England's relations with Spain

Relations with Spain in 1560s

Usually cordial
Deteriorated towards end:
Trading of John Hawkins- attempted to break Spanish trading monopoly in Caribbean. Infuriated Spanish interests-Sep 1568 his fleet blockaded in Mexican port of San Juan de Ulua-only 2 of his ships escaped
Situation in Netherlands-Philip II wanted tighter political organisation in Netherlands under more direct Spanish control-help root out heresy. Lizzy pressured from Protestant councillors to aid Dutch Protestants who feared danger. She was reluctant to take action, having suffered from her French adventure, had issues aiding rebels who were fighting sovereign authority
English found opportunities to harass Spanish. e.g. Nov 1568 storm forced Spanish vessels, carrying 400,000 florins intended to pay army of Duke of Alba, Philip’s general in Netherlands, to seek shelter in English ports, Lizzy impounded money (Alba seized English ships and property in Netherlands)

The Netherlands and declining Anglo-Spanish relations, 1570-1580

1572-Lizzy expelled Sea Beggars from English ports. Forced to land in Dutch port of Brielle. Their occupation of the port, unchecked by Spanish garrison, sparked off full-scale revolt against rule of Spain
1576-all provinces of Netherlands risen against ‘atrocities’ by Spanish army. Collectively, produced Pacification of Ghent, called for expulsion of all foreign troops and restoration of provinces’ autonomy- favoured by Lizzy
Provinces quarrelled amongst themselves and French prepared to invade Netherlands. Not what Lizzy wanted- contemplated marriage to Duke of Anjou to retain influence in Netherlands
Got worse as divisions among provinces led to emergence of 2 separate entities. Union of Utrecht (Northern and Protestant) and Arras (Southern and Catholic)
Spanish made peace with Arras- creating basis which new governor-general, Duke of Parma, could begin his reconquest of northern provinces.
1580-Spanish power strengthened by annexation of Portugal
Lizzy adopted anti-Spanish position:
supported Portuguese pretender, Don Antonio
knighted Francis Drake on circumnavigating globe (irritating Spanish)
treated Spanish ambassador contemptuously

The Netherlands and declining Anglo-Spanish relations, 1580-1585

Parma’s reconquest of north gained momentum, left only provinces of Holland and Zeeland in Protestant hands. Rebel leader, William of Orange, assassinated in 1584
Philip II and Catholic League in France came to agreement in Treaty of Joinville (1584). Alarmed Lizzy because Guise family led Catholic League and with Guises as his allies, Philip II didn’t have political motive to prevent him from supporting Mary, Queen of Scots

Deterioration of Anglo-Spanish relations 1585-87

Counteract terms of Treaty of Joinville, Liz ally with Dutch Protestant rebels in Treaty of Nonsuch (1585)- sent troops to Netherlands under command of Earl of Leicester. However:
troops, badly and irregularly paid, were ill disciplined-alienated Dutch
Dutch betrayed when officers Stanley and Yorke, deserted and joined Parma
English commanders quarrelled among themselves
Leicester quarrelled with Dutch (Dutch thought Liz was trying to do a deal behind their backs with Parma)
Leicester returned to England, resigning his command (Jan 1588)-encouraged Philip to think he could exploit divisions between English and Dutch

Spanish Armada

Complex organisation- took 2 years to plan
Philip convinced he was doing God’s work (Catholic crusade)
Spanish fleet huge- many vessels and crews having been commandeered from Portuguese
Sailing was delayed-Successful English attack in harbour of Cadiz (Apr 1587)
Set sail from La Coruna (22 July 1588)
Aim was to reach port of Gravelines, in Spanish Netherlands- Spanish army, commanded by Duke of Parma, board ships so that England could be invaded
Sighted off coast of Cornwall on 29 July
Engaged in battle in English Channel from 30 July-6 Aug
Armada forced because of unfavourable winds (trying to return to Spain by dodgy route of sailing north towards Scotland and then back south to west of Ireland)-Cost them more ships

Continuing war against Spain 1588-1604

War against Spain dragged on at great expense for a further 16 years- peace not concluded until after deaths of Liz and Philip
War fought in sea of Western Europe, Caribbean, France, Netherlands and Ireland
Liz sought national security
England as a whole sought national and religious survival against a universal Catholic conspiracy.
Lord Burghley- saw Spain as engaged in a war of conquest
Some took a minimalist view- concentrated limited resources in Netherlands to confront Duke of Parma
Other, e.g. Hawkins, favoured a more expansive naval campaign-could be self-financing, while accepting a land campaign in Netherlands necessary

The continuing war against Spain 1588-1604- War at Sea

If u favoured more expansive naval campaign u argue war in Netherlands more expensive and difficult-England successful with small-scale naval attacks (Caribbean and mainland Spain in 1585 and 1587)
From 1595 English made 3 attacks on mainland Spain and its colonies- short-lived victory with capture and occupation of Cadiz and sinking of 4 galleons. But no strategic follow-up
Hawkins and Drake advocated attack on Panama, regarded as weakest point in Spanish Empire, but attack failed-Hawkins and Drake died at sea
Capture of Cadiz humiliated Philip II-prevented Spanish merchant vessels from sailing to West Indies- proved a blow to Spanish. Provoked Philip into uncharacteristically incautious response. 1596- Philip ordered a fleet to invade England.
However, by time it set sail it autumn-defeated by storms. Threat to England still clear
Spanish tried to exploit a rebellion in Ireland for their own ends. To prevent a possible Spanish attack on Ireland, a fleet under Earl of Essex’s command despatched to attack Spanish fleet in harbour in NW Spain (1597). Essex’s fleet driven back to Plymouth by adverse winds,-used to sail to Azores-need for booty superseded wider strategic considerations. Spanish fleet succeeded in setting sail for Ireland and would have landed there unopposed, if not for the wind
Further fear of invasion in 1599, prompted by false intelligence, created panic in England. Naval activity directed by need to prevent Spanish landings in Ireland. Little had been achieved but at large cost

The continuing war against Spain 1588-1604- War in Netherlands

For several years after 1588, main arena for war between England and Spain was Netherlands. After Leicester’s failures, relations between English Crown and Dutch improved.
!589- Sir Francis Vere made commander of English forces- highly capable. He forged a positive relationship with Dutch leader, Maurice of Nassau
Combine with problems face by Spanish, whose troops mutinied on a regular basis and who were overcommitted in France, ensured that gradually the territories that had been lost to Duke of Parma recoverd
Cost to English of maintaining a force in Netherlands was high, but Dutch paid a share of the running costs. By 1594, Spanish had been expelled from all of lands of northern Netherlands. Dutch revolt had proved successful and some of the credit was due to English Crown. English strategic objectives were triumphantly achieved. The northern Netherlands became an indpendent state; Southern Netherlands, while remaining under Spanish sovereignty, also achieved a degree of autonomy. No major foreign power was entrenched in Netherlands