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Causes
- 1) Actions of the English: a-- The Gold Bullion Incident. In November 1568 5 Spanish ships carrying £85,000 for the Duke of Alva to pay the costs of his army were intercepted and seized by Elizabeth. Reasons for this are debatable: To cause problems for the Spanish army in the Netherlands? Remind Spain of England's domination of their sea route to the Netherlands? b-- The actions of Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins. During Drake's circumnavigation, Drake plundered Spanish ships. In 1578, near Lima, Drake captured a Spanish ship laden with 25,000 pesos of Peruvian gold ducats of Spanish money (about £7m by modern standards).
- 2) Religion: Both sides could claim that they were inescapably motivated by religious principle,especially after the 1570 papal bull excommunicating Elizabeth. Philip did not approve of Elizabeth's support of foreign Protestant rebels. The Treaty of Hampton Court was signed in 1562 between Queen Elizabeth and the Huguenot leader in which Elizabeth would provide financial aid to the Protestant rebels and send 3000 troops to occupy Le Havre.
- 3) The Netherlands: a-- Elizabeth wished for a self-autonomous Netherlands - it was of strategic and economic importance. Antwerp=epicentre of the cloth trade in Europe, which is important as 78% of all English exports were cloth. Furthermore if Span had total control of the Netherlands they would be able to attack England from both sides - there was just 30 miles of sea separating the coast of England and the Netherlands. In 1985 the Treaty of Nonsuch was signed - Elizabeth I agreed to supply 6,400 foot soldiers and 1,000 cavalry and an annual subsidy of 600,000 florins a year.
- 4) Trading Disputes: a-- The first real crisis concerned the Netherlands. Cardinal Granvelle, Phillip's Chief Minister in the Neth's was willing to take on Liz's heretical policy with force. The efforts of English traders to spread Prot in the Neth's angered him further. Neth's clothmakers resented the higher prices charged by English merchants to cover the increased taxes of the Book of Rates of 1558. Granvelle banned the import of English cloth. Liz retaliated by banning all Neth's imports. b-- From 1580 English fears grew when Spain annexed Portugal and its empire, upset trade and balance of power. This gave Spain the riches of Portugal's African and Oriental Possessions.
- 5) The Actions of the Spanish: a-- Catholic plots to kill Elizabeth. In 1571, Phillip supported the Ridolfi plot. The plan consisted of the Duke of Alva, the commander of the Spanish army in the Netherlands, invading with 10,000 men. b-- The Battle of San Juan de Ulua 1568. An English fleet under the command of John Hawkins were attacked by the Spanish and defeated in the Battle, resulting in the loss of 4 ships, the deaths of 500 English men and the loss of Spanish loot.
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Effects
- 1) Actions of the English: a-- The Gold Bullion Incident. Trade between the Netherlands, England and Spain came to a standstill. LOTHERINGTON says "Its outcome was not as disastrous has many had feared". BUT in 1569, "Elizabeth paid a price for her impetuosity" - De Spes, the Spanish ambassador encouraged the Earl of Westmorland and the Earl of Northumberland to start a Catholic rebellion - resulting in the death of approximately 800 English men and 50 nobles. De Spes was also involved in the 1571 Ridolfi Plot, a plot to assassinate Elizabeth and place MQofS on the throne. The uncovering of the plot resulted in the expelling of De Spes from England and worsened Anglo-Spanish relations. b--PENRY WILLIAMS described Drake's actions as provocative. During the 1570's the Spanish were in a weak position due to financial problems due to the conflict in the Netherlands and were having issues with the Ottoman Empire. Drake's attacks were just further irritants for the Spanish, and therefore damaged Anglo-English relations.
- 3) The Netherlands a-- Philip became very resentful of what he considered Elizabeth's challenges to his sovereignty. The English military involvement with the the Netherlands, combined with attacks on Spanish ships including the Gold Bullion Incident, angered Phillip further and lessened the chance of the Duke of Alva's success.
- 4) Trading Disputes: a-- The dispute was damaging to both sides: English tried to find alternative trade options notably Hamburg and began to develop trade routes with the Baltic and Russia. This damaged A-S relations LOTHERINGTON - "A-S co-operation no longer seemed to be an economic necessity". b-- In 1581 Elizabeth contemplated sending Francis Drake to seize the Azores, regions of Portugal, on behalf of Don Atonio. This angered Phillip as he envisaged Azores becoming a vital base in Spanish communication with the New World and Elizabeth's support of his Portuge rival Don Atonio also angered him.
- 5) The Actions of the Spanish: a-- The Spanish Ambassador De Spes who was involved in the 1571 Ridolfi Plot, a plot to assassinate Elizabeth and place MQofS on the throne. The uncovering of the plot resulted in the expelling of De Spes from England and worsened Anglo-Spanish relations. b-- Hawkins accused the Spaniards of treason for not honouring a truce of peace agreed upon in 1567. IAN DAWSON says the "The battle was a clear precursor of the war that broke out between Philip II of Spain and Elizabeth I of England in 1585." England began it's attacks on Spanish ships - LOTHERINGTON critical of her response which "drove Phillip to consider England an irreconcilable enemy, and the eventual result was to bring on the invasion that her policy was intended to avoid".
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