Second Spanish Armada

In 1596 Philip II ordered a new Spanish armada during the continuing war with England. The expedition was intended to exploit English vulnerability and support strategic objectives connected with Ireland, but severe Atlantic weather disrupted the fleet before it could achieve a major landing.

The renewed threat mattered even though the expedition failed. English authorities prepared coastal defences, musters and local trained bands while reports about Spanish intentions circulated through government and the population. The campaign showed that the defeat of 1588 had not ended the possibility of large-scale Spanish naval attacks.

General stories about the longer conflict belong under the Anglo-Spanish War, while the 1588 expedition has its own Spanish Armada context.