Which Spanish monarch pursued war against Protestant England and attempted to enforce Catholic orthodoxy, also known for the Armada?

• A. Henry VIII
• B. Charles V
• C. Philip II
• D. Ferdinand II

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is identifying a ruler who actively tried to roll back Protestant influence in Europe and enforce Catholic unity, with the Armada as the emblem of that effort. Philip II of Spain fits this description precisely. He ruled as a staunch Catholic monarch who believed it was his duty to defend and restore Catholic orthodoxy across his realms. He viewed Elizabeth I’s England as a major obstacle to a Catholic Europe and supported Catholic opposition movements, including aiding the Catholic forces in the Netherlands. The most famous expression of his campaign to overturn Protestant England was the Spanish Armada of 1588, an ambitious fleet sent to invade England and topple Elizabeth I, in hopes of reestablishing Catholic dominance. The failure of the Armada did not erase his ambitions, but it did mark a turning point in naval power and the balance between Catholic and Protestant powers.

Henry VIII isn’t the right match because he was the English king who broke with the Catholic Church to form the Church of England, pursuing reforms from within England rather than leading Catholic opposition to England. Charles V fought Protestant princes during his reign and did lay the groundwork for a Catholic global empire, but the Armada and the specific effort to invade England are associated with Philip II. Ferdinand II later became a central figure in the Thirty Years’ War in Central Europe, not the English conflict tied to the Armada.