Why Did the Spanish Armada Fail?
Why did the Spanish Armada Fail?
The Spanish Armada is the name given to the giant flotilla of Spanish warships send by Spain’s Catholic King Philip II in 1588 to destroy Protestantism England under Elizabeth- though hindsight would say otherwise, the aim of the Spanish Armada was not intended for an all-out confrontation with the opposing English fleet- but rather to escort the vulnerable barges in which the Duke of Parma (a well respected and experienced general who had been fighting against Dutch rebels) and his elite standing army the Tercios de Flandes would be transported to England. After rendezvousing, the army would be transported through the English channel onto England and thereby:
• Eliminating and ridding Elizabeth • Ending English piracy • Stopping English support to Dutch Rebels • Converting England back into Catholicism • Demoralize other Protestant forces locked in wars with Spain at the time
The utter defeat of the Spanish Armada is a highly withstanding and accepted fact- and the sheer amount of vital flaws on the side of the Spanish were just as pivotal to its defeat as the superior actions of the English- there were several major reasons for such a failure- leadership and command, the overall plans of invasion and defense and strategical moves and tactics.
Leadership and Command
One of the greatest reasons for the failure of the Armada was the people at the top of the chain of command- and as would be expected, Elizabeth and Phillip lead the English and Spain respectively during the conflict. However Elizabeth knew nothing of naval affairs and had very little to contribute at all in battle at least in a strategic sense- very similar to Phillip- however much can be said about their individual characters by their manners of leadership. Elizabeth admitting and accepting her lack of military ability instead passed down her full command to Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham and Francis Drake both of which had fair naval
The Spanish Armada is the name given to the giant flotilla of Spanish warships send by Spain’s Catholic King Philip II in 1588 to destroy Protestantism England under Elizabeth- though hindsight would say otherwise, the aim of the Spanish Armada was not intended for an all-out confrontation with the opposing English fleet- but rather to escort the vulnerable barges in which the Duke of Parma (a well respected and experienced general who had been fighting against Dutch rebels) and his elite standing army the Tercios de Flandes would be transported to England. After rendezvousing, the army would be transported through the English channel onto England and thereby:
• Eliminating and ridding Elizabeth • Ending English piracy • Stopping English support to Dutch Rebels • Converting England back into Catholicism • Demoralize other Protestant forces locked in wars with Spain at the time
The utter defeat of the Spanish Armada is a highly withstanding and accepted fact- and the sheer amount of vital flaws on the side of the Spanish were just as pivotal to its defeat as the superior actions of the English- there were several major reasons for such a failure- leadership and command, the overall plans of invasion and defense and strategical moves and tactics.
Leadership and Command
One of the greatest reasons for the failure of the Armada was the people at the top of the chain of command- and as would be expected, Elizabeth and Phillip lead the English and Spain respectively during the conflict. However Elizabeth knew nothing of naval affairs and had very little to contribute at all in battle at least in a strategic sense- very similar to Phillip- however much can be said about their individual characters by their manners of leadership. Elizabeth admitting and accepting her lack of military ability instead passed down her full command to Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham and Francis Drake both of which had fair naval