Elizabeth: Foreign Affairs Flashcards
What was the Ridolfi plot?
1571 conspiracy for Mary to marry Norfolk and overthrow Elizabeth. Lead to the execution of Norfolk for treason
What was the Throckmorton plot?
A 1583 conspiracy to land a foreign army in Sussex to replace Elizabeth with Mary. It was foiled by Sir Francis Walsingham’s espionage and lead to the creation of Bonds of Association, worsened Anglo-Spanish relations and tightened Mary’s captivity
What was the Parry plot?
A 1585 conspiracy to assassinate the Queen. Lead to the acceleration of Parliamentary proceedings to ensure the queens safety
What was the Babington plot?
A 1586 plot to assassinate Elizabeth involving Mary but discovered by Sir Francis Walsingham. Lead to the execution of Mary
Why did Anglo-Spanish relations deteriorate at the end of the 1560s?
- John Hawkins’ disruptions to Spanish trade in the Caribbean
- Protestant councillors wanted Elizabeth to intervene in protecting the Dutch Protestants against tightening Spanish control
- Elizabeth seized 400,000 florins from Spanish vessels forced to shelter in England from storms in November 1568, intended to pay Philip II’s army in the Netherlands
- Philip II encouraged the 1569 Northern Rebellion and the 1571 Ridolfi Plot
- Elizabeth expelled the Sea Beggars from English ports in 1572 leading them to land and occupy ports in the Netherlands
When did the Dutch provinces rise up against Spain?
1576
Between which two regions was the Netherlands split?
Between the Union of Utrecht (North and Protestant) and the Union of Arras (South and Catholic) with the Spanish supporting Arras
Which actions did Elizabeth take which were deemed anti-Spanish?
- Supported the Portuguese pretender to the throne, Don Antonio, after Spain had annexed Portugal
- Sir Francis Drake was knighted after circumnavigating the globe, irritating Spain
- Treating the Spanish ambassador in contempt
What was the Treaty of Joinville in 1584?
An agreement between Philip II and the French Catholic League, therefore Philip II no longer had a political motive preventing him from supporting Mary Queen of Scots
What was the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585?
An alliance with Dutch Protestant rebels in response to the Treaty of Joinville, sending troops to the Netherlands under the Earl of Leicester’s command
What were some difficulties of the English army sent to the Netherlands as part of the 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch?
- the troops were badly and irregularly paid leading to ill discipline and alienating the Dutch
- two of the officers, William Stanley and Rowland Yorke, defected to the Spanish side
- English commanders quarreled with each other
- Leicester quarreled with the Dutch
What attack successfully delayed the Armada?
An English attack on Spanish ships in the Cadiz harbour in April 1587
How was the Armada defeated?
Indecisive battles took place in the English Channel from the 30th July to the 6th August but ultimately weather forced them to return to Spain by sailing around Scotland
What was Elizabeth’s priority in the war against Spain?
National security
What were some successes in the war at sea?
- England enjoyed small scale naval victories in the Caribbean and Spain in 1585 and 1587
- three attacks took place on Spain from 1595 including the capture of Cadiz
- another fleet was sent against England in 1596 but it was forced to retreat due to weather
- a Spanish fleet set sail to exploit rebellion in Ireland in 1597 and retreated due to weather
What were some failures in the war at sea?
- the capture of Cadiz had no strategic follow up and it’s occupation was short lived
- Hawkins and Drake died at sea after advocating for an attack on Panama as the weakest point in the Spanish empire
- Essex commanded a fleet to prevent Spanish ships from dispatching to land in Spain but was forced to return due to weather leaving Spanish ships unopposed
How did the war in the Netherlands improve after 1589?
Sir Francis Vere was made commander of the English forces there and he was highly capable. Spanish troops mutinied regularly and were overcommitted in France so territory lost to the Duke of Parma was gradually retaken
In which year were the Spanish expelled from Northern Netherlands?
By 1594
