The Anglo-Spanish War was an undeclared and then open conflict between England under Elizabeth I and Spain under Philip II and his successor, fought at sea, in the Netherlands, in France and in Ireland. Elizabeth's treaty with the Dutch rebels at Nonsuch in 1585 and English privateering raids led by Francis Drake on Spanish ports and treasure convoys provoked Philip to send the Spanish Armada against England in 1588, which failed in part due to storms. The English counter-armada of 1589 also failed, and Spain later landed troops in Ireland, aiding the rebellion of Hugh O'Neill. Both sides were exhausted, and the Treaty of London in 1604, under the new king James I, brought the war to an end.
Before and after
- from c. 1583 to 1997British Empire
- from 26 July 1583 to 2 August 1583Conquest of the Azores
- 18 March 1584Death of Ivan the Terrible
- 1585Founding of Frankfurt Stock Exchange
- from 1585 to 1604Anglo-Spanish War
- 9 September 1585Birth of Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
- from 1587 to 1589War of the Three Henrys
- from 12 April 1587 to 6 July 1587Singeing the King of Spain's Beard
- 5 April 1588Birth of Thomas Hobbes
More in Wars, politics & history
- 1534Henry VIII becomes head of the Church of England
- from 17 January 1558 to 26 May 1583Livonian War
- from 2 April 1562 to 30 April 1598French Wars of Religion
- from September 1688 to September 1697Nine Years' War
- 1713Peace of Utrecht
- from 28 May 1754 to 7 October 1763French and Indian War
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.