Philip II’s foreign policy was to affect much of Europe. In many senses Philip II had too many responsibilities and not enough financial clout to respond to his foreign problems. Philip’s foreign policy went from grand successes, such as defeating the Turks at Lepanto, to humiliating defeats as happened in 1588 with the failure of the Spanish Armada.
The Turks
Spain’s main enemy in the Mediterranean was the Turks. For centuries the Muslims had been known as the “Devils from the East” and any attempt by any monarch in Spain to remove this threat would have received full public support. Turkish pirates were a problem but the real danger to Spain lay in the threat Turkey posed to Spain if she conquered Italy. From there she could easily move into Spain. This is why most of the major sea battles took place between the narrows of Tunis and Sicily.
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