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[[File: Armada 32.jpg|200px390px|thumbthumbnail|left|King Phillip II of Spain-mortal enemy English fireships attacking Spanish vessels at the Battle of Elizabeth IGrevellines]]The defeat and destruction of the Spanish Armada (1588 is 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 indeed, world history. The defeat of the Armada was to have profound consequences for England. The first consequence of the English victory was that it secured the independence of that kingdom. The defeat of the Armada led to England becoming a naval power and this 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 unpopular and seen as anti-English. The defeat of the Armada was an act of divine providence and it confirmed the opinion of many that England was a kingdom destined for greatness and this was to play a very important role in English national identity for many centuries.
===The =Why did Spain send the Spanish Armadato invade England?==== [[File: Armada 43.jpg|200px150px|thumbthumbnail|left| A contemporary painting King Phillip II of the ArmadaSpain-mortal enemy of Elizabeth I]]The launch of In the Armada had been delayed several timessixteenth century, including once because of a raid by the English on CadizEurope was divided into two mutually hostile religious groups. The Spanish Armada Northern Europe was a fleet of 130 ships dominated by Protestants regimes and it first left the port of Coruna south was mainly Catholic. England had become an increasing Protestant state by the mid-sixteenth century. Contrary to popular belief, Catholicism had been popular in August 1588, under England before the command of Reformation and many people still sympathized with what they called the Duke of Medina Sidonia‘old religion.’<ref> Duffy, the most powerful noble in SpainE.<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> Holmes(Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000), p. 215113</ref> The fleet was ordered to sail to Queen Elizabeth the English Channel and transport First initially pursued a large army in Flanders into England. The aim of the invasion was moderate religious policy to depose Elizabeth I and to reimpose Catholicism on the English people. The fleet was an impressive one and the Spanish were experienced, sailors minimize religious conflict between Catholic and navigatorsProtestant. However, Elizabeth soon found herself under pressure from Spain - the commander Medina-Sidonia was old preeminent Catholic power in the world at that time. Spain's influence reach stretched across Europe and relatively inexperienced and he was to commit mistake after mistakeinto the Americas.
The Spanish fleet despite its numerical advantage did not attack the English fleet based at Portsmouth King Phillip II was an ardent Catholic and instead sailed to Calaishe had two primary ambitions. The Spanish army under the Duke of Parma was advancing First, he wanted to Calais return all Protestants back to be transported to Englandthe Catholic faith. HoweverSecond, he hoped to to expand the English navy under Drake and Howard attacked the Armada with fireships, and this was the start growing power of what became known as the Battle of Grave linesSpain. The English tactic Spanish King had been married to Mary I of using fire-ships, created panic among the Spaniards England and the fleet was broken up into small groups of ships. The battle was to last over it seemed that for a week with both sides launching attackstime that England would fall under Spanish influence. However, Medina-Sidonia decided to withdraw and the coronation of Elizabeth I had fundamentally altered this dynamic because she was decisive as it meant that the Spanish army was unable determined to rendezvous with the invasion armymaintain England's independence from Spain. Drake and Spain, on the other English commanders were happy hand, wanted to let the Armada sail away from the invasion force. Then a strong wind from the southwest forced English back into the fleet to sail to Catholic fold and end the north attacks of English pirates on their ships and into colonies in the North SeaAmericas.
===England’s salvation=How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?====The Spanish [[File: Armada is one 4.jpg|350px|thumbnail|left| A contemporary painting of the great ‘ifs’ in history. If Armada]]The launch of the Spanish ships Armada had been able to rendezvous with the army delayed several times, including once because of Flanders and transported it across a raid by the Channel, then it is quite likely that England would have been defeatedEnglish on Cadiz. The Spanish army Armada was considered to be a fleet of 130 ships and it first left the best port of Coruna in Europe at this time and it was composed not only August 1588, under the command of the Duke of Spanish veterans but also German veteransMedina Sidonia, the most powerful noble in Spain.<ref> Holmes, p. 215</ref> The English army fleet 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 would have overcome ordered to sail to the English Channel and deposed Elizabeth Itransport a large army in Flanders into England. The kingdom of England would have become part aim of the Spanish Empire. Phillip II did not plan invasion was to rule it directly but planned depose Elizabeth I and to place a Catholic reimpose Catholicism on the throne English people. The fleet was an impressive and they would have been the ally Spanish were experienced, sailors and dependent of the Spanishnavigators. The defeat of However, the Armada prevented this from happening commander Medina-Sidonia was old and it secured the independence of England relatively inexperienced and allowed her to become a world power by he committed mistake after mistake throughout the eighteenth centurycampaign.<ref> Holmes, p. 257</ref>
====Could Spain have taken England as a naval powerif had successfully landed its invasion force?====[[File: The Spanish Armada Oneis one of the great ‘ifs’ in history.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sir Francis Drake]]It has often If the Spanish ships had been stated that able to rendezvous with the defeat army of Flanders and transport it across the Armada ended Channel, then England may have been defeated. The Spanish army was considered to be the Spanish superiority best in Europe at sea this time and it was the beginning composed not only of England’s rise as a global naval powerSpanish but German veterans. This The English army was not mainly composed of local militias and was poorly led and trained. In a set piece battle, on land, the caseSpanish forces would most likely have been victorious and deposed Elizabeth I. The year following the defeat kingdom of England would have become part of the Spanish Armada the English monarch launched the ‘English ArmadaEmpire.’<ref>Bridgen, p. 135</ref> This was Phillip II did not plan to rule it directly but planned to place a naval attack Catholic on Spain but it was heavily defeated with great English losses. Madrid changed its strategy and a series of fortifications were built in the Americas that gave greater protection against English and other privateersthrone. The fact remains Philip wanted an ally that would become dependent on Spain after the defeat of the Armada remained the premier maritime power outside China. However, the The defeat of the Armada did lead to long-term changes that were to prove very important in prevented this from happening and secured the rise independence of England as . England's victory allowed her to become a naval major world power. There was a recognition, after the attempted Spanish invasion that the English needed a strong navy and successive English administrations pursued policies that helped to expand by the navy and develop new technologies and ‘modern shipyardseighteenth century.’ <ref>Holmes, p. 217257</ref> As a result, in the wake of the Armada, the kingdom became an important naval power.
====What impact did the defeat of the Spanish Armada have 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 the state church and once again the Catholic Church would have been the only recognized religion. Phillip II believed that it was right for a monarch to ensure religious conformity in their kingdom. The new Catholic monarch probably would have persecuted Protestants in much the same way as Mary I had during her reign. With Catholicism reestablished this could have 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. Still it is likely that England would have suffered a series of Religious Wars similar to France in the sixteenth century. However, the failure of the Armada 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 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> On the hand, English Catholics faced an increasingly difficult life in England after the Armada's destruction. Catholics, known as ‘recusants,’ refused to recognize the Church of England. They came under official and unofficial pressure to conform to the state religion and 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 reign of Elizabeth, England was a Protestant nation, with only a small 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 people of England began to see themselves in providential terms and in biblical terms as an ‘elect nation.’ <ref>Krishan Kumar. <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> The English began to believe that they were chosen by God to carry out his will. This sense of mission was one that was very important in later decades and was an important factor in the growth of English power, especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. ====Did the defeat of the Spanish Armada turn England into a naval power?====<div class="portal" style='float:right; 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>[[File: Armada One.jpg|250px|thumbnail|left|Sir Francis Drake]]It has often been stated that the defeat of the Armada ended the Spanish superiority at sea and begun England’s rise as a global naval power. This was not the case. The year following the defeat of the Spanish Armada the English monarch launched the ‘English Armada.’<ref>Bridgen, p. 135</ref> This was a naval attack on Spain, but it was heavily defeated with 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. Spain, after the defeat of the Armada, remained the premier maritime power outside China. However, the defeat of the Armada did lead to long-term changes that proved to be very important in the rise of England as a naval power. There was a recognition, after the attempted Spanish invasion that the English needed a strong navy and successive English administrations pursued policies that helped to expand the navy. England focused on developing new technologies and building ‘modern shipyards.’ <ref>Holmes, p. 217</ref> These changes laid the groundwork for England naval power. Additionally, if the Spanish Armada had been a success it is highly unlikely that England would have been able to successfully plant colonies in North America. In the early seventeenth century, English colonies were founded at Plymouth Rock and Jamestown. If the Spanish had placed one of their candidates on the throne of England then this may never have occurred. The defeat of the Armada saw England emerge as, if not a dominant naval power but an important one, and the principal colonizer of North America. Additionally, English trading companies such as the East India Company expanded across the globe.<ref>Holmes, p. 256</ref> England's naval capability directly lead to the growth and development of the British Empire. ====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.
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