Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588
This illustration has been copied from an original Copper Plate engraving published in 1773 The Spanish Armada (Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada or Armada Invencible, literally "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or "Invincible Fleet") was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England in 1588. The Armada suffered a decisive defeat and accomplished nothing. As Martin and Parker explain, "Philip II attempted to invade England, but his plans miscarried, partly because of his own mismanagement, and partly because the defensive efforts of the English and their Dutch allies prevailed." Much of the blame has been borne by its commander the Duke of Medina Sidonia. The goal had been to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England and end her involvement in the Spanish Netherlands and her privateering in the Atlantic and Pacific. Despite detailed planning, matters went awry from the first. After choosing not to attack the English fleet at Plymouth and failing to establish a temporary anchorage in the Solent, after one Spanish ship had been captured by Francis Drake, the Armada anchored off Calais. While awaiting communications from the Duke of Parma's army the Armada was scattered by an English fire ship attack. In the ensuing Battle of Gravelines the Spanish fleet was damaged and forced to abandon its rendezvous with Parma's army, who were blockaded in harbour by Dutch flyboats. The Armada managed to regroup and, driven by southwest winds, withdrew north, with the English fleet harrying it for some distance up the east coast of England. The commander decided that the fleet should return to Spain; it sailed around Scotland and Ireland, but severe storms disrupted it. Of the fleet's initial 130 ships, more than a third never returned. The expedition was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo–Spanish War (1585–1604). The following year England organised a similar large-scale campaign against Spain, the Drake-Norris Expedition, also known as the Counter Armada of 1589,
Size: 3164px × 4764px
Photo credit: © 19th era / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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