Why did Philip II send the Armada against England?
The Armada sails against England
La Armada contra Inglaterra
30 May 1588–October 1588. In 1588 Philip II sent a fleet of about 130 ships from Lisbon to escort an army from Flanders across the Channel and invade the England of Elizabeth I, who was…
Where: Spain, Portugal
What happened
In 1588 Philip II sent a fleet of about 130 ships from Lisbon to escort an army from Flanders across the Channel and invade the England of Elizabeth I, who was helping the Dutch rebels and the privateers who raided Spanish shipping. The fleet never joined the army. English fireships broke its formation off Calais, and after a battle at Gravelines it fled north, round Scotland and Ireland, where storms wrecked many ships. Dozens of ships and thousands of men were lost, most to storms, shipwreck and disease. The Spanish called it the Grande y Felicísima Armada; the name Invincible came later, probably with irony. England's own armada against Spain the next year also failed.
Say it
La Armada salió de Lisboa con unos ciento treinta barcos.
The Armada left Lisbon with about a hundred and thirty ships.
Why it matters
The defeat did not end Spanish power, but it marks in popular memory the moment England began to challenge Spain at sea, including in the Caribbean.
Read about it
Connected
- Philip II builds El Escorial (1563–1584)
- Philip II becomes king of Portugal (1580–1640)
- Drake raids the Spanish Caribbean (1585–28 January 1596)
- Drake raids the Spanish Caribbean (1585–28 January 1596)
- Lope de Vega and the comedia (1609)
- Before: Philip II becomes king of Portugal
- After: Don Quixote is published
Sources
- Spanish Armada — World History Encyclopedia
- Francis Drake — World History Encyclopedia