Intercepted letters suggest that Francis Walsingham encouraged Ottoman pressure against Habsburg and Spanish possessions. Their authenticity and practical effect remain uncertain, but Spanish officials still had to consider the possibility. Elizabeth's trade relationship with Morocco formed another part of this wider diplomatic setting. These contacts could reinforce Spain's fear that concentrating against England would expose other interests, even though they did not directly defeat the Armada. Intelligence and diplomacy served maritime strategy by forcing an opponent to divide its attention.
Notable Point · 24:27-25:25
English diplomacy tries to widen Spain's strategic distractions
Walsingham's suspected Ottoman approaches and Elizabeth's Moroccan trade relationship illustrate an English effort to make Spain watch several fronts at once.