Spain’s Empire and European Absolutism

Charles V  Charles V is a Hapsburg (one of the most important ruling families in Europe)  He controls Spain, Spanish colonies, parts of Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands  He is elected Holy Roman Emperor, controls much of Germany

A Powerful Spanish Empire  Charles V is a devout Catholic; he eventually withdraws from the monarchy to become a monk.  Divides his empire between Ferdinand (his brother), and Philip II (his son)  Ferdinand-Austria and HRE  Philip II-Spain, colonies, Netherlands

Philip II’s Empire  He is shy, serious, religious, hardworking, also can be suspicious  Aggressive-he seizes Portugal  Immensely wealthy

Defender of Catholicism  Religious conflict is ongoing in Spain between Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jews  Philip II tried to fight against Protestants and Muslims, felt it was his duty to protect Spain from non-Catholics

Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature  The Golden Age of Spanish art and literature occurred during the 16 th and 17 th centuries

El Greco and Velazquez  El Greco “The Greek,” born in Crete  He used bold colors, distorted figures, expressed emotion  Displayed deep Catholic faith  Diego Velazquez-pride of the Spanish monarchy, painted portraits of the royal family

Don Quixote  Miguel de Cervantes writes Don Quixote, which is a book about a poor Spanish nobleman who reads too many books and has wild ideas  Is he mocking chivalry, or is he a romantic idealist?  Known as the birth of the European novel

The Spanish Empire Weakens  Temporary wealth leads to long-term problems

Inflation and Taxes  Inflation is a decrease in the value of money, combined with an increase in price  Ex. $1 is now worth 80 cents; at the same time, gas is going from $3/gal to $3.50  There are 2 factors in this case  Increasing population, silver floods the market  Expulsion of Jews and Muslims causes a problem as nobles did not pay taxes

Making Spain’s Enemies Rich  Artisans (people making things with their hands) must belong to guilds  The guild system forces costs to go up, which leads people to buy goods from other countries  Philip II is borrowing money to pay foreign debts.

The Dutch Revolt  The Spanish had to have an army in the Netherlands to control their colonists  Culture clash  The Spanish raise taxes and attempt to crush Protestantism  Causes a full-fledged revolt, separate in 1579

Independent Dutch Prosper  The Netherlands become like the city of Florence during the Renaissance  Widespread feelings of religious toleration and republicanism

Dutch Art  Rembrandt-Greatest Dutch artist  Jan Vermeer-Pioneered effects of light and dark on painting

Dutch Trading Empire  The Dutch bought surplus grain from other European countries and held it for the right time  They were able to sell when demand was high and supply was low, so price was ________  They had the largest fleet of ships in the world in the 1600s

Absolutism in Europe  Philip II is the 1 st major example of absolutism

Theory of Absolutism  An absolute monarch wants to control every aspect of society  They believe in divine right to rule

Growing Power of Europe’s Monarchs  KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:::::::  Decline of feudalism  Rise of cities  Growth of national kingdoms  Supported by middle class

Crises Lead to Absolutism  17 th century-period of great upheaval in Europe  Governments build huge armies and therefore levy huge taxes, people revolt  Monarchs try to impose order by increasing control  Most famous absolute monarch: Louis XIV