The Spanish Armada became a powerful fleet despatched by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. The causes of the Spanish Armada are complex and rooted in political, spiritual, and strategic factors:

• Religious Conflict: The late sixteenth century was marked by severe spiritual rivalry between Catholic Spain and Protestant England. Queen Elizabeth I became visible as a Protestant leader, and her support for Protestant rebels within the Spanish-controlled Netherlands heightened tensions.
• Anglo-Spanish Wars: Before the Armada, there was a chain of conflicts between England and Spain referred to as the Anglo-Spanish Wars. These conflicts had been fueled by disputes over trade, colonization, and religion. English privateers, together with Sir Francis Drake, performed raids on Spanish ships and territories, exacerbating hostilities.
• Support for the Dutch Revolt: England furnished aid to the Dutch Revolt in opposition to Spanish rule inside the Netherlands. This angered Philip II, who saw himself as the defender of Catholicism and took into consideration Elizabeth's movements as helping revolt against his authority.
• Economic Competition: Spain and England had been both rising as the most important colonial powers, competing for dominance within the Americas. The English voyages of exploration and colonization had been considered by the Spanish as an undertaking for their very own imperial aims.
• Maritime Dominance: The English army, under the leadership of professional commanders like Sir Francis Drake, turned into turning into formidable pressure. English privateers careworn Spanish shipping and raided Spanish colonies, undermining Spain's naval and monetary energy.
• Protestantism in England: Elizabeth I become a Protestant monarch ruling over a predominantly Protestant kingdom. The worry of Catholic intervention to restore Catholicism in England fueled tension and suspicion.