1
England at War, 1585-1604
Move towards war:
- Netherlands: murder of William ‘the Silent’ in 1584 deprived Protestant revolt against
Spanish rule of its key leader. At the same time the Duke of Parma was regaining control
of the country from the Protestants
- France: death of the Duke of Alençon deprived Elizabeth of a useful ally who had been
prepared to fight Spain in the Netherlands. Pushed the French Catholics into an alliance
with Spain because there was risk of a Huguenot king.
- If the rebellion ended, Spain would gain control of the northern part of the cross-Channel
frontier and would have a large army stationed there.
- Recognised at the alliance of French Catholics and Spanish might result in a joint attack
on England
- Treaty of Nonsuch (1585)- England agreed to send 5,000 troops and 1,000 cavalry to
the Netherlands- in return the Duke would hand over Flushing and Brill and Elizabeth
would accept the title of Protector of the Netherlands
- Sir Francis Drake’s fleet was sent to raid Spanish shipping in the Caribbean
Anglo-Spanish War:
- Spain attempted to invade England in 1588
- The distance between Spain and the Netherlands ensured that England would hear
about the attack and therefore prepare before the ships reached the Channel
- It would depend upon good communication of the two sets (S+N)
- Philip’s advisers had ignored that the Dutch ports were in shallow water which would
make boarding the Armada from the port impossible and that south-westerly winds
which blow into the Channel would make sailing into it very difficult
- Fleet was under-provisioned and poorly led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia
- Philip had unfounded hopes that the mere presence of the Armada would force
Elizabeth to see reason over the Netherlands and her Protestantism
- Brilliant naval tactics for the British
- English fire-ships burned and scattered its ships
- The Battle of Gravelines took place off the coast of Flanders which left the Duke of
Medina Sidonia with no other alternative than to pull away and take a suicidal journey
home around the west coast of ireland and north coast of Scotland
- Bad weather = wreckage of Spanish ships on the coastline
- Defeat of the Armada seemed to indicate God’s approval of Elizabeth’s government and
the Anglican Church it had created
England at War, 1585-1604
Move towards war:
- Netherlands: murder of William ‘the Silent’ in 1584 deprived Protestant revolt against
Spanish rule of its key leader. At the same time the Duke of Parma was regaining control
of the country from the Protestants
- France: death of the Duke of Alençon deprived Elizabeth of a useful ally who had been
prepared to fight Spain in the Netherlands. Pushed the French Catholics into an alliance
with Spain because there was risk of a Huguenot king.
- If the rebellion ended, Spain would gain control of the northern part of the cross-Channel
frontier and would have a large army stationed there.
- Recognised at the alliance of French Catholics and Spanish might result in a joint attack
on England
- Treaty of Nonsuch (1585)- England agreed to send 5,000 troops and 1,000 cavalry to
the Netherlands- in return the Duke would hand over Flushing and Brill and Elizabeth
would accept the title of Protector of the Netherlands
- Sir Francis Drake’s fleet was sent to raid Spanish shipping in the Caribbean
Anglo-Spanish War:
- Spain attempted to invade England in 1588
- The distance between Spain and the Netherlands ensured that England would hear
about the attack and therefore prepare before the ships reached the Channel
- It would depend upon good communication of the two sets (S+N)
- Philip’s advisers had ignored that the Dutch ports were in shallow water which would
make boarding the Armada from the port impossible and that south-westerly winds
which blow into the Channel would make sailing into it very difficult
- Fleet was under-provisioned and poorly led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia
- Philip had unfounded hopes that the mere presence of the Armada would force
Elizabeth to see reason over the Netherlands and her Protestantism
- Brilliant naval tactics for the British
- English fire-ships burned and scattered its ships
- The Battle of Gravelines took place off the coast of Flanders which left the Duke of
Medina Sidonia with no other alternative than to pull away and take a suicidal journey
home around the west coast of ireland and north coast of Scotland
- Bad weather = wreckage of Spanish ships on the coastline
- Defeat of the Armada seemed to indicate God’s approval of Elizabeth’s government and
the Anglican Church it had created
