(Part Three: Troubles At Home And Abroad) Conflict With Spain

Question 1

Give and explain the reasons for conflict with Spain (and events)

Answer 1

1. The issue of marriage
   • King Philip Il of Spain had 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 November 1558, so did the plan.
   • Philip proposed to Elizabeth in 1559, but, as with many other suitors, she kept him waiting for an answer. As it became clear that the marriage would not take place, tensions between the countries grew.
2. 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.
3. Religious difference
   • Elizabeth had returned England to the Protestant faith after the Catholic years of Mary I (1553-58). Spain had remained Catholic throughout all the religious changes of the Reformation. Such opposing religious ideas led to conflict.
4. 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 closer to home. The most notable example was in 1587 when Drake led a raid on the port of Cadiz. He destroyed dozens of Spanish ships in what became known as ‘singeing the King of Spain’s beard’.
   • Elizabeth encouraged these acts by granting licences in exchange for sharing the treasures with the country.
5. 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.
   • Although she wanted to avoid war with Spain, Elizabeth agreed to send money to support the Protestants and allowed English volunteers to go and help in the fight. She also let rebel ships use English ports. All of this angered
   Philip greatly.
   • William of Orange, the Dutch rebel leader, was assassinated in 1584. In December 1585, Elizabeth finally agreed to send English troops to support her fellow Protestants. She sent her trusted friend Robert Dudley with 7000 soldiers. Dudley and his men had very little impact but it was a clear act of war against Spain.

Question 2

Explain the size of the fleet (navy)

Answer 2

1. Henry VIlI had spent a fortune building a huge navy to protect his island nation.
2. Before 1500, ships had simply been a way to get to battle, but Tudor ships were designed to fight.
3. During Elizabeth’s reign, under the command of John Hawkins, England’s navy continued to grow.
4. At the same time, Philip of Spain spared no expense in trying to make his navy the largest and most powerful in the world.

Question 3

Explain the tactics used

Answer 3

• When full scale battles were fought, a tactic called the line of battle was sometimes used. Ships formed into a single line and fired together on the enemy. The aim was to sink as many as possible.
•Raids were a common form of attack. They took enemy ports by surprise and destroyed as many ships as possible before the enemy had the chance to fight back. This kind of attack also allowed for treasure to be stolen.
• Fireships were an effective tactic used in the sixteenth century. An old ship would be set alight and sent into the middle of the enemy fleet. This would send panic across the wooden ships and cause great damage at little risk to the attacker.

Question 4

Explain the technology used

Answer 4

• A new type of triangular sail, known as a lateen, allowed for much faster travel and new ships allowed for greater speed and manoeuvrability. Ships could therefore travel greater distances and perform better in raids and battles.
• New, more powerful, cannons meant it was now possible to fire at enemy ships from a distance. Previously, sailors would try to board enemy ships. Ships were built specifically for battle and for use in the line of battle tactic.
• New inventions like the astrolabe allowed for greater accuracy when planning voyages and working out locations. This helped sailors prepare much better for long voyages, particularly if they had to pass through hostile waters.

Question 5

Naval warfare

Answer 5

During Elizabeth’s reign, the seas were dominated by three powerful countries: England, Spain and France. Their superiority relied on three things: the size of their fleet, tactics and technology.

Question 6

Explain the events of the Spanish Armada

Answer 6

1: The plan
• In 1588, Philip Il 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.

2: The English strike first
• By 6 August the Armada was anchored off the Dutch coast.
• They were delayed for several days waiting for additional soldiers to arrive.
• At this moment the English, commanded by Sir Francis Drake, chose to strike. Early on 7 August, eight fireships were sent into the Spanish fleet. There was mass panic and the well-organised Armada was plunged into chaos.

3: The battle
• On 8 August the Battle of Gravelines began.
• The English fired constantly from a distance of 100 metres. The Spanish ships were badly damaged but none were sunk.
• Recognising how bad the situation was, the Spanish commander, the Duke of Medina-Sidonia, tried to lead his battered ships home. The English gave chase.

4: The storm
• A great storm blew the retreating Armada way 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.

Question 7

How was the Armada defeated?

Answer 7

1. English tactics
   • The fireships 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.
2. 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 not 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.
3. 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.

Question 8

Explain the consequences of the defeat of the Armada

Answer 8

1. The Armada’s defeat was a great victory for Elizabeth. It proved that England was a major naval power.
2. The country could not rest, however. Invasion remained a concern and Philip quickly began planning a second attempt, but he never actually tried again.
3. Elizabeth continued to strengthen her navy.
4. The Armada had brought England together. Under threat of foreign invasion, most Catholics had declared their total loyalty to Elizabeth.
5. It made Elizabeth even more popular and respected as a leader, and helped boost the idea of the ‘Golden Age’.