Spanish Armada summary

Learn about the Spanish Armada sent by Philip II of Spain in 1588 and the factors that led to its defeat

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Spanish Armada.

Naval warfare, the tactics of military operations and armed forces conducted on, under, or over the sea. Being the activities of battle itself, tactics are conceived and executed at the literal and metaphoric centre of war’s violence. Tactical science is an orderly description of these activities,

Spain Summary

Spain, country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbor Portugal. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities, all of which have made it a

Philip II Summary

Philip II was the king of the Spaniards (1556–98) and king of the Portuguese (as Philip I, 1580–98), champion of the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation. During his reign the Spanish empire attained its greatest power, extent, and influence, though he failed to suppress the revolt of the Netherlands