Extending Spanish Power

Charles V and the Hapsburg Empire In 1519, Charles V inherited the Spanish empire, as well as the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands. Charles V was a strict Catholic. His greatest enemy was the Ottoman Empire. Under Suleiman, the Ottoman Empire occupied much of Hungary and they challenged the Spanish power in the Mediterranean.

Charles V Suleiman

Charles V and the Hapsburg Empire Charles V gave up his titles and entered a monastery in 1556. He divided the 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 the overseas colony to his son, Philip.

Philip II and Divine Right Philip II wanted to expand Spanish influence, strengthen the Catholic Church, and make his own power absolute. Spain was the foremost power in Europe, much in part from the silver in the Americas. He reigned as an absolute monarch. He asserted that he ruled by divine right. Philip saw himself as the guardian of the Roman Catholic Church His greatest undertaking will be trying to assert religious unification

The Wars of Philip II In the 1560s, a general uprising occurred in the Netherlands. In 1581, the northern Protestant provinces declared independence from Spain and became known as the Dutch Netherlands. They were not officially recognized as a nation until 1648.

The Wars of Philip II By the 1580s, Philip saw England’s Queen Elizabeth I as his Protestant enemy. Elizabeth I supported the Dutch independence from Spain. She encouraged Sea Dogs to plunder Spanish treasure ships. In 1588, Philip II the Spanish sent an armada to defeat the English. Spanish armada was defeated. In the 1600s and 1700s, Dutch, English and French fleets challenged, and surpassed, Spanish power in Europe and around the world.

Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain

The Spanish Armada

Spain’s Golden Age The century from 1550 to 1650 is called Spain’s siglo de oro, or “golden age” for its brilliance in art and literature. Among the most famous painters were El Greco and Diego Velazquez. Spain also produced writers such as Lope de Vega who wrote “The Sheep Well” and Miguel de Cervantes who wrote “Don Quixote”, the first modern novel in Europe.

El Greco, “View of Toledo”

Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote

Economic Decline In the 1600s, Spanish power and prosperity slowly declined. Lack of strong leadership. Philip II’s successors were less able. Economic problems Costly overseas wars drained wealth from Spain. The government taxed the middle class heavily. American gold and silver led to inflation By the late 1600s, France had replaced Spain as the most powerful nation.

France Under Louis XIV

Rebuilding France From the 1560s to the 1590s, religious wars between Huguenots (French Protestants) and the Catholic majority tore France apart. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre occurred on August 24, 1572. Over 3,000 Huguenots were murdered. Breakdown of order in France.

Henry IV In 1589, a French Huguenot was king He became Catholic to rule France. “Paris is well worth a Mass”. Edict of Nantes in 1598 granted Huguenots religious toleration. The government administered justice, improved roads, built bridges, and revived agriculture. Laid the foundations for royal absolutism.

Richelieu Henry IV was killed by an assassin in 1610 and his nine year-old son Louis XIII inherited the throne. In 1624, Louis appointed Cardinal Armand Richelieu as his chief minister Richelieu sought to destroy the power of the Huguenots and nobles. Richelieu picked his successor, Cardinal Jules Mazarin who would then serve as chief minister.

Louis XIV, the Sun King Five year old Louis XIV inherited the throne in 1643. When the chief minister died in 1661, Louis wanted to take over government by himself Louis XIV firmly believed in divine right. Louis took the sun as the symbol of his absolute power. “L’etat, c’est moi!” The Estates General, a representative council, did not meet between 1614 and 1789. There was no check on royal power during this time.

Strengthening Royal Power To strengthen France, Louis XIV followed the policies of Richelieu. He expanded bureaucracy and appointed intendants (royal officials who collected taxes), recruited soldiers who carried out his policies in the provinces. These jobs went to the wealthy middle class. Followed mercantilist policies The French army became the strongest in Europe.

Colbert and the Economy Jean Baptiste Colbert followed mercantilist policies to bolster the economy. He put high tariffs on imported goods. He encouraged overseas colonies, such as New France in North America, and regulated trade with the colonies. Colbert’s policies helped make France the wealthiest state in Europe.

Versailles, Symbol of Royal Power Louis XIV created an immense palace of Versailles in the countryside. Versailles was the perfect symbol of the Sun King’s wealth and power. As both the king’s home and the seat of government, it housed at least 10,000 people, from nobles and officials to servants.

Versailles

Court Ceremonies Louis XIV’s court had elaborate ceremonies. Each day there was a ritual of the king’s levee, or rising. High-ranking nobles had the honor of holding the royal wash basin, and help him get ready for the day. By luring nobles to Versailles, Louis turned them into courtiers rather than warriors battling for power.

Cultural Flowering The king his court supported a “splendid century” of the arts. In painting, music, architecture, and decorative arts, French styles became the model for all Europe. Ballet gained its first great popularity at the French court.

Successes and Failures Louis XIV ruled France for 72 years. During his reign, French culture, manners, and customs replaced those of Renaissance Italy in popularity However, Louis XIV made some costly mistakes

Wars of Louis XIV Louis XIV poured vast resources into wars to expand French borders In 1700, Louis’s grandson Philip V inherited the throne of Spain. Louis wanted Spain and France to be ruled as one nation. Other countries in Europe, especially England, didn’t want this to happen. The War of Spanish succession dragged on from 1700-1713. The Treaty of Utrecht was signed by France, Philip V would rule Spain and Louis XIV would rule France as separate nations.

Persecution of the Huguenots Louis XIV saw France’s Protestant minority as a threat to religious and political unity. In 1685, he revoked the Edict of Nantes and over 100,000 Huguenots fled France. The persecution of the Huguenots was perhaps the king’s most costly blunder. The Huguenots were the hardest working and wealthiest of Louis’s subjects. Hurt the French economy

Looking Ahead Louis XIV outlived his sons and grandsons. When he died in 1715, his five-year-old great-grandson inherited the throne as Louis XV. Although France was the strongest country in Europe, years of warfare, poor harvests, and heavy taxes drained the treasury.