Spanish Armada - Britain Warned of Impending Danger

The military resources of England were no match for the military prowess of Spain.  Elizabeth's Britain was poor and piracy was an accepted way of earning a living.  The monarch herself took some of the proceeds of illegally boarded ships.  So ... how was it that England defeated Spain in 1588?

Elizabeth was aware that Philip II of Spain was preparing to invade the nation his deceased wife, Mary, had once ruled.  Britain relied on its system of beacons, dotting the landscape, to warn the country if Spanish ships were spotted.  Remarkably effective, a message could sent from Plymouth (in the south) to Carlisle (in the north) within the span of about forty minutes.

Credits

Clip from Battlefield Detectives:  What Sank the Armada? 

Director: 
Bill Lyons

Production Company: 
Granada Television

Executive Producer: 
Liz McLeod

Producer: Bill Lyon

Released:  2003

Video online, courtesy DrBogdanovic's Channel at YouTube.