2nd Spanish Armada 1596. Spain and England had been at war for nearly twelve years with neither side gaining the upper hand. The result of the intervention of Philip II in the religious war in France in support of the Catholic League, meant that Spanish forces had established coastal garrisons along the French and Flemish coast by the late 1580s. These bases had a huge strategic value because they allowed England to be threatened by the Spanish fleet and troops. England on the other hand had also intervened in France, but in support of King Henry IV of France, as a result of
An Admonition to the Nobility and People of England and Ireland infamous courtesan Anne Boleyn". It was intended for distribution just after the Armada. It has been described as "vituperative billingsgate" However, the majority of English Catholics refused to betray their queen. Seeing the Armada as predominantly politically (rather than religiously) motivated, they felt no obligation to support the arriving Spanish. The publication was an embarrassment to politically loyal Catholics in England, particularly after the dramatic failure of the Armada. Upon the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Allen carefully consigned his publication to the fire, and it is known only through one of Elizabeth's spies, who had stolen a copy. An