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Spain and Europe 1556–98

England, the sea dogs and the Armada

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

Treaty of Nonsuch and why was it decisive, fatal flaw in the Armada plan and outcome of Philip II's later attempts against England.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Why did Philip II treat Elizabeth I cautiously in the 1560s?

Numbers

What happened at San Juan de Ulúa in 1568?

Key term

How did the execution of Mary Queen of Scots in 1587 change Philip II's calculations?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What was Philip II's connection with England before 1558?

    Model answer

    Philip II married Mary I in 1554 and was king of England as her husband, drawing England into the Spanish war against France.

  2. 2

    Why did Philip II treat Elizabeth I cautiously in the 1560s?

    Model answer

    Philip II needed England friendly or at least neutral to keep the Channel route to the Netherlands open, and the alternative heir, Mary Queen of Scots, was tied to France.

  3. 3

    Who were the sea dogs and why did they anger Spain?

    Model answer

    The sea dogs were English captains such as Hawkins and Drake who traded and raided in the Caribbean in defiance of Spain's monopoly of its American empire.

  4. 4

    What happened at San Juan de Ulúa in 1568?

    Model answer

    A Spanish fleet attacked Hawkins's ships in the Mexican harbour of San Juan de Ulúa in 1568, and the losses turned Hawkins and Drake into permanent enemies of Spain.

  5. 5

    Why did the seizure of the pay ships in 1568 matter?

    Model answer

    Elizabeth I seized Genoese loan money bound for Alba's army when the ships sheltered in English ports, leaving the Spanish troops unpaid and provoking a trade embargo.

  6. 6

    What was the Treaty of Nonsuch and why was it decisive?

    Model answer

    By the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585 Elizabeth I promised troops and money to the Dutch rebels. The treaty turned covert hostility into open war and decided Philip II on invading England.

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