Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588 AD

As of September 16, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Steps: 171,849
Miles: 73.04



The defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the most famous events in English history. It was arguably Queen Elizabeth (the First)'s finest hour. In triumph she led her people to glory, defeating the greatest power in the 16th century world.

In the late 1500s Spain was the most powerful country in the world. her King, Philip II ruled vast territories of land, and had unparalleled wealth from the New World. England at the time was a small country, with little wealth, few friends, and many enemies.

Although relations between Spain and England had began rather well, over the 30 years since the Queen's accession to the throne, relations deteriorated. There were many reasons for this. To begin with, England was a Protestant country, and Spain was a Roman Catholic one. The Spanish made no secret of their hostility to the English Queen, who they believed was illegitimate and had no right to the English throne, and they were involved in plots to dethrone her.

Elizabeth herself had encouraged the activities of English pirates, who plundered King Philip's ships as they made their way from the New World, seizing their treasures. This greatly angered Philip, especially as the stolen treasure was used to help fund those people rebelling against his rule in the Netherlands.

As early as 1585, Philip had begun to prepare a great fleet that, under the Spanish commander Santa Cruz, would invade England. King Philip believed he had a genuine claim to the English throne. The purpose of the mission was to depose Elizabeth, put his daughter on the throne, and make England Roman Catholic once again.

Despite numerous setbacks the Spanish were determined to send a fleet against England, and finally in the May of 1588, the great fleet set out.

It was planned that the Spanish fleet, consisting of 120 ships, would sail up from Spain along the English Channel and meet with the forces of the Duke of Parma, Philip's nephew, making their way down from the Netherlands. Together they would sail towards England. It was believed that this force would overwhelm the English. The English would be conquered, and the heretical Queen would be captured.

But the English were waiting. On the cliffs of England and Wales, men watched the seas day and night, waiting for the first sighting of the great Armada. When the ships appeared on the horizon, beacons were lit on the hillsides, which sent the message over the cliffs and throughout the country, that the Spanish were coming. By the next morning, London and the Queen knew that the fleet was coming. As soon as the ships began to make their way up the channel, the fighting began.



In the English channel, the Spanish suffered a humiliating defeat. The weather was dreadful, with the wind and rain against them, and they were not able to compete with the superior English ships and war tactics. The only way back to Spain was the perilous long-way-about journey around the Island of Great Britain, and many a Spaniard never saw his home country again. The battle was over, the English had won.

The Queen and her people were jubilant. No more were they a second rate sea power, for they had conquered the fleet of the mighty Spanish Empire.

Although King Philip sent other fleets against England in the 1590's, none was as significant as that of the Armada of 1588.

Source