The Spanish Armada

[Spherical Ice]

Why did the Spanish Armada fail?

The Spanish Armada (Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy") was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English involvement in the Spanish Netherlands and English privateering in the Atlantic. The fleet's mission was to sail to the Gravelines in Flanders and transport an army under the Duke of Parma across the Channel to England. The mission eventually failed due to early English attacks on the Armada, especially during the Battle of Gravelines, strategic errors by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, and bad weather. The campaign formed part of a nearly twenty-year-long Anglo-Spanish War.

So, I've been studying this a lot in History classes as of recent. Why do you think the Spanish Armada, led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, lost to the English? Some say that it was down to the bad luck of the Spanish/good luck of the English, others say it was because of the technology either side used, and some also say it was down to the poor leadership and tactics on the Spanish's behalf (or the good leadership and tactics of the English).

 

[Livewire]

YESSS <3

It's certainly interesting. Divine providence? (the freak weather) Or did the English command simply out maneuver them?

 

[Steven]

It's because they weren't American, obviously.

Personally, I think the English outmaneuvered them because the Spanish greatly underestimated them, and therefore did not put effort.

You don't try as hard if you think you can easily do something.

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

Didn't Elizabeth I ride up on a horse and give a speech or something? That's what Cate Blanchett did in the film at least...

Seriously, though, these periods of English history are complete blurs. That I learnt about this in school when I was only 8-years-old meant that I can remember Elizabeth I being a redheaded virgin who probably had numerous affairs during her time on the throne. I went to a Catholic school, so Bloody Mary was always held in higher regard!

 

[ElectricScyther]

Actually, I believe it was a lack of communication. The Spanish were supposed to get backup near France, but that backup never arrived.

 

[I Laugh at your Misfortune!]

Well, if I can remember anything from what I studied last year (which is unlikely) then the weather was what did for most of the Spanish fleet. The english sailors outmaneuvered them a little by largely keeping out of range (the Spanish wanted to get up close and board with grappling hooks so that they could use their much bigger army) and the use of the fireships certainly disrupted the impenetrable crescent formation - but none of the spanish ships were actually set on fire, most just sailed off madly and ran agroung, collided or wrecked. Most were still in one piece by the time they started heading north to circle around britain, but the weather around the northern scottish coast ruined them completely.

So yeah, a little bit of tactics from Drake and Howard, but they basically just warded off the fleet and left them to the weather rather than just destroying them. Probably didn't help that the Spanish commander was so useless that he suffered from seasickness

 

[TheMysteryEgg]

The Spaniards weren't too smart. That's why they lost. What I read was that the Brits sent burning ships the size of small boats into the Armada. The Armada started to burn down and the rest headed for the western coast of England. The Brits chased them until they were eventually defeated.

the use of the fireships certainly disrupted the impenetrable crescent formation - but none of the spanish ships were actually set on fire, most just sailed off madly and ran agroung, collided or wrecked. Most were still in one piece by the time they started heading north to circle around britain, but the weather around the northern scottish coast ruined them completely.

Oh. I forgot to read that.

 

[Dark Piplup]

There was a tailwind that favored the English. And I think England strategized somehow.