This paper examines how much of Philip II's Mediterranean policy focused on a 'necessary' war, waged with an unknown chance
of victory and how questions still remain as to whether or not Philip possessed a Grand
Strategy and the influence it had on events in the Mediterranean. It references Braudel from a thematic perspective and uses Geoffrey Parker's notion of 'Grand strategy' as a basis for the argument. It also discusses and analyse the
threat of the Turk, the threat of France and England and explores the actual aims and objectives of the Spanish strategy in the Mediterranean in context to 16th century Spanish society.