Discover the incredible story of the Spanish Armada — one of the greatest naval battles in history, when England faced a mighty fleet in 1588!
In 1554, Queen Mary I died and her sister Elizabeth I became queen. Elizabeth was Protestant, while Mary had been Catholic. One of Elizabeth's first actions as queen was to make England Protestant again.
This angered Philip II of Spain, who wanted England to remain Catholic like many other countries in Europe. Philip II was also unhappy because Elizabeth had supported rebels in the Netherlands who were fighting against Spanish rule.
There had also been many English attacks on Spanish ships and colonies. English privateers, such as Sir Francis Drake, often attacked Spanish ships in order to capture their valuable cargo.
Because of these actions, King Philip II decided that England needed to be punished.
The building of the Spanish Armada began in early 1588 in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a huge task that involved gathering ships, guns, food and ammunition.
The Spanish Armada eventually included more than 130 ships and around 30,000 soldiers.
In July 1588, after several delays caused by bad weather, the Spanish Armada finally sailed for England. However, before the Spanish could land and invade the country, they had to face the English fleet guarding the English Channel.
On 19 July, the two fleets met near Gravelines in southern France. During the battle both sides suffered heavy losses, but the English fleet was victorious.
One reason for this success was the use of fire ships, which were sent by Drake into the Spanish fleet while it was anchored near Calais. These burning ships caused confusion among the Spanish and forced them to cut their anchors and sail away.
After their defeat at Gravelines, the remaining ships of the Spanish Armada sailed north around Scotland and Ireland in an attempt to return home.
However, they were chased by English ships and faced severe storms. Many Spanish ships were wrecked on rocks or driven onto the coastline.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 Spanish sailors and soldiers died during or after the campaign.
Although the invasion failed, the Spanish Armada was still a very serious threat to England and was one of the largest naval forces ever gathered at that time in history.
History Subscription Box for Kids
Turn history into an adventure! Stories, magazines, puzzles, crafts and hands-on fun — delivered straight to your door every month.
As Seen In
