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Section # 1 – Spain (1516 – 1598)

The Hapsburg Monarchy / Dynasty:

The Hapsburg Monarchy had been in place well before the year of 1500, but during the age of Absolutism the Hapsburg Monarchy was Europe’s most powerful royal family. The Hapsburg Empire included Spain, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire (present day Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and parts of Poland, France and Italy), and the empire in the Americas created by the Conquistadors (present day Mexico, Southwestern United States, and Northern South America). Needless to say, at one point in the Hapsburg Empire covered almost half of the known world at that time. Ruling this huge empire was a tough task that some met and others did not.

Charles V (5th): (1516 – 1556)

The Hapsburg Empire reached its greatest size in 1516 under the rule of Charles V who was the grandson of King Ferdinand II of Spain and Queen Isabella I of Spain and the nephew of Henry VIII’s 1st wife Catherine of Aragon. This would make Charles V the cousin of Mary I of England (“Bloody” Mary), who would eventually marry Charles V’s son Phillip II. Bloodlines aside, Charles V governed all of the Hapsburg land effectively and with pride. He gained international respect of his people and enemies with his shrewd use of power and diplomacy. Throughout his reign Spain was constantly at war and constantly trying to create wealth to finance the wars. By 1556 Charles V was exhausted and he decided to abdicate (step down). Charles V always thought the Hapsburg Empire was too big to be ruled by just one man. For this reason, Charles V relinquished his thrown and divided it between his brother Ferdinand II and his 29-year old son Philip II. Ferdinand II was given Austria and most of the Holy Roman Empire while Philip was given Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Milan & Naples (Italian lands), and the newly established American Empire of the New World.

Ferdinand I (1st) of Austria: (1556 – 1564)

When Ferdinand I took the Austrian throne in 1556, he became the 1st Austrian Hapsburg monarch and would eventually become the Holy Roman Emperor. Ferdinand I was a devout Catholic who opposed the spread of the Protestant faith. This opposition to Protestantism would bring Austria into many conflicts, and would be a huge reason why Ferdinand could never have established an absolute monarchy in the Austrian Hapsburg Empire. Ferdinand would eventually die in 1564. Phillip II (2nd): (1556 – 1598)

Philip II, a devout Catholic as well, ascended to the Spanish throne in 1556 and did not give it up until his death 42 years later in 1598. Unlike his uncle, Ferdinand II, Philip II was able to establish an absolute monarchy in his Spanish Hapsburg Empire. For many reasons, Philip II is remembered as one of the hardest working and most devoted monarchs in history. Unlike many other monarchs of his time, Philip II devoted much of his time to government work and hardly any of his time towards leisure activities. Philip II was the epitome of an absolute ruler, who ruled with complete power over the government and the people. During his rule, Philip II had five objectives on his political agenda; 1) create wealth for himself and Spain, 2) create a powerful Spanish military, 3) expand Spain’s borders and its political influence, 4) spread the Catholic religion throughout Europe, 5) make Spain the most powerful country in Europe. Philip II felt that if he achieved the 1st four objectives on his political agenda, then the 5th item would naturally happen.

Spanish Wealth:

During Philip II’s 42-year reign Spain experienced the “siglo de ore”, or what historians call the “Golden Age” of Spain. This time period was labeled the Golden Age because of Philip II’s devotion to art and literature. Philip II had architects build beautiful statues and sculptures throughout Spain, and he established academies of science and mathematics to enrich the knowledge of Spanish people. This was all funded by the Spanish trading empire in the Americas (New World). This trading empire consisted of precious metals, tobacco, cocoa, indigo, and sugar, all of which were in heavy demand by other European countries and constantly flowing from the Spanish trading empire in the Americas. As other countries bought these materials, the Spanish economy grew as well as its wealth.

Spanish Military:

Not only did Philip II use the wealth of Spain to enrich Spanish culture, he also used it to build one of the most powerful and most feared militaries in all of Europe. At the heart of the Spanish military was the mighty Spanish Armada. This naval fleet consisted of 132 ships, 20,000 men, and 2,400 cannons. The power of the Spanish Armada was well known and well respected throughout Europe and the world.

Philip’s Wars:

Having the goal of expanding the Spanish Empire, Philip II waged many wars during his time on the Spanish throne. At the battle of Lepanto in 1571, which took place in Mediterranean Sea, Spain defeated the Ottoman Empire’s naval fleet. In 1580 Spain overtook Portugal, and united the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) under Spanish control. Although both of these wars were seen as great accomplishments, they both put a strain on Spain’s wealth. The underlying factor to fighting a war is having the money to fund it. Feeding the soldiers, paying the soldiers, providing ammunition, building weapons, and repair of weapons all began to add up. The Spanish treasury could simply not keep up with Philip II’s spending habits. As you will see, one more war will be the final blow for Philip II.

Strengthening the Catholic Faith:

Ultimately Philip II wanted to rid Europe of the Protestant faith, and make the entire continent of Europe Catholic. In his crusade against the Protestant faith, Philip II fought one more war. Unlike the 1st two wars, this war was unsuccessful. The war on the Protestant faith started in 1581 and took place in the Northern Netherlands (Dutch) and England. Philip II’s goal was to drive out all followers of the Protestant faith in Europe. As you will see, the Dutch were successful in fighting off Spain, but only because of the help they received from England. England became involved in this war in a unique way. Prior to the beginning of this war, Philip II was married to Queen Mary I of England (his cousin) in an attempt to unite Spain and England and help spread the Catholic faith all throughout England. Mary I was also a devout Catholic who opposed the Protestant faith. She is known for burning almost 300 Protestants alive for their religious beliefs, giving her the fitting name “Bloody” Mary. Mary I only ruled England for five years, and could not conceive a child because of the ovarian cysts that caused her death. Philip II tried to gain the hand of Mary I’s successor, and half sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England for the same reasons. Elizabeth I, who was a Protestant, rejected the marriage proposal and secretly joined the Dutch in their fight against Spain. When Elizabeth I openly supported the Dutch in their war against Spain, Philip II declared war on England. In 1588 the mighty Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England. The smaller and faster English ships were too much to handle, and in the end the Spanish Armada was defeated. Philip II never really saw the end of this war. The war ended 13 years after Philip’s death in the year 1609. The war treaty granted the Netherlands their independence from Spain and both the Netherlands and England remained predominantly Protestant.

Philip II’s Legacy:

Early in Philip II’s reign, it appeared that he was going to achieve all five of his objectives on his political agenda. But in the end it all came crashing down. Philip II achieved his 1st three objectives by creating wealth for Spain and himself, establishing a strong military, and expanded the borders of Spain. Philip II was well on his way to achieving his 5th objective, which was making Spain the most powerful country in Europe. Philip II’s one downfall was his effort to achieve his 4th objective, which was spreading the Catholic faith throughout Europe. Failure to achieve this objective destroyed his achievement of the other objectives. The war he waged on the Protestant faith drained the wealth of Spain, led to the destruction of the heart of Spain’s military (Spanish Armada), and ended Spanish border expansion. This ended any hopes of Spain being recognized as the most powerful country in Europe. Although Spain was on the decline before Philip II died, after his death in 1598 Spain would never be as powerful or as great as it was during the reign of Philip II. As Spain began to decline, England and France would compete for the recognition of being the most powerful country in the world.

Questions
Section # 1 Questions:

1.	Who are Charles V’s grandparents?
 * King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain

2.	Who is Charles V’s aunt?
 * Catherine of Aragon

3.	Who was Charles V’s cousin and whom did she marry?
 * Mary I of England who married Philip I (Charles V's son).

4.	Who was Charles V’s son and whom did he marry? 5.	Why did Charles V give up the Hapsburg throne and divide it? 6.	To whom did Charles V give what countries and areas when he divided the Hapsburg Empire? 7.	Who was the first Austrian Hapsburg ruler? 8.	How long did Philip II rule Spain (include the dates)? 9.	What religion was Philip II? 10.	The period that Philip II ruled Spain is given a certain name. What is the name of this time period and why was it given this name? 11.	What was the strongest part of the Spanish military? 12.	What religion was Philip II trying to spread throughout Europe, and what religion was he trying to end? 13.	Who did Philip II marry and who rejected his marriage proposal? What were the goals underlying both marriages? 14.	Which war ended the dominance of Spain and Philip II? Explain why this war caused Philip II’s downfall in detail.
 * Philip I who married Mary I of England (Charles V's cousin).
 * He gave up because he was exhausted with helping out Spain's economy--He divided the government because he thought the empire was too big for one person.
 * Ferdinand II - Austria and most of the HRE
 * Philip I - "Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Milan & Naples (Italy), and the newly established American Empire of the New World".
 * Ferdinand II of Austria.
 * (1556 – 1598)
 * Catholicism
 * Golden Age of Spain - Philip's devotion to art and literature...
 * The Spanish Armada
 * Catholicism - Protestanism
 * Philip married Mary I of England to unite Spain and English so they can both spread Catholicism. Philip tried to marry Queen Elizabeth I, but she rejected Philip II's proposal--Queen Elizabeth I was a Catholic. Eventually, Queen Elizabeth I started to rage war against Spain.
 * The war against England that started in 1588 and ended in 1622 - Defeat of Spain and the Spanish Armada.