Elizabethan England / 1572-1585
Elizabethan England: Road to War with Spain
War grew out of religion, politics, the Netherlands and repeated tension-building actions from both countries.
What To Remember
- Drake, the Netherlands and Mary, Queen of Scots all increased tension with Spain.
- Philip II wanted to defend Catholic interests and protect Spanish power and trade.
- Elizabeth feared a Spanish attack, but she also kept provoking Spain by helping its enemies.
How war built up
Religion mattered because Philip II was a Catholic ruler who disliked the Protestant Religious Settlement, while Elizabeth increasingly punished English Catholics after 1570.
Mary, Queen of Scots made the situation worse because Spanish support for her could have put a Catholic rival on Elizabeth's throne.
Drake's privateering and the Dutch revolt added an economic and military clash on top of the religious one.
Why it became war
The Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585 was the clearest turning point because Elizabeth openly backed the Dutch with troops instead of just quietly helping them.
Philip II ruled Spain, the Netherlands and much of the Americas, so he saw English interference as a challenge to his whole imperial system.
By the time war came, the real story was cumulative tension: plots, raids, religion and the Netherlands all pulled the two countries apart at once.
Revision Prompt
What were the main causes of war between England and Spain?