8-4SpanishArmada

=What was the Defeat of the Spanish Armada? =  Answer prepared by Hudson B During the defeat of the Spanish Armada, England won a war against the strongest power of the 16th century, Spain. Ruled by King Philip ll, Spain was a large country with unparalleled wealth and ample amounts of land. England, which was ruled by Queen Elizabeth, was a small country with little wealth and lots of enemies. Many events created tense feelings between Queen Elizabeth and King Philip ll. To start with, Spain was a Roman Catholic country while England was a Protestant country. The Spanish also disliked Queen Elizabeth, and believed that she had no right to the English throne. One thing that angered Philip ll immensely was the English pirates that seized treasure from Spanish ships. Queen Elizabeth encouraged much of the English pirates’ activities. These pirates used much of their stolen treasure to help the people rebelling against King Philip’s rule in the Netherlands. King Philip also believed he had a right to the English throne through descent from John of Gaunt. These reasons led King Philip ll to prepare a fleet to invade England. In 1587, King Philip’s wife, Mary, was executed for conspiring Elizabeth’s death. King Philip was extremely outraged and waged war in the name of his daughter, Isabella. He wanted to get rid of Queen Elizabeth, put Isabella on the throne, and make England Roman Catholic. These are the events that started the war.

There were many factors that led to the English victory. Queen Elizabeth had heard rumors about a Spanish invasion. Once she knew the rumors were true, she focused all her attention on preparing England for the war. In May of 1588, the Spanish Armada set sail for England. The Spanish Armada was manned by 30,000 men and the ships were armed with long and short ranged guns and about 50 cannons. Spain’s plan was to take their fleet of one-hundred ships through the English Channel and meet with the forces of Philip’s nephew, the Duke of Parma. From there, they would head towards England. On the other side, England was preparing for war. In 1588, the English fleet had between 140 and 160 ships. These ships were faster, larger, and better armed than anything in Spain’s Fleet. Drake and Hawkins, two English military leaders, studied the problems of sea warfare and came up with a conclusion that the English needed a new kind of naval fighting style. They thought that a ship must be a weapon for sailors rather than a floating battlefield for soldiers. By 1588, their idea became law on English warships. Charles Lord Howard of Effingham was chosen by Queen Elizabeth to command the English fleet with Francis Drake as his chief advisor. Men waited day and night on the cliffs of England and Wales, looking for the Spanish Armada. On May 30, 1588, the Spanish Armada sailed towards England. Things went wrong with Spain from the start of the war. First of all, a storm struck and the Spanish Armada was sailing against wind and rain. Many soldiers grew sick from being on the ships at the time of the storm. During the beginning of the war, Santa Cruz the Spanish general died. Medina Sidonia, Cruz’s successor, asked Philip to postpone the war to a later year. But, King Philip refused and asked to get on with the war.

On July 31, 1588, the English and the Spanish Armada saw each other for the first time. Queen Elizabeth made her way to Tilbury, England where she was close to the war. The Spanish was astonished at how big the English fleet was and how they slipped behind the Armada, gaining a critical advantage. For the next week, the Armada blew from the southwest up the channel. This allowed the English to pounce on outlying vessels, while Spanish rescuers had to beat against the wind. When the Spanish could fight against the English ships and military tactics no longer, they fled back to Spain. The defeat of the Spanish Armada was one of the greatest moments in English history. England was now the number one power of the sea and Queen Elizabeth was recognized for it. It is said to be her most definable moment of her rule over England. For many years, Queen Elizabeth was known as the savior of the English people.  Works Cited "Francis Drake." Web.14 Apr 2009. . Marrin, Albert. //The Sea King Sir Francis Drake and His Times//. New York: Pixel Press, 1995. Print.

"Philip ll of Spain." 10 Apr 2009 . "The Spanish Armada." __Elizabeth__. 8 Mar 2009 . 