What threats did Elizabeth face at home and abroad, and how did she survive them?
The religious settlement and the Catholic threat, the problem of Mary Queen of Scots and the plots, the deterioration with Spain and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
A focused answer to the threats section of AQA's Elizabethan England depth study, covering the religious settlement and the Catholic threat, Mary Queen of Scots and the plots against Elizabeth, the worsening relations with Spain, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
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What this dot point is asking
This part of the Elizabethan England depth study covers the threats Elizabeth faced: the religious settlement and the Catholic danger, the problem of Mary Queen of Scots and the plots, the breakdown of relations with Spain, and how England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. Questions often ask you to explain or weigh the reasons behind these events.
The religious settlement and the Catholic threat
Mary Queen of Scots and the plots
Spain and the Armada
Relations with Catholic Spain collapsed over several connected issues: religious difference, Drake's raids on Spanish treasure ships, English help for the Protestant Dutch rebels against Spanish rule (from 1585), and finally the execution of Mary in 1587. Philip II resolved to invade England and restore Catholicism.
For analysis, avoid crediting the weather alone: a strong answer shows that English advantages and Spanish errors were also decisive, with the storms finishing off an already failing campaign.
Try this
Q1. In what year was Mary Queen of Scots executed? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. 1587 (after the Babington plot was uncovered).
Q2. Explain why relations between England and Spain broke down by 1588. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Religious difference, Drake's raids on Spanish treasure, English help for the Dutch rebels, and the execution of Mary Queen of Scots all pushed Philip II towards invasion.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20198 marksHow convincing is Interpretation A about the reasons for the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588? Explain your answer using Interpretation A and your contextual knowledge.Show worked answer →
The Paper 2 British depth study interpretation question (8 marks, mostly AO4). Use the interpretation's content and test it against contextual knowledge to judge how convincing it is.
Content. Quote the view, for example that the Armada failed "because of the weather" or "because of English tactics".
Contextual knowledge. Support or challenge it: English advantages (faster, more manoeuvrable ships, longer-range guns, fireships at Calais) and Spanish problems (poor planning, the loss of the original commander, the difficult plan to collect Parma's army) all mattered, as well as the storms (the "Protestant Wind").
Judgement. Decide how convincing the interpretation is: convincing if it captures key reasons, less so if it credits the weather alone. Support with precise detail.
AQA 202216 marksHow far does [the named historic environment site] reflect the threats Elizabeth faced from abroad? Explain your answer. You should refer to the named site and your contextual knowledge.Show worked answer →
The Paper 2 historic environment 16-mark essay (plus 4 SPaG marks). Argue both sides, linking specific site features to wider Elizabethan themes, and judge.
For (the site reflects foreign threats). Link defensive or military features to the danger from Spain, the Armada and the wider Catholic threat.
Against (it reflects other things). The site may also show wealth, status, religion or display, not only defence.
Judgement. A strong answer moves between specific site features and wider knowledge of the Spanish threat and the Armada, then judges how far the site reflects that factor. Confirm the actual named site for your exam year.
Related dot points
- Elizabeth's character and accession, the structure of her court and government, the role of patronage and key ministers, and the question of marriage and the succession.
A focused answer to the court and government section of AQA's Elizabethan England depth study, covering Elizabeth's character and accession, the structure of court and government, the role of patronage and ministers such as Cecil, and the problems of marriage and the succession.
- The Elizabethan social hierarchy, the problem of poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of culture and theatre, and the voyages of exploration and the New World.
A focused answer to the daily life section of AQA's Elizabethan England depth study, covering the social hierarchy, the rise of poverty and the 1601 Poor Law, the golden age of theatre and culture, and the voyages of exploration including Drake and Raleigh.
- The nature of the historic environment study, how the named site links to wider Elizabethan themes, and how to answer the 16-mark site-based essay.
A focused answer to the AQA Elizabethan England historic environment question, covering what the historic environment study is, how the named site (which changes each year) links to wider Elizabethan themes, and how to plan and write the 16-mark site-based essay.
- Analysing the usefulness of a source for a stated enquiry using its content together with its provenance (nature, origin and purpose), and applying contextual knowledge.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE History source questions, covering how to weigh a source's content against its provenance (nature, origin and purpose) and use contextual knowledge to reach a judgement on usefulness.
- Identifying how two interpretations differ, explaining why they differ, and evaluating which interpretation is more convincing using content and contextual knowledge.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE History interpretations questions, covering how to identify the difference between two interpretations, explain why they differ, and judge which is more convincing using detail and your own knowledge.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE History (8145) specification — AQA (2016)