Elizabeth Foreign Policy up to 1603

France

Spain

  • 1584 - Philip's Treaty of Joinville with the Catholic League in France proved the final straw and an Anglo-Spanish war broke out in 1585
    The Anglo-Spanish War, 1585-1604
  • To counteract the terms of the Treaty of Joinville, Liz made the Treaty of Nonsuch with the Dutch Protestant rebels and sent troops to the Netherlands under the command of the Earl of Leicester. However, the English commanders quarelled among themselves and the troops were ill-disciplined
  • 1587 - the English successfully attacked Spanish ships at Cadiz, delaying the launch of the Spanish Armada (invasion fleet)
  • 1588 - Leicester returned to England. Philip's huge Armada set sail with plans to load a Spanish army in the Netherlands, for an invasion of England. It was sighted off Cornwall, engaged in indecisive battle in the English Channel, and forced by unfavourable winds to round Scotland and Ireland, losing many ships to rocks and storms
  • The war was fought both at sea, off western Europe and in the Caribbean, and on land (including in Ireland, where it was connected to a revolt against Liz's rule). It dragged on at great expense
  • 1589 - Sir Francis Vere was made commander of the English forces in the Netherlands. He worked effectively with the Dutch Protestants so that the Spanish were expelled from the north by 1594, the country was divided into an independent Protestant north and Catholic south, the latter under Spanish sovereignty
    Attacks on Spanish shipping mounted both by professional sea men such as Hawkins, Drake and Frobisher, and by courtiers such as Walter Raleigh, achieved some financial gains but little strategic success
  • Philip ordered another invasion of England in 1596 but the fleet was defeated by storms
  • The war was finally concluded in 1604 after the deaths of both Philip and Liz
  • The conflict with Spain was long running, expensive and brought limited gain
  • 1596 and 1597 Philip II launched further Armadas. Spanish attempted to land in Cornwall and Ireland to assist Tyrone rebellion but was prevented by rough seas
  • 1601 Spanish landed expeditionary force at Kinsale in Ireland to assist Tyronne rebels

Ireland

  • 1591 - Liz sent further 300 troops to Rouen. Between 1591 and 1595, English force maintained in Brittany
  • Reasons: to secure HIV hold on French throne in opposition to the Catholic League and to prevent Spanish control of the French ports of St Male, Brest and Dieppe
  • By 1590, Spanish troops were in Brittany. If they controlled Normandy they could link up with the Spanish army in Flanders
    1593 - Henry IV converts to Catholicism. ideal for Liz - united France, invalidated Catholic League
  • HIV unlikely to ally with Spain against England. Debt to Liz advantageous. Ideal scenario
  • 1595 - English troops withdrawn from Franc although returned by 1596 to help HIV fight Dpain
  • 1596 Triple Alliance between England, France and the United Provinces (Neths). Liz forced to recognise United Provinces as sovereign state - demonstrating again her pragmatic approach to protecting English interests
  • 1598 Spanish and France at peace. English troops withdrawn from France
  • 1598 Edict of Nantes - HIV declared religious toleration for Huguenots
  • 1599 mass desertions and military defeat forced Essex to sign an unauthorised truce with Tyrone. Liz deprived Essex of his titles and ordered his arrest. He responded by attempting a coup against Liz in Jan 1601
  • The coup was a complete failure, and he was executed for treason in February
  • Thereafter, the Cecil faction remained dominant not only until Liz's death in 1603, but even thereafter - as Sir Robert Cecil made a smooth transition to being the main adviser of James VI and I
  • 1600 - Charles Blount appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland
  • 1601 - with army of 13000 Blount defeated O'Neill and Spanish expeditionary force with Siege of Kinsale
  • 1605 O'Neill and other Gaelic chiefs left Ireland for Spain - Flight of the Earls
  • English policy towards Ireland a failure (Steven Ellis)