7 - Outbreak Of War With Spain 1585-88

Question 1

How did England’s direct involvement in the Spanish Netherlands lead to the outbreak of war in 1588?

Answer 1

• The English Channel was a very important transport network for Elizabeth and Philip, especially for Philip so that he could reach his Spanish Netherlands
• In 1572, Dutch Protestants rebelled against Spanish rule, therefore Philip sent a large Spanish army to regain control
• This lead to a build up of military forces on the English Channel, a threat to the national security of England
• The Dutch rebels asked Elizabeth for support, and due to the encouragement from Robert Dudley and others, and the realisation that if the Spanish won then they would control a larger amount of land surrounding Britain, Elizabeth secretly sent weapons and finance to the Dutch Rebels
• In 1578, a large Spanish army led by the Duke of Parma arrived in the Netherlands, and in 1584 the Dutch rebel leader was executed (William of Orange).
• As a result, in the Treaty of Nonsuch, Elizabeth agreed to direct involvement in the Netherlands, to try to reduce the Spanish threat surrounding Britain.
• The Earl of Leicester led an army into the Spanish Netherlands to control the area, but his presence was seen as a declaration of war by Philip II, so from 1585 onwards, England and Spain were officially at war.
• The Earl of Leicester’s title of ‘Governor General of the Low Countries’ angered Spain even more as it suggested that England wanted control over them.
• Although British intervention lacked funding and there were disagreements with the Dutch rebels, it did slow the progress of Parma’s army

Question 2

How did Drake and the raid on Cadiz help slow the progression of the Spanish Armada’s plans to invade England?

Answer 2

• News broke out in England that Philip II was assembling a large fleet to invade England with
• After persuading Elizabeth, in April 1587, Sir Francis Drake sailed into the Cadiz harbour in Spain and inflicted heavy damage on the ships anchored there.
• This delayed the construction of the Armada by destroying ships and supplies and then diverting the Spanish warships in pursuit of Drake
• This attack was known as ‘the singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’
• Drake’s convoy then sailed north and attacked Portuguese vessels heading for Lisbon, which contained materials that would help hold food supplies in barrels on the ships
• Drake also attacked a Spanish treasure ship, and brought home £114,000. This gave Elizabeth another twelve months to prepare her defences