Elizabeth I: How successfully did she tackle the problems of her reign: The Spanish Armada

How did Elizabeth deal with the problem of the Spanish Armada of 1588?

THE SPANISH EMPIRE IN EUROPE IN THE 1580s Elizabeth I Duke of Parma Philip II

Philip II's American Empire

Philip’s Marriage Proposal, 1560 Philip had been married to Mary Tudor and had the title ‘King of England’. On Mary’s death in 1558, he hoped to keep England within the Spanish sphere of influence by marrying her sister, Elizabeth. Philip tried to woo Elizabeth by sending her gifts . . . . . Protestant Elizabeth would not marry Catholic Philip. Knowing that he wanted to get control of England, Elizabeth ordered her navy to prepare to fight Spain in the future. Her ships would be well equipped and her sailors well trained over the years to come.

Robbing the Spanish Francis Drake Since the 1560’s, Spanish settlements in South America and Spanish treasure ships had been attacked by English sailors such as Francis Drake and Elizabeth secretly encouraged them.

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scot's, 1587 Philip’s last hope of returning England to Catholicism died with Elizabeth’s execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1587. Mary was Elizabeth’s closest blood relative. Philip had hoped that Mary would become Queen of England on Elizabeth’s death. Her execution gave Philip the excuse to go to war with Elizabeth. He began preparations for an invasion of England.

The Plan of Invasion Duke of Parma Santa Cruz 4) As soon as the Spanish arrived in England, the English Catholics would rise in rebellion against the Protestant queen and join Spanish allies to defeat the army of Elizabeth. Duke of Parma 3) The Armada would then go on to the Straits of Dover and bring the Spanish army across to England in huge, flat-bottomed barges. 1) 30,000 tough men, experienced Spanish soldiers from the Netherlands would gather in northern France ready to invade England. They were to be led by the Duke of Parma, thought to be the best general in Europe. 2) An Armada [fleet of ships] of 136 great warships would sail from Spain towards England and destroy the English fleet in the Channel. Santa Cruz

Drake's 'Singeing of the King of Spain's Beard', April 1587. The Armada fleet was gathering in the southern Spanish port of Cadiz. The Spanish Armada was supposed to sail in 1587. Elizabeth knighted Drake and choose him to lead English warships against the Spanish. Drake’s daring attack on Cadiz Harbour, destroying 30 Spanish ships, delayed the Armada invasion by one year.

The Armada eventually left on 28th May 1588.

30th July, 1588 The Armada is sighted by the English patrol ship, the’ Golden Hind’.

Beacon Fires are lit along the English coast to give warning of Spanish invasion.

Calais 6th August The Armada had been very successful up to this point and arrived off Calais in good shape but . . . .

The Duke of Parma Parma was still in the Netherlands! He was not aware that the Armada was yet in the English Channel! This is in spite of Medina-Sidonia sending ‘pinnaces’ (messenger boats) to inform Parma of the Armada’s whereabouts. The Duke estimated it would take at least two weeks to get his army to Calais!

The English Fireship Attack It was Sir Francis Drake who came up with the idea for a Fireship attack against the Spanish fleet at Calais.

Elizabeth inspects her troops at Tilbury, 18th August – and she made an inspiring speech….

“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and I will not allow Philip of Spain or any king of Europe to invade the borders of my realm…. I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general and I will reward of every one of your good deeds in the battlefield. You deserve rewards and crowns; and we do assure you, in the word of a monarch, they shall be duly paid you….We shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.”

Escape around the British Isles There was no possibility of returning the way the Armada had came – the English blocked the way back. The only way to escape the English was to go around the northern reaches of Scotland and Ireland.

Storms around Scotland and Ireland Pounded the Armada

Storms off the coasts of Scotland and Ireland The Armada was finished off by storms as the surviving Armada ships went around Scotland and Ireland – only 60 out of the original 136 ships returned to Spain. Half of the 30,000 men were killed.

RESULTS OF THE ARMADA DEFEAT: 1. England survived as a Protestant country. 2. Spain's reputation had been weakened in Europe - other countries were encouraged to rise up in rebellion against the Spanish. 3. The English Navy was now accepted as the world's best. 4. England began to build an Empire for itself - first in North America but then in parts of Africa and, later, in parts of Asia.