A naval juggernaut of 137 ships, 10,000 sailors, 2,500 guns, and 20,000 soldiers was launched at England by Philip II of Spain on May 28th, 1588: the Spanish Armada. Their goal? A full-scale invasion to dethrone Queen Elizabeth I and restore Catholicism, no less. 

Unfortunately, their commander, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, had no naval experience. And the English got wind of the "secret" invasion months in advance. When they finally arrived, the Spanish were struggling with storms, rotting supplies, and low morale; and the comparatively cobbled-together English fleet darted in, fired, and slipped away before the lumbering Spanish could react.

Then came the infamous “fire ships”—floating bonfires set toward the Spanish fleet, causing panic, chaos, and most importantly, shattering the Armada’s crescent formation. With ships scattered and winds whipping up, the Spanish went into retreat — but the exit door was now a long, stormy road around Scotland and Ireland…

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider why the Spanish believed victory was inevitable; reveal how the biggest toll on the Armada came AFTER the famous battle; and explain why it took so long for news of the victory to spread around England…

Further Reading:

• ‘Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada’ (Royal Museums Greenwich): https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/elizabeth-i-spanish-armada

• ‘The Spanish Armada: 10 Little-Known Facts’ (HistoryExtra, 2018): https://www.historyextra.com/period/elizabethan/spanish-armada-facts-elizabeth-i-medina-sidonia-catholic-philip-ii/ 

• ‘England vs The Spanish Armada: The Defeat Of The Invincible Fleet’ (Timeline, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZsTRdmnp_Y

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.

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