CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
England 1558–1603
Spain, the Armada and the war at sea
- 3 things to know
- A2 Unit 2
Overview
The deterioration of relations with Philip II, the campaign of 1588, the privateering war and the unfinished conflict after it.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
How did English ship design and tactics differ from Spanish?
Why did the Spanish plan fail?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Give three reasons why Anglo-Spanish relations deteriorated after 1568.
Model answer
English seamen were raiding Spanish shipping and colonies, Elizabeth I was quietly aiding the Dutch rebels against Spain, and Spain was implicated in plots to replace Elizabeth I with Mary, Queen of Scots.
- 2
What happened at San Juan de Ulúa in 1568?
Model answer
A Spanish attack destroyed most of John Hawkins's trading squadron at San Juan de Ulúa in Mexico, and the survivors, including Francis Drake, returned convinced that Spain could be treated as an enemy.
- 3
What did Drake's voyage of 1577–80 achieve?
Model answer
Drake circumnavigated the globe, plundered Spanish shipping and settlements on the undefended Pacific coast and returned with an enormous treasure, and Elizabeth I knighted him aboard his ship rather than disown him.
- 4
Why was the Cadiz raid of 1587 important?
Model answer
Drake destroyed shipping and stores in Cadiz harbour and along the Portuguese coast in 1587, which delayed the Armada by a year and gave England time to prepare.
- 5
What was Philip II's plan for the Armada of 1588?
Model answer
The fleet was to sail up the Channel, join the Duke of Parma's veteran army waiting in the Netherlands, and escort it across to land in Kent, since the Armada was intended as an escort and not as an invasion force in itself.
- 6
Who commanded the Armada, and with what force?
Model answer
The Duke of Medina Sidonia commanded about 130 ships carrying some 19,000 soldiers as well as their crews.
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