Part 2 Edexcel GCSE History Elizabethan England| Revised Questions and Answers| Retest 2025

Part 2 Edexcel GCSE History Elizabethan England| Revised Questions and Answers| Retest 2025 Explain why Catholic plots against Elizabeth became more serious after 1570. The Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570, which made Catholics feel like they had permission to rebel and that she could be replaced. Assess the reasons Elizabeth saw Mary, Queen of Scots, as a threat. Mary had a claim to the throne and was Catholic—lots of people saw her as the true queen, especially after Elizabeth was declared illegitimate by the Pope. Analyse the reasons for the failure of the Ridolfi Plot. The government’s spy network was really good by then, and Elizabeth’s advisors like Cecil found out about it before it could happen. Explain how the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, affected Elizabeth’s position. It got rid of a major threat but made her nervous—it could provoke Catholic countries like Spain or France into attacking. Evaluate how far religion was the main reason for the Northern Rebellion. Religion mattered, but the northern earls were also angry about losing power at court and about Elizabeth not naming an heir. 2 Examine why the government developed a more intense spy network in the 1580s. The threat of Catholic plots grew, especially after Mary was in England. Walsingham used spies to track letters and trap plotters. Assess the consequences of the Throckmorton Plot. It showed foreign powers (like Spain and the Pope) were backing Catholic uprisings, and led to harsher laws against Catholics. Explain how Elizabeth’s excommunication by the Pope impacted her rule. It encouraged Catholics to see her as not just illegitimate but also a target for removal, so it increased threats from inside and outside England. Analyse why the Babington Plot led to Mary’s execution. It proved Mary was involved in planning Elizabeth’s assassination—there were written letters that directly linked her to the plot. Evaluate the threat posed by Catholic priests sent from abroad in the 1580s. They were trained to win people back to Catholicism, which worried the government—but most English people stayed loyal to Elizabeth. Assess how the Spanish threat developed during Elizabeth’s reign. 3 Relations with Spain got worse after the Pope’s excommunication, English raids on Spanish ships, and Elizabeth’s support for the Dutch rebels. Explain how Elizabeth used propaganda to strengthen her image in the 1580s. She had portraits made showing her powerful and wise, especially after threats like Mary’s execution and Catholic plots. Examine why relations between England and Spain got worse after 1585. Elizabeth signed the Treaty of Nonsuch to support Dutch rebels—basically declaring war on Spain, even if not officially. Assess the significance of Drake’s raid on Cadiz in 1587. It delayed the Armada by at least a year and destroyed loads of Spanish ships and supplies— it was called “singeing the King of Spain’s beard.” Explain how Philip II’s religious beliefs influenced his decision to launch the Armada. He saw it as a Catholic mission—to remove a Protestant heretic and bring England back to the Pope. Analyse the key reasons for the failure of the Spanish Armada. Bad weather, better English tactics (like fireships), and the Spanish having poor