In 1588, King Philip II of Spain sent a massive fleet of 130 ships, known as the Spanish Armada, to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. The goal was to restore Catholicism to England and stop English privateering in the Atlantic. However, the smaller, more maneuverable English ships, led by Lord Howard and Sir Francis Drake, used 'fire ships' to scatter the Armada at Calais. Subsequent heavy storms in the North Sea, often called the 'Protestant Wind,' wrecked many of the Spanish ships as they tried to escape around Scotland and Ireland. The defeat of the Armada was a major turning point, marking the beginning of the end of Spain’s dominance of the seas and the rise of England as a major naval power. It also bolstered the popularity of Elizabeth I and solidified the Protestant Reformation in England.