s heirs more vulnerable in the future
• angered Spain and gave Philip II reason to attack ENG
• made succession more uncertain, increasing chances of a civil war
• removed an important threat to Liz, as Mary was the focus of many Catholic plots

Question 19

what were the consequences of English victory in the war?

Answer 19

• English navy strengthened: boosted exploration, encouraged trading
• Protestant cause stronger: suggested God was on the Protestant side, people accepted Protestant rule
• Foreign policy: ENG had Protestant allies in Europe and was no longer isolated
• Liz’s authority enhanced: she was portrayed as a military victor, reflected in portraits

Question 20

what were the consequences of English victory for Spain?

Answer 20

• the defeat of the Armada was a major military and financial setback for Philipp II
• Spain’s war with ENG continued for the rest of Liz’s reign
• Spanish prestige was broken and countries became more willing to challenge Spanish power

Question 21

describe the events of the Armada 1588:

Answer 21

29 July: the Armada is spotted in the English Channel
31 July: battle of Plymouth, two SPA ships are captured
3 - 4 Aug: battle of the Isle of Wight, SPA ships are outgunned and move further up the channel towards Calais
8 Aug: battle of Gravelines, fireships cause SPA to panic, the SPA fleets never links up and is scattered

Question 22

why was England victorious?

Answer 22

• communication: Parma and Medina Sidonia Dukes didn’t talk
• provisions: SPA didn’t have enough food and were at sea for 10 weeks, damaged SPA morale
• tactics: Drake’s use of fireships, ENG had a good distance from SPA ships
• ships: the guns on ENG ships could be quickly reloaded
• panic: SPA panicked because of the fireships and their ships drifted
• weather: gale force wind caused destruction to SPA ships as they went home

Question 23

why did Philip II launch the Armada?

Answer 23

• religious conflict
• acts of provocation
• politics and diplomacy
• changing circumstances

Question 24

what was Philip II’s strategy?

Answer 24

• he ordered the Armada (130 ships and 2431 guns) to sail across the Channel to the Netherlands
• from there the ships would join the SPA troops under the Duke of Parma
• the SPA army would then attack London, end Elizabeth’s reign and establish a Catholic government

Question 25

what were Philip II’s tactics?

Answer 25

• he needed control of the Channel to transport the troops to England
• it was vital that the English Navy disrupted the Spanish shipping as it meant they would be less likely to defeat the bigger and better army later

Question 26

why was the Armada such a threat?

Answer 26

• if it succeeded, Elizabeth could lose her throne and potentially her life
• for English Protestants, an invasion meant the restoration of Catholicism and Protestant persecution

Question 27

explain the Spanish religious rivalry:

Answer 27

• under Mary Tudor, SPA and ENG were allies, when Liz came, that relationship fell apart
• Philip II saw Protestantism as a threat
• English Protestants saw Catholicism as a threat
• Philip II became involved in Catholic plots

Question 28

explain Spanish policy in the Netherlands:

Answer 28

• the Netherlands had been Spanish but many became Protestant
• Spanish campaigns aimed to restore Catholicism
• SPA Catholics executed many Dutch Protestants
• Spain’s campaign in the Netherlands angered Elizabeth’s government

Question 29

explain the English response to the Spanish:

Answer 29

• Liz’s government decided to secretly help the Dutch
• they allowed rebel ships, financial support
• they attacked Spanish shipping

Question 30

explain the Spanish Fury and the Pacification of the Ghent:

Answer 30

• by 1576, Spain realised war in the Netherlands was unaffordable
• this resulted in the Spanish Fury and they looted Antwerp
• after the looting, Dutch provinces formed an alliance called the Pacification of the Ghent

Question 31

explain the restoration of Spanish influence:

Answer 31

• by late 1584, Spain controlled the Dutch again, England allies were dead, Dutch Catholics were ready to make peace with Spain

Question 32

explain how England and Spain were close to war:

Answer 32

• Philip II blamed English support of the Dutch rebels for making the situation worse
• Philip II blamed English privateers for attacks on Spanish shipping
• Liz’s government blamed Spain for a series of plots against Elizabeth

Question 33

explain the Spanish commercial rivalry:

Answer 33

• ENG and SPA were trade rivals
• they competed against each other
• Spain had conquered Mexico and Peru which gave them vast amounts of gold and silver
• by Liz’s reign, sailors were journeying great distances around the world

Question 34

explain the English hostility towards Spain:

Answer 34

• Spain represented a major barrier to English trade
• SPA control of the Netherlands close off some of the main trade routes used by English merchants
• SPA control of the New World denied English traders profitable opportunities
• therefore, English traders’ efforts to making money brought them into conflict

Question 35

explain privateering:

Answer 35

• English merchants raided Spanish colonies
• Drake captured lots of money
• Elizabeth encouraged Dutch rebels to attack Spanish ships
• by 1580, the loss of silver meant that the Spanish government could not pay its soldiers

Question 36

explain the deteriorating relations:

Answer 36

• Elizabeth knighted Drake which demonstrated her defiance towards Spain
• her actions showed the support of Spain’s financial loss
• for Philip II, privateers needed to be removed

Question 37

give background information to the war with Spain:

Answer 37

• England signed the Treaty of Nonsuch with Dutch rebels, making war more likely

Question 38

describe the campaign in the Netherlands:

Answer 38

• it was not a great success
• Elizabeth still hoped to negotiate with Philip II
• some of Dudley’s officers defected to the Spanish side, hurting relations with the Dutch rebels
• Dudley and Elizabeth had different aims in the Netherlands

Question 39

what were the results of the campaign in the Netherlands?

Answer 39

• Dudley could only disrupt Spanish forces, not defeat them
• Dudley did manage to stop the Spanish from capturing a deep-water port, which meant that the Spanish Armada couldn’t link up with the Duke of Parma’s troops

Question 40

explain Drake’s attack on Cadiz: Singeing the King of Spain’s beard

Answer 40

• since Jan 1586, Spain had been building up its Armada
• in March 1587, Liz ordered Drake to attack the Spanish navy, he destroyed their ships and supplies
• Drake then continued to attack Spanish coastal ports and treasure ships

Question 41

v what was the importance of Drake’s attack on Cadiz and Spain?

Answer 41

• Spain had to take a break from building the Armada in order to defend themselves against Drake
• the disruption Drake caused delayed the Armada by a year
• because of this, England had more time to prepare for the eventual Spanish attack and invasion in 1588