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==Introduction==The defeat and destruction of the Spanish Armada (in 1588) was a Spanish invasion fleet and its defeat is are seen by many as the high point of Elizabeth I’s of England’s reign. If the Armada had been successful then , it could have changed the course of English and world history. The defeat of the Armada was to have had profound consequences for England. The first consequence of the English victory was that it secured the its independence of that kingdom. The  With the defeat of the Armada led to , England becoming becomes a great serious European naval power and this . Britain's navy was to prove important in the foundation of the future British Empire. As a result of the failed invasion, by Catholic Spain, England became more self-consciously Protestant , and, Catholicism became very increasingly unpopular and seen was viewed as anti-English. The English also saw the defeat of the Armada was as an act of God and it divine providence. It confirmed the opinion of many to them that England was a kingdom that was destined for greatness and this was . == Why did Spain send the Spanish Armada to play a very important role in English national identity for many centuries. invade England? == [[File: Armada 43.jpg|200px150px|thumbthumbnail|left| A contemporary painting King Phillip II of Spain-mortal enemy of the ArmadaElizabeth I]]==Background==In the sixteenth century, Europe was divided into two mutually hostile religious groups. The North of Protestants' regimes dominated northern Europe was dominated by Protestantism , and the south was mainly Catholic. England had become a an increasing Protestant realm by state in the mid-sixteenth century, but this was opposed by many Catholics. Contrary to popular belief, Catholicism had been popular in England before the Reformation , and many people still sympathized with what they called the ‘old religion’ religion.’<ref> Duffy, E. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300108281/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0300108281&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b06f0eb9358da3a5da4c6146421bcff6 Stripping of the Altars ]</i> (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000), p. 113</reref>. Queen Elizabeth, I the First initially pursued a moderate religious policy to minimize religious conflict between Catholic and Protestant. However, Elizabeth soon found herself under pressure from Spain - the great preeminent Catholic power of in the time, world. Spain. It was the dominant Catholic power in Europe because of its vast territories in 's influence reaches stretched across Europe and into the Americas.  The Spanish King Phillip II was an ardent Catholic , and he had two primary ambitions. First, the first was he wanted to return the all Protestants to the Catholic faith and . Second, he hoped to expand the growing power of Spain. The Spanish King had been married to Mary I of England , and it seemed that England would fall under Spanish influence for a time that England would become part of the Spanish dominions. However, the coronation of Elizabeth I 's coronation had changed all of fundamentally altered this and dynamic because she was determined on a policy of to maintain England's independence from Spain. On the other hand, Spain wanted to force the English back into the Catholic fold and to end the attacks of English pirates ' attacks on their shipping ships and colonies in the Americas.  Elizabeth, I had encouraged English privateers, such as Sir Francis Drake , to mount attacks on Spanish targets. Elizabeth sought to limit the Spain's power of Spain and to secure some of the riches ‘of the America american colonies for her subjects’ subjects.’<ref> Holmes, Richard. The Oxford Companion to Military <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198662092/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0198662092&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=94311aba3c2131eec83402c57e9f3338 The Oxford Companion to Military History ]</i> (Oxford, Oxford University Press. 2001), p. 214</ref>. The English Queen also supported the Dutch in their revolt against Phillip II. Relations between Spain and England began to deteriorate deteriorated rapidly, and by the mid-1580s , the two countries were in an undeclared war, . A war that was to last until the rest end of Elizabeth’s reign. Spain was the richest and the most powerful Empire in Europe , and Phillip decided that he would to invade England, believing . He believed that it would help him to secure many of his Europe's strategic objectivesif he were successful. The Spanish presented the Armada as a Catholic crusade , and it was the Papacy partially funded by the Papacyit.Armada 3.jpg[== How did England defeat the Spanish Armada? ==[[File: Armada 34.jpg|200px350px|thumbthumbnail|left|King Phillip II A contemporary painting of Spain-mortal enemy of Elizabeth Ithe Armada]]==The Spanish Armada==The launch of the Armada had been delayed several times, including once because of a raid by the English on Cadiz. The Spanish Armada was a fleet of 130 ships , and it first left the port of Coruna in August 1588, under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, the most powerful noble in Spain.<ref> Holmes, p. 215</ref>. The fleet was ordered to sail to the English Channel and transport a large army in Flanders into England. The aim of the invasion was aimed to depose Elizabeth I and to reimpose Catholicism on the English people. The fleet was an impressive one , and the Spanish were experienced, sailors and navigators. However, the commander Medina-Sidonia was old and relatively inexperienced , and he was to commit committed mistake after mistakethroughout the campaign. The Spanish fleet despite  Despite its numerical advantage , the Spanish fleet did not attack the English fleet based at Portsmouth and instead sailed to Calais. The Spanish army under the Duke of Parma was advancing to Calais to be transported to England. However, the English navy under Drake and Howard attacked the Armada with fireships, and this was the start of what became known as the Battle of Grave lines. The English tactic of using fire-ships, created panic among the Spaniards , and the fleet was broken up into small groups of ships. The battle was to last lasted over a week , with both sides launching attacks. However, Medina-Sidonia decided to withdraw and this . This decision was decisive as it meant that the Spanish army was unable to could not rendezvous with the invasion army. Drake and the other English commanders were happy to let the Armada sail away from the invasion force. Then a A strong wind from the southwest forced the fleet to sail to the north and into the North Sea.  == How was the Spanish Armada destroyed? ==Medina-Sidonia could tried to regroup his ships and decided to withdraw to Spain and the . This ended Spain's attempt to invade England was over. Now , but it did not end the Armada's problems. At this point, the Armada sought only to survive and return to Spain. The Unfortunately, inclement weather and a strong south-western wind meant that the Spanish could not return via the English Channel and this . This wind later became known in England as a ‘Protestant Wind’ Wind.’<ref>McDermott, James. England and the Spanish Armada<i>[https: The Necessary Quarrel//www.amazon. New Havencom/gp/product/030010698X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=030010698X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f473dc1cecf6852131ce8bd6e86de229 England and the Spanish Armada: The Necessary Quarrel]</i>. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005), P. 215</ref>.  The Spanish Command, which could not communicate with Madrid , decided to round the British Isles. The Armada sailed around Scotland , but all the while was harried by English navy continued to harry the English Spanish fleet. The weather was very unseasonable for that time of years year, and the fleet of Phillip II was battered by strong gales and massive stormsbattered Phillip's fleet. As the Armada made their way around Scotland the suffered many losses, they began to lose ships. Many more ships were wrecked on the west coast of Ireland , and the survivors were hunted down and killed by natives loyal to the English crown .<ref>T. P. Kilfeather Ireland. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013K2KD6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0013K2KD6&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a486270d446af7bb1840eb37dd11d649 Ireland: Graveyard of the Spanish Armada ]</i> (Anvil Books, 1967), p. 167</ref>. By the time that the remnants of the Spanish invasion fleet made it to Spain , over two-thirds of the original Armada had been was lost. The While the Spanish Armada's defeat did not end the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War did not end with the defeat of the Armada but was to , which would continue until 1604 and , it made it difficult for Spain to get the upper hand. Eventually, the conflict ended in a stalemate.  ==England’s salvationCould Spain have taken England it had successfully landed its invasion force? ==The Spanish Armada is one of the great ‘ifs’ in history. If the Spanish ships had been able to rendezvous with the Flanders' army of Flanders and transported it across the Channel, then it is quite likely that England would may have been defeated. The Spanish army was considered to be the best in Europe at this time , and it was composed not only of Spanish veterans but also German veterans. The English army was mainly composed of local militias and was poorly led and trained. In a set -piece battle, on land, it seems likely that the Spanish forces would most likely have overcome the English been victorious and deposed Elizabeth Ion land.  The kingdom of England would have become part of the Spanish Empire. Phillip II did not plan to rule it directly but planned to place a Catholic on the throne and they . Philip wanted an ally that would have been the ally and become dependent of the Spanishon Spain. The defeat of the Armada prevented this from happening and it secured the independence of England and . England's victory allowed her to become a major world power by the eighteenth century.<ref> Holmes, p. 257</ref>.  <dh-ad/> ===The What impact did the defeat of the Spanish Armada and Religionhave on Catholics in England? ==Phillip II wanted to return England to Catholicism. If the Armada had been successful , then it seems likely that a Catholic king or queen would have been placed on the throne. They would have had the power to overturn the Protestant establishment in the country. No longer would the Church of England be by the state church , and once again , the Catholic Church would have been the only recognized religion in the realm.  Phillip II believed that it was right for a monarch to ensure religious conformity in their kingdom. It seems most likely that the new Catholic The new Catholic monarch probably would have persecuted Protestants in much the same way as Mary I had during her reign. Now while With Catholicism would have been made the state religion re-established, this would not could have seen the end of hobbled Protestantism in England.  By the 1580s , the Church of England was supported by most English people , and they would have resisted any attempt to reimpose the Catholic faith. It seems likely that Still, England would likely have suffered a series of Religious Wars similar to France in the sixteenth century. However, the Armada's failure of the Armada meant meant that the Church of England was now more secure than ever before. Increasingly, the English people began to see themselves as a Protestant people. They saw Protestantism as an integral part of Englishness and important for their freedom. Many English people became even more anti-Catholic after the Armada. ‘Popery’ as they referred to as Catholicism , was associated with autocracy, intolerance, and slavery. This anti-Catholicism was an important aspect of English political life for many years .<ref>Bridgen, Susan. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142001252/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142001252&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=128a402be47987e0bd3742b14adafb3d New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors, 1485–1603]</i>. New York, NY: Viking Penguin, 2001), p. 115</ref> It is arguable that  On the main losers other hand, English Catholics faced an increasingly difficult life in England after the Armada apart from all those who died in the conflict were English 's destruction. Catholics. After the Armada, Catholics known as ‘recusants’ because they ‘recusants,’ refused to recognize the Church of England . They came under official and unofficial pressure to conform to the state religion<refand give up their faith.<ref> Bridgen, p. 234</ref>. Even loyal English Catholics became suspect , and as a result, more and Catholics converted to Protestantism.  By the end of the Elizabeth's reign of Elizabeth, England was a Protestant nation, with only a small and oppressed Catholic minority. The Armada had played an important role in this process. Phillip II had attempted to overturn the religious settlement in England , but his attempted invasion only strengthened it. The England's people of England began to see themselves in providential terms and in biblical terms as an ‘elect nation’ nation.’ <ref> Krishan Kumar. The making of English national identity (<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521777364/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521777364&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=40a0da3a27c0edae7a7be1c813dd2ca4 The Making of English national identity]</i> (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003), p. 45</ref>. They believed The English began to believe that they were chosen by God to carry out his will and this gave them a new-found confidence. . This sense of mission was one that was very important crucial in later decades and was an important factor in the growth of English power, especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth centurycenturies.  == Did the defeat of the Spanish Armada turn England into a naval power? ==[[File: Armada 2One.jpg|200px250px|thumbthumbnail|left|English fireships attacking Spanish vessels at the Battle of GrevellinesSir Francis Drake]]==England as a naval power==It has often been stated that the Armada's defeat of the Armada ended the Spanish superiority at sea and was the beginning of began England’s rise as a global naval power. This was not the case. The year following the defeat of the Spanish Armada defeat, the English monarch launched the ‘English Armada’ Armada.’<ref>Bridgen, p. 135</ref>.  This was a naval attack on Spain but it was heavily defeated with great substantial English losses. Madrid changed its strategy , and a series of fortifications were built in the Americas that gave greater protection against English and other privateers. The fact remains that Spain , after the defeat of the Armada , remained the premier maritime power outside China.  However, the Armada defeat of the Armada did lead to long-term changes that were proved to prove be very important in the England's rise of England as a naval power. There was a recognition, after After the attempted Spanish invasion , there was a recognition that the English needed a strong navy , and successive English administrations pursued policies that helped to expand the navy and develop . England focused on developing new technologies and building ‘modern shipyards’ shipyards.’ <ref>Holmes, p. 217</ref>. As a result, in These changes laid the wake of the Armada, the kingdom became an important groundwork for England's naval power. If  Additionally, if the Spanish Armada had been a success then , it seems likely is improbable that the English England would not have been able to successfully successfully plant colonies in North America. In the early seventeenth century, English colonies were found founded at Plymouth Rock and Jamestown. If the Spanish had placed one of their candidates on the England's throne of England then , this may might never have occurred. The Armada's defeat of the Armada saw England emerge as, if not a dominant naval power but an important one, that had and the means to establish colonies and to principal colonizer of North America. Additionally, English trading companies such as the East India Companyexpanded across the globe.<ref>Holmes, p. 256</ref>. Its England's naval capability was in the long-term to directly to lead directly led to the British Empire's growth and development of the British Empire. [[File: Armada One.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sir Francis Drake]]==Conclusion==The defeat of the Armada was a major turning point in English history. It saved the throne of Elizabeth I and guaranteed English independence from Spain. The Spanish saw the invasion as a crusade and one that would stamp out the heresy of Protestantism in England. The failure of the invasion meant that Protestantism became more entrenched and less sympathetic to Catholicism. Indeed, in the aftermath of the Armada, Protestantism became part of the national identity. To be English was to be a Protestant and to reject Catholicism.  The attempted Spanish invasion led to the adoption of an anti-Catholic discourse, known as Popery , and this was an important factor in English political life for over two centuries. The Armada did not end Spanish maritime supremacy , but it did lead to England becoming a formidable naval power. This allowed it to found colonies and trading companies in the early seventeenth century that were to lay the foundation for the British Empire's foundation. ====References====<references/><div class="portal" style='float:left; width:35%'>====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====*[[What was the impact of the German Peasant War (1524-1527) on the Reformation?]]*[[Top 10 Books on the origins of the Italian Renaissance]]*[[How did the Renaissance influence the Reformation?]]*[[What were the causes of the Northern Renaissance?]]*[[Why did the Reformation fail in Renaissance Italy?]]</div>[[Category:British History]][[Category:16th Century History]][[Category:European History]][[Category:16th Century History]][[Category:Religious History]][[Category:Wikis]][[Category:English History]][[Category:History of Elizabethan Age]]{{Contributors}}