Armada Flashcards
(21 cards)
What RELIGIOUS factors made Phillip begin the Armada?
- He wanted to get rid of heresy.
- The Papcy wanted Elizabeth overthrown since here excommunicating in 1570.
- The Pope promised to forgive the sins of those involved.
- Spain and the Papacy backed any Catholic, anti-Elizabeth plots.
What POLITICAL factors made Phillip begin the Armada?
- Treaty of Joinville 1584.
- Treaty of Nonsuch 1585.
- England would be a useful addition to Phillip’s empire.
What PROVOCATION factors made Phillip begin the Armada?
- Drake’s actions in the New World.
- Elizabeth’s support for Dutch rebels ever since the rebellion began.
What CIRCUMSTANTIAL factors made Phillip begin the Armada?
- Spain acquired Portugal in 1580.
- Duke of Parma’s success in the Netherlands since 1579.
- Elizabeth’s hesitation to act indicated England’s weaknesses compared to Spain.
How much weaponry did the Armada have?
130 ships, 2431 guns, 30,000 men.
What was Phillip’s strategy?
- The Duke of Medina-Sidonia would sail the fleet long the English Channel to the Netherlands.
- There, it would join with the Duke of Parma.
- They would transport 27,000 troops to Kent.
- Parma would march into London and overthrow Elizabeth.
Why did the Armada lose (POINTS)?
- Superior English Ships
- Armada was badly supplied
- Poor communication between Spanish and Dutch fleets
- Long-term planning
- English Naval Tactics
- Elizabeth listeend to expert advice
- Weather
What were the new ships built from the 1570s?
Galleons. They were designed to be easier and faster to manoeuvre.
Who was John Hawkins?
The Navy Treasurer who had told Elizabeth for years to redesign her ships.
Differences between English and Spanish ships:
English cannons were mounted on smaller gun carriages.
They had more room for the canon to recoil and be quickly reloaded.
How many English Galleons were made by 1588?
24
What was wrong with Spain’s supplies?
Due to Drake’s raid on Cadiz, so many barrels had been destroyed, that they needed to build new ones out of poor wood. This meant the food and the barrels rotted after the ten weeks it had been at sea.
Documents written by Medina-Sidonia show that the Armada was low on cannonball supplies and archeological evidence shows they were of very poor quality.
What were the Armada’s planning and communication issues?
- Parma didn’t control any deep sea ports, so he had to use lots of small ships to communicate. This meant it would take 48 hours to get going after word cane from Medina-Sidonia.
-Communication had to go by sea, so were unreliable. It took a week for word to reach Parma that M-S was in the channel. By that time, it was too late and the English were ready.
What happened to M-S’s ships?
On 8 August, since Parma didn’t arrive, the English defeated them and the Armada was scattered by the wind. Most of the damage was done by the gales and storms. Thousands died.
When was the Armada first spotted on the channel?
29 July 1588
What happened on 31 July?
The English opened fire and caught two Armada ships.
What was the English strategy?
They chased them from a safe distance down the channel.
What happened on 3-4 August?
There was a heavy exchange of cannon fire off the Isle of Wight.
This was useful because M-S hoped to rest and hear from Parma.
During this, the English shot more than 6 times the number of cannon balls that the Spanish used.
A commander, the Earl of Nottingham, noticed this and chose to conserve their cannonballs.
What happened on 8 August 1588?
The Battle of Gravelines
What happened on 6 August?
England sent fireships amongst the Spanish ships, which caused them to panic and therefore scatter.
