John Hawkins's Azores blockade strategy

Hawkins argued that blocking Spanish treasure traffic would prevent Philip II from rebuilding his fleet and sustaining the struggle. He proposed assigning one force to the Azores while retaining another in the Channel, then rotating the blockading squadrons so ships could refit and replenish. The plan joined economic pressure to a realistic assessment of endurance and victualling rather than relying on isolated raiding cruises. The extract challenges later descriptions of the scheme as failed commerce destruction because England never actually tried the full blockade. Strongly escorted treasure fleets continued to arrive, while later research reinforced how much Spain depended on that flow of wealth.