Far less well know then the Spanish Armada of 1588 the English Armada of 1589 sought to take advantage of its defeat to cripple Philip II sea power, by sinking the ships having made it back to Spain while they where at port being repaired, and causing a revolt in Portugal in favour of Antony, Prior of Crato and pretender to the Portugese crown. Unfortunately for England, the expedition failed with heavy looses.
While actually meeting both objectives is probably beyond what could have been achieved, and England overambitious objectives probably played a key part in the defeat, one can easily imagine a scenario where the expedition would end far more favourably for Elizabeth I and Francis Drake.
Lets imagine a POD that would have the Prior of Crato die of an unknow disease sometime before the expedition was launched without otherwise affecting the events happening prior to it in a meaningfull way. As a result, the hope of provoking a portugese rising would be abandoned and the english fleet would instead concentrate on sinking the aforementioned damaged ships and get some loot, and be general successfull in that endavour.
How would such a turn of events affect the rest of the Anglo-Spanish War, as Spain has to face a worse strategic situation at sea while England has more ships and his in a better financial situation then in OTL? How would it affect the course of history in France, Ireland and the Low Countries as they are either in grip with conflicts intimately linked to the tug of war between Philip II or Elizabeth I or about to be?
While actually meeting both objectives is probably beyond what could have been achieved, and England overambitious objectives probably played a key part in the defeat, one can easily imagine a scenario where the expedition would end far more favourably for Elizabeth I and Francis Drake.
Lets imagine a POD that would have the Prior of Crato die of an unknow disease sometime before the expedition was launched without otherwise affecting the events happening prior to it in a meaningfull way. As a result, the hope of provoking a portugese rising would be abandoned and the english fleet would instead concentrate on sinking the aforementioned damaged ships and get some loot, and be general successfull in that endavour.
How would such a turn of events affect the rest of the Anglo-Spanish War, as Spain has to face a worse strategic situation at sea while England has more ships and his in a better financial situation then in OTL? How would it affect the course of history in France, Ireland and the Low Countries as they are either in grip with conflicts intimately linked to the tug of war between Philip II or Elizabeth I or about to be?