Elizabeth’s Wars (1585-1603)

Question 1

Type of war

Answer 1

Opportunism
Between countries
Defence
Invasion/conquest
Religious

Question 2

Examples of war

Answer 2

-By 1585, Elizabeth couldn’t pretend that volunteers sent to the Netherlands (controlled by Spain) were beyond her knowledge.
-1588 - Philip II of Spain had had enough of Elizabeth/her defence of Protestants
—> ordered huge armada of ships to invade England, capture/kill queen and replace her with Catholic monarch.
-12th July 1588 - 130 warships; Spanish Armada sets sail.
-19th - English see ships and chase them up the Channel.
-27th - Armada anchors off Calais, English send burning fire ships and Spanish panic
>soldiers waiting in Netherlands abandoned.
-28th - English attack Spanish near the Gravelines
-30th - Armada tries to sail back to Spain by going around Scotland.
-Aug. - Fierce storms wreck many Spanish ships
-Sept. - only 2/3 ships made it back to Spain

Question 3

Examples of war cont’d

Answer 3

-Ireland mostly Catholic, so queen feared Spanish would use it to invade England.
>Hugh O’Neill (Earl of Tyrone) led rebellion in 1595 to push our English Protestant settlers in Ireland
>Queen decided to conquer Ireland for good; achieved by 1603, costing £1.9 billion (equal to £6 trillion today)

Question 4

Attitudes and responses

Answer 4

-cost lots of money, meaning huge taxes.
-Privy Council wanted glory and to defend other Protestants
-Elizabeth sent money/weapons, eventually allowing ‘volunteers’ to fight (unofficial to avoid her being involved)

Question 5

Impact on people

Answer 5

-direct, indirect, psychological, cultural
-After Armada - boosted people’s belief; believed it was God who helped
-Queen was a national hero
-Protestantism firmly established
-‘English’ identity valued by people
-Cost a lot - taxes
-Fear of future invasions
-Birth of empire

Question 6

Impact on government

Answer 6

-Sir Francis Drake (privateer) captured around £265,000, all of it given to the queen.
-In an expedition in 1577-80, he attacked Spanish ports and captured Spanish ships
-Elizabeth gets stronger, as the Spanish effectively surrender.
-Wars were a success so she gets stronger.