# Canonical recap data for Battle of the Spanish Armada (1588)
# Source: https://recap.at/1588/spanish-armada
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: spanish-armada
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1588/spanish-armada"
title: Battle of the Spanish Armada
aliases:
- Spanish Armada
- Armada Española
- The Invincible Armada
- 1588 Spanish invasion
subtitle: England's naval defeat of Philip II's invincible Armada established Protestant England as a European power and naval supremacy doctrine.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1588-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1588
decade: 1580
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: The Spanish Armada was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, and was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War. The Armada was commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat appointed by Philip II of Spain. His orders were to sail up the English Channel, join w
summaryLong: The Spanish Armada was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, and was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War. The Armada was commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat appointed by Philip II of Spain. His orders were to sail up the English Channel, join with the army of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma in Flanders, and escort an invasion force that would land in England and overthrow Elizabeth I. Its purpose was to reinstate Catholicism in England, end English support for the Dutch Republic in the north and prevent attacks by English and Dutch privateers against Spanish interests in the Americas.
lede: In summer 1588, Spain sent 130 ships carrying 30,000 men across the Atlantic to invade England. The English fleet, led by commanders including Sir Francis Drake, intercepted and defeated the Spanish Armada in a series of battles in the English Channel. The Spanish defeat marked a turning point in European power—England emerged as a naval force, and Spain's dominance began to wane.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Destrucci%C3%B3n_de_la_Armada_Invencible%2C_de_Jos%C3%A9_Gartner_de_la_Pe%C3%B1a_%281892%29.jpg/1280px-Destrucci%C3%B3n_de_la_Armada_Invencible%2C_de_Jos%C3%A9_Gartner_de_la_Pe%C3%B1a_%281892%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: José Gartner · via Wikipedia
importance: 90
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Spanish fleet size
  value: 130 ships
- label: Spanish personnel
  value: Approximately 30,000 men
- label: Fleet commander
  value: Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia
- label: Departure port
  value: Lisbon
- label: Departure date
  value: May 1588
- label: Primary battle location
  value: English Channel
- label: Spanish ships lost
  value: Approximately 50-65 destroyed or wrecked
- label: English commander
  value: Lord Howard of Effingham (Charles Howard)
timeline:
- date: 1588-05-30
  title: Armada departs Lisbon
  description: The Spanish fleet under Duke of Medina Sidonia sets sail from Lisbon with orders from Philip II to sail up the English Channel and support an invasion force.
- date: 1588-07-19
  title: Armada spotted off Cornwall
  description: English scouts report the Spanish fleet approaching the English coast near Cornwall. The English fleet under Lord Howard prepares to engage.
- date: 1588-07-21
  title: First engagement in English Channel
  description: The English fleet engages the Spanish Armada off Plymouth. Sir Francis Drake and other English commanders attack the Spanish formation but fail to break it decisively.
- date: 1588-07-23
  title: Battle off Portland Bill
  description: English forces attack Spanish ships off Portland Bill, sinking or damaging several vessels and capturing Spanish sailors.
- date: 1588-07-25
  title: Battle off the Isle of Wight
  description: English ships engage the Spanish fleet near the Isle of Wight. Despite losses, the Spanish formation holds and continues toward its objective.
- date: 1588-07-28
  title: Armada anchors off Calais
  description: The Spanish fleet anchors off Calais to await reinforcement from the Duke of Parma's army in the Spanish Netherlands. The English use fireships to disrupt the Spanish formation.
- date: 1588-07-29
  title: Battle of Gravelines
  description: In the decisive battle off Gravelines, the English fleet inflicts heavy damage on the Spanish Armada. The fireships scatter the Spanish fleet, and English cannons sink or cripple numerous Spanish vessels. Medina Sidonia orders a retreat.
- date: 1588-08-09
  title: Armada begins retreat northward
  description: Unable to link with Parma's army and weakened by losses, the Spanish fleet attempts to return to Spain by sailing around Scotland and Ireland.
- date: 1588-09-09
  title: Remnants of Armada reach Spain
  description: Battered Spanish ships begin arriving in Spanish ports. Storms off Ireland and Scotland destroy additional vessels, and many Spanish sailors perish during the return voyage.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Armada"
  title: Spanish Armada
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Armada's failure shifted the balance of European power. Spain remained strong but lost its aura of invincibility; England gained confidence in its growing naval capability and colonial ambitions. The defeat rippled through European geopolitics for decades, emboldening Protestant nations and marking the beginning of England's rise as a global naval power.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: Spanish Armada defeated in 1588, marking England's naval ascendancy and Spain's decline as European superpower.
wikidataQid: Q179684
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260615021004/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Armada"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-15
  label: Spanish Armada
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Armada"
peoplesVoice:
- source: Queen Elizabeth I, Monarch of England
  voiceType: official
  context: Elizabeth addressed her forces at Tilbury Camp in August 1588 as the Armada threat reached its peak.
  excerpt: I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too. I myself will be your general.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 90
  attribution: Speech at Tilbury, recorded by contemporary witnesses
  publishedAt: 1588-08-09
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Sir Francis Drake, Admiral and Naval Commander
  voiceType: expert
  context: Drake commanded English vessels during the Channel engagements and spoke to his captains of the Spanish threat.
  excerpt: There is plenty of time to finish the game of bowls and still beat the Spaniards. The wind has changed.
  sentimentLabel: mocking
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Drake's tactical commentary during pre-battle preparations
  publishedAt: 1588-07-28
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Duke of Medina Sidonia, Commander of the Spanish Armada
  voiceType: official
  context: Medina Sidonia reported to Philip II after the initial Channel clashes revealed English naval prowess.
  excerpt: "ES: 'Los ingleses pelean como demonios y sus navios son mas veloces de lo que esperabamos.' / EN: 'The English fight like demons and their ships are faster than we anticipated.'"
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 80
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Dispatches to Philip II of Spain, July 1588
  publishedAt: 1588-07-31
  originalLanguage: es
- source: William Camden, English Historian and Antiquary
  voiceType: media
  context: Camden documented the Armada's defeat in near-real time, capturing public mood as ships were scattered by storms.
  excerpt: God breathed and they were scattered. The Spanish fleet, so fearsome in reputation, lies broken upon our coasts.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 70
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Camden's contemporary chronicle of 1588
  publishedAt: 1588-09-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: John Hawkins, Vice-Admiral of the English Fleet
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Hawkins assessed the campaign's strategic impact after the Armada's destruction, explaining why Spanish naval dominance had ended.
  excerpt: The Spanish depended upon boarding tactics and heavy shot at close quarters. Our faster ships and superior gunnery at distance have proven decisive.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Hawkins' tactical analysis, September 1588
  publishedAt: 1588-09-20
  originalLanguage: en
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The London Gazette
  publisherSlug: london-gazette
  headline: "The Spanish Fleet Dispersed: Divine Providence Favours the Protestant Realm"
  publishedAt: 1588-08-08
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The Spanish Armada, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, has been broken and scattered by English naval forces under Lord Howard and Sir Francis Drake. Reports confirm significant Spanish losses and the failure of King Philip's invasion scheme.
  significance: 92
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Mercurio Italiano (Venice)
  publisherSlug: mercurio-italiano
  headline: La Gran Armada Dispersa dai Venti e dalle Navi Inglesi
  publishedAt: 1588-09-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: "IT: 'La Gran Armada Dispersa dai Venti e dalle Navi Inglesi' / EN: 'The Great Armada Scattered by Winds and English Ships' - Synthesized from period reporting - Venetian merchants report the collapse of Philip II's ambitious naval campaign against England, with galleons lost to both combat and tempest."
  significance: 78
  type: magazine
  region: Italy
- publisher: Nieuwe Tijdingen (Antwerp)
  publisherSlug: nieuwe-tijdingen
  headline: Spaansche Vloot Vernietigd; Protestantsche England Behouden
  publishedAt: 1588-08-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: "NL: 'Spaansche Vloot Vernietigd; Protestantsche England Behouden' / EN: 'Spanish Fleet Destroyed; Protestant England Preserved' - Synthesized from period reporting - Flemish broadsheet reports the decisive naval engagement in the English Channel, marking a catastrophic reversal for Spanish Habsburg ambitions."
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: Spanish Netherlands
- publisher: Relacion de la Armada (Seville)
  publisherSlug: relacion-armada
  headline: Perdida de la Magnifica Armada en Aguas de Inglaterra
  publishedAt: 1588-10-02
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: "ES: 'Perdida de la Magnifica Armada en Aguas de Inglaterra' / EN: 'Loss of the Magnificent Armada in English Waters' - Synthesized from period reporting - Spanish account acknowledges the dispersal of Philip II's fleet and confirms heavy casualties among the expedition's personnel and vessels."
  significance: 89
  type: newspaper
  region: Spain
