Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Spanish Armada, 1588 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
The Impacts of the Spanish Armada on Elizabethan England - Timeline & Summary
Philip II of Spain finally launched the Spanish Armada against England in 1588. The word 'armada' is Spanish for an 'armed force'. The Armada in this context means the large number of armed ships Spain sent to attack England in the summer of 1558. Historians study the Spanish Armada from two perspectives:
Overall, England's defeat of the Spanish Armada was pivotal to Elizabethan England. Elizabeth claimed that God granted England victory over Catholic Spain. This strengthened the validity of Protestantism in England and Europe. In addition, it marked the beginning of England's supremacy on the sea. |
Why did Philip II Launch the Spanish Armada?
Philip II of Spain wanted to invade England from late 1585
There were multiple reasons why Philip launched the Spanish Armada in 1588
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In your revision, you could categorise the information in the mind map above into ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors.
‘Push’ factors are events or motivations for someone to act. Elizabeth's actions against Spain in the Netherlands and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots pushed Philip to form an invasion force.
‘Pull’ factors are benefits from performing an action. England would become a profitable colony for Spain if the Armada was successful. Defeating England would strengthen Catholicism in Europe. It would increase Spain's reputation as a European power. This ‘pulled’ Philip to plan and launch the invasion of England.
Considering the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors will help you to explain why Philip II launched the Spanish Armada in 1588.
The Events of the Spanish Armada
Comparison of the Forces of England and Spain
| Spain | England |
|---|---|---|
Commander of the navy | The Duke of Medina-Sidonia. He was not an experienced sailor. He reportedly suffered from sea sickness | Lord Howard of Effingham (The Earl of Nottingham). He was not an experienced sailor but was good with naval tactics. Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins gave support and advice to Effingham |
Types and number of ships | Spain's navy consisted of 130 ships. The majority of their ships were for transporting soldiers rather than fighting. Their fleet included large ships. The ships took a long time to manoeuvre | England's navy possessed 200 ships. Their fleet consisted of small galleons. These ships were quick to turn. The English only had roughly 100 ships in and around the English Channel |
Number of sailors | The Armada contained 30,000 soldiers | England contained 14,000 sailors to fight the Armada along with 20,000 soldiers in England |
Access to supplies | Spain did not have fresh food supplies. Their ships contained six months' worth of food inside barrels | Due to the proximity to England, sailors had access to fresh food every day |
Weapons | Spain's army had 2,431 canons. Spanish cannons took a long time to reload and worked at short-range | England fitted their ships with 200 smaller cannons. These cannons were quick to load and worked at long-range |
What was Philip's Strategy for the Armada?
Once Philip became aware of the amount of Spanish troops and ships available, he created a plan for the Armada
Philip requested that:
The Armada sailed from Lisbon to Calais through the English Channel
The Duke of Parma marched an army of 20,000 soldiers from the Netherlands. Parma would meet the Armada in Calais
Parma's army would land in Kent, England with the protection of the Armada
The arrival of the Spanish army in England would trigger an uprising from English Catholics
The Spanish army, along with the English Catholics, would depose Elizabeth and restore Catholicism in England
What Happened to the Spanish Armada?
Philip launched the Armada in May 1588
AWAITING IMAGE
A storyboard illustrating the key events of the Spanish Armada, 1588
Worked Example
Describe one feature of the Spanish Armada, 1588
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of the Spanish Armada was the use of the Duke of Parma (1). Phillip II wanted the Spanish Armada to collect the Duke of Parma and 20,000 soldiers from Calais (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
How did England Defeat the Spanish Armada?
Some historians argue that England's actions defeated the Spanish Armada
England's actions | How did this factor defeat the Spanish Armada? |
|---|---|
The galleon ship design | John Hawkins advised Elizabeth to build more galleons years before the Armada. The galleons moved quicker than the Spanish warships. The sailors found galleons easier to turn around to attack the enemy. The galleon's cannon design allowed for faster reloads |
English tactics | The English ships had smaller cannons with a longer range. The English hit the Spanish Armada from a distance. The Armada was unable to get close enough to the English ships to use their more powerful cannon. The deployment of fireships scattered the Armada from their crescent formation |
Why did the Spanish Armada Fail?
Some historians argue that Spain failed to invade England because Philip and his commanders made mistakes
Spain's actions | How did this factor make the Spanish Armada unsuccessful? |
|---|---|
Spain did not prepare the Armada effectively | The Raid of Cadiz destroyed the barrels that Spain needed to store provisions. Spain rushed to make new barrels for the Armada. Bad weather delayed Spain's fleet from reaching England. By the time Spain reached the English Channel, the Armada had been at sea for 10 weeks. These delays and the poor-quality barrels caused Spain's food provisions to rot. Spain also did not have enough cannonballs to fight the English ships |
A lack of communication between Medina-Sidonia and the Duke of Parma | Dudley's capture of the deep sea port of Ostend meant that Spain did not have a sufficient harbour for its Armada. The Duke of Parma and Medina-Sidonia communicated by sea. Their messages would take a week to reach their destination. Parma received Medina-Sidonia's message that the Armada had reached the English Channel too late. The Armada became vulnerable to attack as they waited for Parma's forces to arrive |
Philip II's leadership of the Armada | Philip did not listen to his commanders' advice and concerns. He gave very restrictive instructions to Medina-Sidonia that did not allow him to take the initiative in the battles. Medina-Sidonia had little naval experience. The order for the Armada to anchor in Calais made the fleet an easy target for the English navy |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Historians state that England experienced luck in their defeat of the Spanish Armada. The wind hampered the Spanish Armada. The bad weather delayed Spain's departure from Lisbon and blew Spanish ships off-course in the Battle of Gravelines. Historians still argue that the weather conditions highlighted the weakness of Spain's planning. This is because:
Philip should have enlisted a more skilled commander for the Armada. An experienced sailor would know how to handle challenging weather conditions
Spain did not plan a secure harbour to dock their Armada. If they had planned for poor weather, a secure harbour would have sheltered their fleet and allowed them to attack England at a more convenient time
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