Theme 3 Part 2. The Spanish Empire

Stuart Osborne

Spanish Empire

The Kingdom of Spain originated with the union of the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, after the War of Castilian Succession.

Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon were married in 1469,and jointly ruled the newly created Spain as its first “Catholic Monarchs”.

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

Spanish Empire

In 1516, Charles the I of Spain, or Charles the V of the Holy Roman Empire began his reign.

Charles was the first Habsburg king of Spain, and under his rule Spanish power greatly increased.

Charles became the leader and protector of the Catholic faith, fighting against the newly formed German Protestants. Though Charles did decide to sack Rome in 1527 as punishment for the Papacy joining with the French during the War of the League of Cognac.

The Sack of Rome

Habsburg Spain

Spain would now be ruled by the Habsburg dynasty (16th – 17th century), which would take the Spanish Empire both to its height, and demise.

Charles successor, Phillip II, had become engaged with a costly war with France, ending in 1559 with the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis.

In 1572, Spanish presence in the Netherlands was rejected and Dutch rebels seized the vital port of Antwerp. Spanish forces tried to retake these claims, but were unsuccessful, leaving Spain financially bankrupt by 1576. This was the beginning of the Eighty Years’ War.

Habsburg Coat of Arms

Habsburg Spain

Due to overextension of its military, numerous wars, and lack of resources from the Americas, Spain was again bankrupt in 1596, and Phillip the III became king in 1598.

Spain then attempted to recover and reorganize itself, maintaining a peace with England and France until 1630.

During this peace, Spain tried to retake its claims in the Netherlands, which would have succeeded had Spain not become bankrupt again (notice a pattern here?) in 1607. This prompted the Twelve Year Truce between Spain and the United Provinces in 1609.

Phillip the III

Habsburg Spain

Philip the IV became king in 1621, and soon thereafter Spain resumed the war with the Netherlands, taking Breda fortress in 1625.

The war was going well until in 1627, unsurprisingly, the Castilian economy crumbled due to the debasement of its currency.

By 1636 France would again be fighting against the Spanish, who would bring an end to a Spanish dominated Europe at the Battle of Rocroi in 1643.

Habsburg Spain

Finally, in 1648, the Spanish and Dutch ended their war with the Peace of Westphalia, ending both the Eighty Years’ War and the Thirty Years’ War.

War with France still continued however, and revolts by the Portuguese, Catalonians and the Neapolitans crippled Spain beyond repair.

The Habsburg dynasty ended with the death of Charles the II on November 1, 1700.

Ratifying the Peace of Westphalia