The Spanish ArmadaThe Spanish Armada was a fleet assembled and sent by King Philip II of Spain in an attempt to invade England in 1588. His attempt was unsuccessful. Queen Elizabeth I of England regarded the army's defeat as one of her greatest successes, aiding the decline of the Spanish Empire. The army had a mission with both political and religious objectives. King Philip, the leader of Roman Catholic Spain, was unable to stop a revolt by his Protestant subjects in the Netherlands, a revolt that began in 1566, aided by Protestant England. In 1586, Philip had decided that he could not defeat the Dutch until he defeated England first. It was hoped that the long-standing religious rivalry between Spain and England would be resolved by King Philip with the dethronement of Queen Elizabeth, converting England back to Catholicism. The plan of conquest had begun. This plan consisted of coordinating a fleet sailing from Spain and an army from the Netherlands to create a simultaneous invasion of England. His force of 130 ships and more than 30,000 men was to be led by Alonso Peréz Guzmán, Duke of Medina-Sidonia. England was aware of the Spanish plans and attacked her at Cadiz, Spain in 1587, managing to delay her for a year. In July 1588, the armada was sighted off the coast of England on 29 July. Lord Charles Howard intercepted her with a larger English fleet near Plymouth, and for the next week launched small attacks against the Spanish in battles off Plymouth, Portland Bill, and the Isle of Wight. Unable to defeat the Spanish Armada, they waited for the opportunity to deliver a major blow. The opportunity finally came when the armada anchored near Calais, France, hoping to join the troops expected to depart from the Netherlands. Ingeniously, Howard ordered the burning ships to be sent against the armada, causing a panic that shattered the Spanish formation. At the subsequent Battle of Gravelines on 8 August, the Spanish were defeated by England and the armada sailed home with the remaining ships badly damaged and bound for Spain; 67 of the original 130 ships reached Spain, most in poor condition.