Relations with Spain Flashcards
Elizabeth 1 foreign policy aims
AIMS:
- Protect England’s border & throne
- Develop trade to benefit the English economy
- Avoid war as it would cost to much
Commercial rivalry
Problems the English merchants faced:
-Spain controlled much of the new world
-Spain controlled Netherlands and in Netherlands they
was Antwerp which was important to English trade
-If you wanted to trade you needed a license
Francis Drake
English merchant
Made a fortune by trading in the new world
What he did to earn money was seen as piracy but Elizabeth hired him in 1572 as a privateer and she got good money from him.
Elizabeth orders Francis Drake
He captured £40,000 worth of silver from Spain she did not back him up as it would worse Spanish relations but Phillip did not do anything because they were trying to improve Anglo-Spanish relation
-Nov 1577 Elizabeth order him to sail around South America to bring back Gold, Silver and spices but she also ordered him to attack Spain’s colonies.
By 1577 Anglo-Spanish relations were getting worse and Spain could easily invade England so for Drake to steal was a message of defiance to show England will not be dominated by Spain
Drake voyages
He was the first English men to circumnavigate the globe and this has a major achievement as it was dangerous to go on long voyages he came with one boat (Golden hind)
OUTCOMES
*He claimed a region and called it New Albion and left it in Elizabeth name
*In 1578 he bought back £400,000 Spanish treasure
*He has knighted by Elizabeth on the golden hind -this outraged Phillip as he saw Francis as a pirate
Significance of Drake
- Drake claiming North California made it clear England did not accept Spain’s domination of the Americas
- England was seen as a successful seafaring nation
- Drake boosted the crowns finance
Political and religious rivalry
Nations in Europe flighted for more territory which meant more power, wealth and money
Catholics saw Protestantism as dangerous and had to be gone
and protectants saw Catholicism as evil and they wanted to destroy the true religion
Because of religion Spain and England were no longer allies
Both Spain and France wanted to be allies with England
SPAIN: Elizabeth’s fleet could help ships sailing to the Channel to Netherlands
FRANCE: they were surrounded by Spanish territory
BUT from 1567 Spanish ships were sailing to Netherlands to stamp out Protestantism in Netherlands which causes an alarm to England protestant and pressured Elizabeth to help the Dutch protestant rebels
What did Elizabeth do to Netherlands?
She pressured Phillip 2 by:
By indirectly helping the Dutch rebels resist the Spanish
Allow Spanish shipping and colonies to come under attack from English privateers
By perusing friendly relations with France
By encouraging other to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands
1570 Elizabeth offered a married Alliance to the French throne the Duke of Alencon to alarm Phillip 2 and for him to give the Dutch their independence when it didn’t happen she encouraged the Duke to fight against Spain but this was risky because she didn’t want the French to be too successful in case they took control
Spanish fury and pacification of Ghent 1576
By 1576 the Spanish government was bankrupt and it was too costly for them to carry on fighting at the same pace
Spain rebelled after months and robbed Antwerp in Nov 1576= Spanish Fury
This caused 17 Dutch provinces to unite against Spain and they drew up the Pacification of Ghent;
*All Spanish troops were to be expelled from the Netherlands
*Restoration of political autonomy
*end to religious persecution
Elizabeth gave a loan of £100,000 to the Dutch rebels and agreed to send an armed force to carry out the pacification of Ghent in the Netherlands
By Feb 1577 Phillip 2 brother Don Juan agreed to the pacification
6 months after pacification of Ghent
less than 6 month after agreeing the pacification of Ghent Phillip sent a new army to attack the Dutch
so Elizabeth sent a mercenary-John Casimir ( solider who fights for money) to lead an army of 6000 Scottish and English volunteers to help the Dutch
This meant Elizabeth was not officially at war with Spain but the plan backfired Casmir’s forced devastated Dutch catholic churches
Duke of Parma was the governor of Netherlands & Duke of Alencon agreed and came with an army to fight the Spanish
Spain’s fortunes restored
Duke of Alencon came to England in October 1581 eliz gave £70,000 for support in the Netherlands
1580 Phillip had Portugal and its empire and naval force
Elizabeth turned to France and Alencon returned to Netherlands in 1582 and failed he then returned to France 1583
1584-turning point in Anglo Spanish relation
10 June 1584 Duke of Alencon died
10 July William of Orange(leader of Dutch protestant rebels) was assinated
End of 1584 French catholic league signed Treaty of Joinville with Phillip to secure his help against French protestant King of France sighed the treaty so this meant France and Spain were allies against Protestantism
