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Hello, on the 28th of May 1588, a fleet of 151 Spanish ships set out from Lisbon,

bound for England. Its mission was to transport a huge invasion force across the channel and

assist in the overthrow of Elizabeth I. Two months later, this mighty Spanish

Romano was sighted off the coast of Cornwall. Elizabeth was to inspire the English sailors with

a famous speech in which she declared, I know I have the body of a weakened feeble woman,

but I have the heart and stomach of a king and a king of England too. A pauling weather, poor

planning, and spirited English resistance defeated the Spaniards. After a brief battle,

their battered fleet fled. This tale of religious dispute, shifting political alliance,

and enabled brilliance, has entered into our national folklore. Although some historians

argue that it changed nothing. With me to discuss the Spanish Armada are Diane Perkis,

fellow and tutor at Kebel College Oxford, Mio Rodriguez Sargado, professor in international

history at the London School of Economics, and Nicholas Rodgers, senior research fellow at

all sales college at the University of Oxford. Diane Perkis, Elizabeth came to throne in 1553.

How powerful was England at that time? What was its international standing?

Pretty rubbish, really, in comparison with the international standing of Spain. A good indication

of this is that Philip was able to raise almost any amount of money he wanted in loans from

Europe's bankers, and Elizabeth couldn't raise a plug nickel. Because everyone supposed,

Spain, super power, England, weedy little country, they're absolutely bound to win in whatever

they undertake. This tells us that England was on the margins of Europe. It was doing its best,

its entrepreneurial best in the new world. What it was principally doing was robbing the Spanish

...