Invincible: The Disaster of the Spanish Armada

In early 1588, the king of Spain, Philip II of Habsburg, had been maturing for some time the idea of ​​an attack on England, a nation which ruled the "Virgin Queen? Elizabeth I of prickly relationship with the country. The project, unlike other reviews, was not intended primarily to punish the pirate attacks (such as Francis Drake), but to build a Spanish domain geo-political and religious in Europe. Philip II, years ago, had already begun their attacks on the Protestant Irish and supporting the resistance attacked Holland, also a Protestant country, putting in serious trouble the role of empire in Africa. However, it was the execution of Mary Stuart, the Catholic queen of Scotland, which decided to build a special marine: La Grande and Happiest Spanish Armada. Preparations began in fact, 2 years ago. Concerned about the success of a naval attack and landing troops on English soil, King Philip II consulted with various authoritative voices of the time. One of them, the sailor's most renowned of his nation? Alvaro de Bazan, Marques de Santa Cruz, believes that the naval project is not only feasible, but given the difficult time of the English crown, it is very easy.

Unfortunately for Spain, the experienced sailor, died in his preparation of the project assuming command, inexplicably, and disqualified the inexperienced sailor Duke of Medina Sidonia, Lord Alonso de Guzman. To date, known as Philip II entrusted this enormous responsibility. By then, though on a much smaller scale than has tried to show, the assault by British pirates longer an uncomfortable problem. In April 1587, the famous sailor Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Charles Howard of Effingham, Earl of Nottingham and Admiral of the English navy, conducted a successful expedition to land while Spanish medium. They attacked the Bay of Cadiz, destroyed some fortresses in the Algarve and part of the fleet bombarded the then live? Alvaro de Bazan was anchored in Lisbon, capital of Portugal and then, vassal country of Spain. Despite an unfortunate oversight delayed by several months the Spanish attack, made the May 20, 1588 the Spanish Armada Happiest Grande (later called by the English "The Armada?) Sail from Portugal with a military force consisting of 130 ships , 8253 sailors, rowers and 19,295 soldiers 2088. Contrary to what is commonly observed, although the numbers cited are the balance of a high number of troops, the Armada in no way looked like the English chronicles monstrous especially, wanted to believe.

Turning to developments in the Spanish side, just put to sea, the climate and organizational difficulties became apparent. For example, the July 22, off the coast of La Coruna, a large influx of ships and scattered the heavy seaway for ships to such an extent that it took over a month reunite. The Duke of Medina Sidonia, but sincere in his inability total addict of the Spanish king, had no qualms about presenting himself as the least suitable for the job but was again held by the King, who perhaps hoped that a man so loyal, never say not an order, whatever it was. The storms, each more difficult than the predecessor, generated wear and failure of several units. On day 28, to the concern of the king, he was notified of this fact: Forty ships were separated too much from the bulk of the fleet and there was no more news about it.

It was precisely this factor that the alarm woke English. Unfortunately for the Spanish, wide deviation from the original route allowed a British ship, the "Golden Hind?, Could spot the enemy presence. Thomas Fleming, commander of that ship, quickly gave the alarm. Just that moment, it tells a story (not very credible) that involves the famous Francis Drake. It is said that when the "Grande? reached the height of Fowey, England coastal fog and announced their presence and the experienced sailor who at that time was bowling, he said: We have time to finish the game. Then beat the Spanish. True or not, the following fact was that the British could not go to sea to engage in advocacy for the weather and sea were against. In addition, the rising tide and the breeze against the British favored the Spanish, sailing upwind and downwind. Inexplicably, Medina Sidonia, against the advice of his other commanders, orders not to attack until the fleet was complete. According to historians, the untimely decision, which squandered a golden opportunity to destroy the English navy, can only be understood in extreme fidelity de Guzman, who did not want to discredit the king's orders.

The direct conflagration had to wait until 31, when the English fleet (which consisted of 226 vessels of less tonnage, although similar in number of guns) begins shy and fleeting attacks against enemy ships. The Spanish, whose superiority is evident, lost only two ships ("San Salvador" and "Our Lady of the Rosary?). The English, regardless of the two casualties inflicted, understand the immediate danger was coming. The increased tonnage and size of the Spanish ships gives them the feeling of facing a spread Armada and return just the impressions of the fight. Queen Elizabeth, aware, and resist ordering enhance coastal defenses. The Gravelines and disaster. But what did the English arms (as always deceptively believed) did the weather. On August 2, at the height of the French town of Les Gravelines (North of France and South East England), both armed with his first real cross fires. Given the immensity of the sea just below, with bitterly cold penetrating each vessel, the British decided to fight with everything they owned. So, try to empty all its powerful arsenal to find the weak point but as it happened days earlier, the large tonnage of ships of the Grand Army has hardly any dent.

The British, unable to hide her terror, fled. Back again in their ports, the news that "Invincible Armada? soon exceeded all expectations. Isabel II, very worried, looking for ways to save time. On the Spanish side, paradoxically, did not interpret the flight English as a victory, but only as a skirmish. The Spanish Armada Happiest Big and waited some more non-existent enemy retaliation and therefore were planning to attack en masse. Also, if you now had a new goal, it was not the English navy itself, but the capture of Francis Drake, guilty of a series of attacks on Spanish colonies and territories. The result of the crash mentioned in the turbulent waters of the Channel yielded about 300 casualties on the Spanish side, compared to 200 deaths for the English side. But the worst was yet to begin. From whitewater storm soon passed and then the storms. English and Spanish, had suddenly urgently homing their ships in ports while improving certain time. The English, who were only waiting for a miracle, had been added to their problems a series of disturbances for the breach of the Crown Payments should be made to the sea.

So, Elizabeth I expected the worst. For his part, Felipe II, without knowing the situation thoroughly, expected by late August, the landing has already been made possible. That never happened. Given the need to find calmer waters, the Spanish ships, many and far distant from the others, they were further north, notably the North Sea and Irish Sea. That was his undoing. One after another wrecked Spanish ships to the atmosphere devastated insane. Thousands of Spanish lost their lives trying to surround the wild coasts and reefs of England, looking for a place to anchor. Even those who managed to escape by swimming to the coast, were topped by local people (the episode of Charles in 1595 Amésquita is a happy exception). Of the 130 boats that sailed, returned only 66 ships and 10,000 men died. There is, arguably, that when King Philip II knew what happened, he said: I sent my ships to fight against men, not against storms, difficult to accept appointment through their character rather laconic and distant. The England of Elizabeth did not know of his victory until some time later.

The Spanish catastrophe had been so fragmented and dispersed the victors could not calculate the magnitude and feared that the ships were actually taken refuge in a safe haven. British losses were also great, augmented by the plague that spread among sailors and soldiers. Some months later, in April 1589, Isabel, realizing the significance of the wreck of "Invincible", wanted to take advantage of it attacking Lisbon to establish Don Antonio of Portugal, prior of Crato, on the throne. But the expedition was a total failure. Finally, the disaster of the Armada did not mean a Spanish defeat. Eventually, the preponderance of this country in the international arena led to England signed a treaty favorable to Philip II in 1604, but yes, he could not prevent the independence of Portugal, the recovery of France as a European power and replacement Protestant the Netherlands.