The Spanish Armada

Question 1

Spanish Commander:

What was his name and list some other facts eg-he had no experience of sailing ships.
Also say why Philip wanted him for the job

Answer 1

Name- Medina Sidonia

• no experience sailing ships
• no experience of commanding sailors
• he claimed he suffered from sea sickness
• his mother claimed he could not do the job

Philip wanted him due to his social standing, one of the richest nobles in Europe.

Question 2

English commander:

What was his name and list some other facts eg-total respect of his crew.

Answer 2

1st incharge was Lord Howard, he was the queens cousin.

2nd in command- Francis Drake

• total respect of his crew
• very experienced-excellent sailor
• fight alongside his men

Question 3

Armada (Spain)
How many ships did they have?
How many sailors?
How many soldiers? (And on each ship)

Answer 3

130 ships
7000 sailors
21000 soldiers
350 soldiers on each ship

Question 4

How did the armada sail (type of formation)

Answer 4

A crescent formation

Question 5

How many ships did the English have?

During the battle how many English cannon balls were fired?

Answer 5

66 English ships

2000 English cannon balls were fired

Question 6

After the first battle how many ships had the English lost and how many Spanish ships were sunk?

How long did the first battle last?

Answer 6

No English ships were lost, but no Spanish ships were sunk

7hours

Question 7

Fill in the blanks:

On the ….. Of …… In Portland……. 5 days armada have been off coast and were preparing for …………….

Answer 7

1-2nd
2-August
3-Dorset
4-2nd battle

Question 8

What did the English originally fail to do?

Who did the Spanish army hear nothing from?

Where was the armada going to occupy and set up a base?

Answer 8

Brake the Spanish, crescent formation

The troops in the Netherlands

The armada was going to occupy the Isle of Wight

Question 9

What year was the Spanish Armada?

Answer 9

1588

16th century

Question 10

On August the 7th what did the English do to try and brake up the crescent formation? And how many Spanish Armada ships ‘damaged’

Answer 10

They sent 8 fire ships during the night towards anchored armada ships
Not 1 Spanish ship was set on fire but they all scattered

Question 11

Battle of Gravelines:
Where was it?
How many Spanish soldiers died?
What happened to 2 of the Spanish ships?
What was the armada's route home?
How many men got back alive?

Answer 11

• it was near Calais/France
• 600 Spanish soldiers died
• 1 Spanish ship sunk and one other was driven ashore
• the armadas route home was around Scotland and Ireland as the English blocked the other route
• only one third of the men got back alive

Question 12

List some tactics used by the armada:

Answer 12

• They used a crescent formation
• They arranged to meet with 35,000 men who were in the Spanish Netherlands
• They chose an admiral who had a very good social standard and could communicate well with the sailors.
• They planned to occupy the Isle of Wight and set up a base there

Question 13

Why did the Spanish Armada fail?

Answer 13

The Spanish Armada relied on enemy ships to get close enough for them to throw hooks onto the enemy boat so the English sailors would be outnumbered. But the English kept their distance.

Few of the Spanish captains had ever sailed so far north so did not know the coastline or its dangers

They believed most people in England were still
Catholic

They did not consider the need for an easterly wind to cross the channel

Their admiral hated the sea

Some of their ships had been hastily converted into warships, this made them top heavy and unsuitable for stormy seas

Storage barrels made of unseasoned wood caused food to go and men to get sick

Question 14

List some facts about the Girona

Answer 14

• it was a Spanish galleass, part of the armada in 1588
• it had 50 bronze cannons
• its capacity was 1300

There were 9 survivors and 1291 lost

-it sunk on the 26th of October 1588

Question 15

Why did the armada set sail in the first place

Answer 15

1-he had previously proposed to Elizabeth but she rejected his proposal which angered Philip
2-because Elizabeth was helping Protestant rebels
3-the Spanish wanted Mary queen of scots on the thrones instead of Elizabeth
4-Mary queen of scots was being tried in England and the result of this trial lead to Mary’s decapitation
5-religion
6-Privateers, English Privateers set out in voyages and gave some of the profit they earned to Elizabeth
7-the Spanish could use Ireland as a base to launch an attack on England
8- the Netherlands, although it was part of the Spanish empire, some people had converted to Protestantism and there were many rebellions against Philip and Elizabeth was persuaded to help the Netherlands in there fight against Spain and in 1585 she sent them money and arms

Question 16

What was the first reason for England and Spain being rivals

Answer 16

The colonies:

-voyages of discovery- this involved travelling to new places, never seen before

Question 17

What is the definition of colonies

Answer 17

A group of people who leave their native country to form in a new land

Question 18

What was meant by the term new world (to do with colonies)

Answer 18

The new land discovered was called the new world. This is now north and South America

Question 19

What was the second reason for the rivalry between Spain and England

Answer 19

Privateering:
English privateers carried out raiding voyages around 100 each year. These privateers were similar to pirates except they gave some of their profits from the raids to the queen

Question 20

What did the Spanish do about the privateers

Answer 20

The Spanish complained to Elizabeth about these privateers and she denied all knowledge but privately she encouraged them

Question 21

What was the third reason for rivalry between Spain and England

Answer 21

Religion:

England was Protestant and Spain was Catholic