Protestant

On the hot days of late May 1588, the ports of Lisbon were heavy with the smell of pitch, pine, and the fervent hopes of a sacred mission. At King Philip II of Spain's behest, the so-called ‘Invincible Armada’ set sail under the Duke of Medina Sidonia, a loyal but inexperienced nobleman with little background in naval affairs. The Armada's mission was to invade England, overthrow Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, and re-establish Catholic dominance over an errant nation. What unfolded in the ensuing months would become one of the most fateful and ill-fated naval campaigns in European history. Divine Wind or Doomed Fleet? Spain's Imperial Ambitions in the Late 16th Century To understand the Spanish Armada’s ill-fated voyage, one must