The Spanish Armada (2027 exams) Flashcards
All 15 cards in this deck
What was Philip II's invasion plan for the Spanish Armada of 1588?
The Armada, led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, would sail up the Channel to the Netherlands, collect the Duke of Parma's army and invade England.
What did the English fleet do when the Armada anchored off Calais in 1588?
They sent fire ships into the Spanish fleet, breaking its crescent formation, and then attacked at the Battle of Gravelines.
Give one reason for the Armada's defeat that was not English tactics.
The wind blew the fleet north past Parma's army, and storms off Scotland and Ireland wrecked many of its ships.
True or false? The Spanish had failed to capture a deep-water port before launching the Armada.
True. This meant their ships could not dock close enough to collect Parma's army.
Where in England was Parma's army meant to land in 1588?
In Kent, after being ferried across from the Netherlands, before marching on London.
Who commanded the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588?
Lord Howard of Effingham, the Lord High Admiral, with Sir Francis Drake as his vice-admiral.
Which English port was the main base of the fleet that faced the Armada in 1588?
Plymouth, from where the English ships sailed out into the Channel to meet the Armada.
How were the English race-built galleons of 1588 designed differently from the Spanish ships?
They were longer, lower and faster, easier to manoeuvre, and carried long-range cannon that could be reloaded quickly at sea.
What happened at Tilbury in August 1588?
Elizabeth reviewed the army gathered to defend against invasion and gave her famous speech, saying she had 'the heart and stomach of a king'.
Who was Philip II's first choice to command the Armada?
The experienced admiral the Marquis of Santa Cruz. When he died early in 1588, Philip appointed the inexperienced Duke of Medina Sidonia instead.
How was news of the Armada's arrival spread in 1588?
It was sighted off the Lizard in Cornwall on 19 July 1588 (the English calendar date), and a chain of beacons on high ground passed the warning towards London.
What formation did the Armada keep as it sailed up the Channel?
A crescent: the strongest fighting ships formed the horns and rear, shielding the cargo and supply vessels in the centre. It held together all the way up the Channel, so the English could pick off only a few ships.
About how large was the Spanish Armada?
About 130 ships carrying around 2,500 guns, which left Lisbon in May 1588.
What was the 'Protestant wind'?
The English name for the winds and storms that scattered the Armada, shown on commemorative medals as proof that God favoured Protestant England.
Why did English troops gather at Tilbury in 1588?
Tilbury, in Essex on the north bank of the Thames, had a fort guarding the river route to London. An army under the Earl of Leicester camped there in case Parma's troops invaded.