Новое время в Испании было, похоже, черной страницей истории страны. То изгнали всех мусульман и евреев. В итоге, казна стала не получать налогов. Открыли Америку. Потекло золото в казну. Да-да, эти ребята испытывали "головокружение от успехов", что возомнили себя крутыми в Европе и решили, похоже, еще в Старом свете создать империю, утерев нос своим конкурентам и завистникам с Британских островов. Но это просто был позорный позор. Я когда читал, как флотилия отправилась к британских берегам, чтобы завоевать земли, просто угорнул.
Вопщемта, веселые моменты. Here you are.

In 1588 Philip II of Spain came up with a cunning plan, but failed to know which way the wind would blow. The big idea was to sail 130 warships into the English Channel and smash the English fleet, ending its ability to support the Dutch in their battles with Spain and steal Spain’s treasure. As a bonus, Spain could invade England, overthrow the Protestant queen, then cross back to finally quell the Dutch rebellion. They had by far the heavier ships and ferocious firepower. What, other than everything, could possibly go wrong?
Having an admiral in charge who had sailed the open sea might have helped. Appointed four months before the Armada sailed, the Duke of Medina Sidonia had told his king: ‘I know by the small experience I have had a float that I soon become seasick.’ The drain on funds had also left the Spanish navy in poor shape. And when they reached Calais, Medina Sidonia was left waiting for essential equipment without a deep-water port in which to shelter. The English seized their chance.
During the following battle the Armada suffered serious losses and its formation was scattered. It sailed up towards the North Sea to regroup. It was time to abandon the mission and head home, but the Spanish have a saying: ‘La geographia manda’ – geography controls everything. Geography was against them.
The Spanish needed to return south, but the winds blew in the wrong direction and the English were situated between them and the route back. They headed further north, but as they rounded the tip of northern Scotland they ran into an unusually early North Atlantic storm. Many ships were driven onto the rocks of the Irish coast in freezing-cold weather. When the remnants of the fleet made it home in October only about sixty ships docked. As many as 15,000 men had been lost, and with them Spain’s reputation as the world’s greatest navy. A new century was on the horizon and the balance of power was shifting.