History · GCSE · Early Modern (1509–1745)

War with Spain and the Armada

gcse-hist-2bc-3-3Free9:59Heddy Score 2 of 7, below the standard

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What you need to know

  • Religion, trade and English support for the Dutch drove England and Spain apart.
  • Philip II sent the Armada in 1588.
  • Fireships, English tactics and storms led to Spain's defeat.

In this clip

0:00–3:49Elizabeth I and her courthh3
3:49–6:29A woman on the throne: Parliament, marriage and the successiongcse-hist-2bc-1-2a
6:29–8:25Essex's rebellion and the queen's authority late in the reigngcse-hist-2bc-1-2b
8:25–12:54Elizabeth’s Religious Settlementh21
12:54–16:44The Catholic threat: rebellion, missionaries and plotsgcse-hist-2bc-3-1a
16:44–17:33The Puritansgcse-hist-2bc-3-1b
17:33–20:16Prosperity, fashions and the rise of the gentrygcse-hist-2bc-2-1a
20:16–21:40The Elizabethan theatregcse-hist-2bc-2-1b
21:40–23:32Poverty and the Poor Lawsgcse-hist-2bc-2-2
23:32–26:00Hawkins, Drake, Raleigh and the voyagesgcse-hist-2bc-2-3
26:00–35:59War with Spain and the Armadagcse-hist-2bc-3-3
Also coversMary, Queen of Scotsgcse-hist-2bc-3-2
Heddy Score2/7, Below the standard
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · not judged yet. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

Not enough students yet

Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
How the Heddy Score works

Why we picked it

Thorough 37-minute revision run-through of the whole GCSE Elizabethan England depth study, with sources cited.

History Core on YouTubechecked 2026-10-16