Extending Spanish Power Chapter 17, Section 1

Emergence of Spain By the 1500s, Spain emerged as the first modern European power. Ferdinand and Isabella unified the country and pushed out the last remaining Muslims. They also enforced religious unity. They financed Columbus’ journey across the Atlantic Ocean – leading to a massive new empire.

Charles V and the Hapsburg Empire In 1519, Charles V, grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, inherited a huge empire. He inherited not only Spain but the Hapsburg Empire (the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands.) Controlling such a massive empire forced Charles to spend much of his rule fighting wars. He finally was forced to allow the German princes to choose their own religions.

Charles V and the Hapsburg Empire Charles’ greatest foe was the Ottoman Empire. Under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman forces advanced across central Europe to the walls of Vienna, Austria. Vienna held firm and stopped the Ottoman advance. Ottoman naval forces also challenged Spanish power in the Mediterranean.

Ottoman Empire

An Empire Divided The expansive and divided Hapsburg empire proved too much for one man to rule. Charles V gave up his titles and entered a monastery in 1556. He divided his empire, leaving the Hapsburg lands in central Europe to his brother Ferdinand, who became Holy Roman Emperor. He gave Spain, the Netherlands, southern Italy, and Spain’s oversea empire to his 29-year-old son Philip.

Philip II and Divine Right During Philip’s 42-year reign, Spain emerged as the dominant power in Europe. Like his father, Philip was a devoted Catholic, a hard worker, and ambitious. Philip ruled from palace, El Escorial, outside of Madrid.

Philip II and Divine Right Philip ruled as an absolute monarch, or a ruler with complete authority over the government and the lives of the people. He also claimed divine right, the belief that his authority to rule came directly from God.

The Wars of Philip II Philip fought many wars as he attempted to advance Spanish Catholic power. At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, Spain and its allies in the Holy League defeated the Ottomans.

The Wars of Philip II Revolt in the Netherlands During the last half of his reign, Philip battled Protestant rebels in the Netherlands. The Netherlands were the wealthiest part of Philip’s empire Protestants resisted Philip’s attempt to crush their faith. Protestants and Catholic alike opposed high taxes and autocratic Spanish rule.

The Wars of Philip II Revolt in the Netherlands In the 1560s, riots against the Inquisition sparked a general uprising in the Netherlands. After two decades of fighting the northern, Protestant provinces of the Netherlands declared their independence. The southern, Catholic provinces remained loyal to Spain.

The Wars of Philip II Invading England By the 1580s, Philip saw England’s Queen Elizabeth I as his chief Protestant enemy. Elizabeth had first secretly, then openly, supported the Protestant rebellions in the Netherlands. She also encouraged English captains, known as the Sea Dogs, to plunder Spanish treasure ships. Francis Drake, the most daring Sea Dog, was made a knight by Elizabeth.

Spanish Armada To end English attacks and subdue the Dutch, Philip prepared a huge armada to carry a Spanish invasion force to England. The Armada sailed with 130 ships, 20,000 men, and 2,400 pieces of artillery. Smaller, faster English ships opposed the Armada in the English Channel The large Spanish ships had difficulty hitting the English. Eventually storm winds blew the Armada off course and many ships were lost at sea. The beaten Armada was forced to sail home in defeat. While Spain would eventually rebuild its navy, the Spanish aura of invincibility quickly evaporated.

Spanish Armada

Spain’s Golden Age The century from 1550 to 1650 is often called Spain’s siglo de oro, or “golden century.” Philip II was a patron of the arts and also founded academies of science and mathematics. Artists such as El Greco and Diego Velázquez painted vivid portraits of Spanish royalty. Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, the first modern novel in Europe.

Economic Decline After the reign of Philip II, Spanish power and prosperity slowly declined. Philip’s successors were not strong rulers. Costly overseas wars drained wealth out of Spain almost as fast as it came in. The influx of foreign treasure led Spain to neglect its own farming and commerce. The expulsion of the Muslims and Jews from Spain deprived the economy of skilled artisans. American gold and silver led to high inflation of Spanish currency. By the late 1600s, France had replaced Spain as the most powerful European nation.