Who Fought When? Wars and Spain Quiz

Answer: Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was launched in late May 1588 and took two months to reach the English Channel. The key battles were fought in late July and August. While the British fleet outnumbered the Spanish, Spain outgunned the British fleet. The fleet was sent by Phillip II to depose Elizabeth and restore England as a Roman Catholic state.

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was one of the most influential leaders in British history, reigning from 1558 to 1663 and leading an era when England became a world superpower. One of the key reasons for this was the British defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, which helped establish the British as a major naval power for the next three decades.

The Elizabethan Era was not only critical for Britain's rise as a political power but as a cultural power as well, with numerous famous authors, including William Shakespeare.

Answer: Spanish Armada

Philip II (1527-1598) ruled over what was known as the Spanish Golden Age, which resulted from Spanish's exploitation of its colonies in the Americas. It was also a major era for Spanish exploration of the Pacific; the Philippines are named after Philip II.

Philip II was the son of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and Queen Isabella of Portugal. He was one of the fiercest defenders of the Catholic faith in the 16th century. He launched the Spanish Armada to depose Protestant Elizabeth I and restore a Catholic monarch to the British throne.

Answer: Spanish Armada

Alfonso de Guzman (1550-1615), Seventh Duke of Medina Sidona, was the leader of the Spanish Armada. De Guzman was chosen more for his loyalty to King Phillip than his prowess as a military commander. Philip II wanted to micromanage the operations of the Spanish Armada, and he needed a commander who would not second guess him.

The duke himself wrote to the king that he was ill-equipped to lead the mission, but there is doubt Philip ever saw the letter. That being said, de Guzman was a competent administrator and did help improve the efficiency of the Armada a great deal. de Guzman was among many in the Spanish military who had serious doubts about the likelihood of success, but was reluctant to voice those doubts to an absolute monarch.

De Guzman's reputation did not improve after the failure of the Armada, He is noted for two other naval failures: the sack of Cadiz in 1596 and loss of a squadron at Gibraltar in 1606.

Answer: Spanish Armada

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) was a noted British explorer, being the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe between 1577 and 1580. Perhaps his most significant accomplishment was opening up the Pacific Ocean for the British; for decades, it had been the domain of Spain.

Drake served as a vice admiral during the Spanish Armada and was a key figure during the battle of the Fire Ships. In 1589, he would lead an unsuccessful British Armada which was a counter offensive against Spain. When he wasn't sailing, Drake served as a Member of Parliament.

Drake's illustrious career ended on a less dignified note. After a serious of military defeats against the Spanish in 1595, Drake died of dysentery in January 1596 at the age of 56.

Answer: Spanish Armada

Juan Martinez de Recalde (1540-1588) was the second in command during the Spanish Armada. Recalde never received substantial support from de Guzman, and fought many of the battles of the Spanish Armada significantly under strength. He lost many sailors to the British, and died in October 1588 as a result of wounds he suffered during the Armada.

Martinez was assigned to the Armada based on his work fighting against the English in Ireland in the 1580s. He was a knight, a member of the Order of Santiago (Saint James, the patron saint of Spain, whose tomb was a major pilgrimage landmark,)

Answer: War of Spanish Succession

Charles VI (1685-1740) was Holy Roman Emperor, leader of the Austrian Hapsburgs and a major player in the War of the Spanish Succession. He ruled from 1711 to 1740. His record as king was somewhat hit or miss. He is probably most notable as the father of Maria Theresa, the last Hapsburg Empress, who was the mother of Marie Antoinette.

The War of Spanish Succession was a power struggle between the Hapsburgs and France over control of Spanish territory, which included the Philippines and large parts of Central and South America. It was in many respects the first "World War" - though it was centered in Europe, it featured battles in North and South America, East Asia and parts of Africa.

Answer: War of Spanish Succession

Philip of Anjou (1683-1746) was Philip V of Spain. He was actually the grandson of Louis XIV of France, When Charles II of Spain died without an heir, he named young Philip as king of Spain. Philip V reigned from 1700 until his death in 1746, with a brief interregnum in 1724.

Philip's ascension to the throne of Spain and fears of France and Spain controlling most of Europe, led to the Wars of Spanish Succession.

Answer: War of Spanish Succession

John Churchill (1650-1722), the 1st Duke of Marlborough, was one of England's greatest generals as well as the grandfather of future prime minister Winston Churchill. Churchill saw early success in 1685 defeating the Monmouth Rebellion, but did not emerge as a major military leader until the War of Spanish Succession.

Churchill led England to victory in the battles of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709). The Battle of Blenheim was one of the key strategic moments of the Wars of Spanish Succession, preventing an early French victory. Over the course of the war, Churchill captured over 30 enemy fortresses.

Despite Churchill's remarkable military achievements, he was dismissed in late 1711 because it was politically expedient. He suffered two strokes in 1716 and eventually died as a result of another stroke in June 1722.

Answer: War of Spanish Succession

Maximilian II Emmanuel (1662-1726) was a Bavarian Prince who also served as Governor General of the Netherlands. Maximilian had one the more serious claims to the Spanish throne through his wife Maria Antonia. French victory in 1714 allowed Maximilian II to retain his claims to Luxembourg and Namur.

Maximilian died of a stroke in 1726. He is probably best known for his cultural achievements, making major contributions to the architecture and art of Central Europe.

Answer: War of Spanish Succession

James Fitzjames (1670-1734) was a noted military figure during the Wars of Spanish Succession. He was the bastard son of King James the First and the nephew of John Churchill, another key military figure in the early 18th century.

Fitzjames was the Duke of Berwick. He was most noted for leading the successful French forces at the Battle of Alamansa, the most consequential battle during the Wars of Spanish Succession. Berwick was able to defeat the Earl of Galway, who was actually a French Huguenot, who led the British forces, dealing him staggering casualties. It was probably the only battle in history where an Englishman led French forces while a Frenchman led British forces.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

Francisco Franco (1892-1975) was the leader of the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. He defeated the Republican government in 1939 and led a military dictatorship until his death in 1975.

Franco began his military career in 1907 as a cadet and rose rapidly, achieving the rank of Brigadier General by 1926. Franco was an active leader in the military coup of 1936 which sparked the Spanish Civil War. He rapidly consolidated power and declared himself Generalissimo and head of state. Franco's regime was one of the more brutal in European history; his policies during the White Terror led to over 100,000 deaths.

The Spanish Civil War began in June 1936 and concluded in April 1939. The best estimate of casualties during the conflict is 344,000. Both Italy and Nazi Germany sided with Franco, sending both troops and military equipment.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

Emilio Mola y Vidal (1887-1937) was the leader of Nationalist forces in Northern Spain. He became head after the death of General Jose Sanjurjo in a plane crash shortly after the June coup. Mola may be most notable for originating the phrase "fifth column" to describe those who undermine a political or military objective.

Mola died in a plane crash in June 1937, and his death removed an serious impediment to Franco achieving total control of the Nationalist forces.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

Manuel Azana (1880-1940) was the President of Spain at the time the Spanish Civil War began. He was also Prime Minister and Minister of War. Azana was the leader of the pro-democracy forces fighting against Francisco Franco.

During most of the Civil War, Azana was based in Barcelona. When it fell in January 1939, Azana fled to France. Azana died in exile in November 1940. He was protected from being extradited back to Spain by the Mexican Government, which had given him citizenship and made him an ambassador, providing Azana with diplomatic immunity.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

Juan Negrin (1892-1956) was the Prime Minister of Republican Spain from May 1937 to March 1939. He also served as Minister of National Defense in the Republican government.

Negrin may be the most despised figures of the Spanish Civil War era and not only be the Francoists. Negrin was hated by many on the Socialist left as well. Later historians have attempted to rehabilitate Negrin as an honest decent man who tried to save him country from Fascism.

After the fall of the Republican government, Negrin led the Spanish government in exile in Paris from 1939 to 1945. Negrin died in exile in Paris in November 1956 and is buried at Pere Lachaise, one of Paris' most prominent cemeteries.

Answer: Spanish Civil War

Vicente Rojo (1894-1966) was the Chief of General Staff, leader of the Republican military forces during the Spanish Civil War. Rojo began his military career in 1911 and rose fairly rapidly, achieving the rank of Major by the start of the war.

Rojo was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in October 1936. He proved a very capable tactician, who was the key planner in the battles of the battles at Jarama, Guadalajara, Brunete and Belchite. in 1937, Rojo planned offensives at Huesca, Brunete, Belchite, Zaragoza and Teruel. He was promoted to general in September 1937.

After the war, Rojo was exiled to France before spending much of the next 20 years in South America. He returned to Spain in 1957, where he was tried for his role as a Republican general; he did not serve a day in prison, and was even given a pension by Franco. Rojo died in Madrid in June 1966.