Spain's Golden Age and Philip II
The concept of a Golden Age is a highly contested issue among modern
and contempory historians. There is debate over the dates of such an
age, or even its existence at all. Working on the assumption that a
golden age occurred in some form, to deduce whether it was more
specifically under Philip's reign, we must look at the condition of
Spain in key areas before and after Philip's accession in 1556. If
differences arise a judgement must be made on whether they were an
improvement for Spain, or signify a decline. The keys issues include
religion, the military, territory, the economy, law and order and the
organisation of government. The Golden Age over all should be the
period where most of these concerns have reached their peak.
The point of entry into the Golden Age in terms of the army is
complex, and depends on the definition, i.e. whether it is the number
of troops or their individual skills, loyalty and motivation which
determines it.
In the period 1525 - 1536, the army was highly thought of and
comprised of members of the aristocracy fighting for social pride and
religion. The soldiers, bred in a country with a very harsh climate
'nine months winter, three months hell,'[1] were physically the
fittest in Europe. The period of stability provided by Ferdinand and
Isabella had generated enough wealth to keep the army well supplied,
and their battles were fought with a high level of organisation and
good tactics. These features are exhibited with the large number of
successful battles fought in this period. The army began to decline as
its commitments rose. Continuous fighting, from 1536 onwa...
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...toughton, 2004
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[1] R. Trevor Davies, The Golden Century of Spain, Macmillan & Co Ltd,
1964, pg 23
[2] Henry Kamen, Spain's Road to Empire, Penguin Press, 2002, pg 305
[3] T.A. Morris, England and Europe in the Sixteenth Century,
Routlidge, 1998, pg 119
[4] R. Trevor Davies, The Golden Century of Spain, Macmillan & Co Ltd,
1964,
Jacques Lafaye, a French historian, published a study pertaining to the intellectual history of New Spain and its development of a national consciousness that would facilitate a move towards independence. Lafaye takes a unique approach of examining the formation of Mexico’s national conciseness by pointing to the importance of religious thought in that process. In this ethnohistorical study the author pays special attention to the interaction of Iberian Christianity and Aztec belief system in New Spain. Through careful analysis the author confronts the merging of these two faiths and their role in the transition from the Aztec world to independent Mexico. Lafaye specifically alludes to the syncretic nature of St.Thomas-Quetzalcoatl and Guadalupe-Tonantzin
The day to day life for the regular soldier was not glorious. Many times the regiments were low on supplies such as food and clothing. They lived in the elements. Medical conditions were grotesque because of the lack of advanced equipment and anesthesia. “Discipline was enforced with brutality” as if all the other conditions were not bad enough.
William of Orange once stated, “Spain committed such horrible excesses that all the barbarities, cruelties, and tyrannies ever perpetrated before are only games in comparison to what happened to the poor Indians.” This statement is an example of an attempt to discredit the Spanish. Attempts such as these are known as the Black Legend. The Black Legend was the name given to the concept of cruelty and brutality spread by the Spanish during the 14th and 15th century. This legend demonizes Spain and specifically the Spanish empire in an effort to harm the reputation of them. It was through this propaganda that made other countries look down upon the Spanish empire. The Black Legend threw discredit upon the rule of the Spanish by building biases and prejudices against Catholicism and the Spanish treatment of the natives of South America. The Black Legend mainly exaggerated the treatment of the native people in the regions of the Spanish Empire and non-Catholic people such as Protestants and Jews in its European territories. The Black Legend was an anti-Spanish movement, which was started due to political and religious reasons by Northern European Protestant countries who were Spain’s enemies in order to discredit them.
At the start of 1474, Spain was a non-existent entity that was composed of a series of minor kingdoms within the Iberian Peninsula. However Spain was subject to a process of change that led to the unification of the Iberian Peninsula under one monarchy, which controlled the new world and large areas of Northern Europe. This process of change was stimulated by the revenue of the new world and to varying degrees by domestic and international politics. However the New world was not always the primary factor during this period that catalysed the increase and maintenance of power. Over this time period the revenue from the new world increased, and thus directly Spain’s dependence upon it did as well. Isabella and Ferdinand had no reliance on the new world, as it occurred in the later third of their reign, and as such was viewed more as an economic failure. Kilsby rightly argues that with hindsight, the discovery of the Americas was the “the greatest event since the creation of the world.” Kamen shows us that there was a shift in the new world’s importance, as the “Indian globe” controlled by Spain caused their power and Kamen justily argues that the colonies were the sheet anchor of Phillips Power. The necessity of the new world is entirely due to the funds that it provided that stimulated other factors that contributed to Spain’s growing power over the time period.
Philip II of Macedonia became king when he was 23 years old in very dire situations in 359 B.C.E. (Sekunda 4). There were threats from barbarians north of Macedonia, and threats from the cunning Greek southern cities (4). Philip had to act quickly to gain control so he needed to create an army (4). He had spent time in Thebes as a hostage and gained military knowledge "from the work of Epaminondas, one of the greatest generals of the day" ("Philip II"). He armed his military "with a sarissa, a pike that, at about 16 feet long, had a greater reach than Greek weapons" ("Philip II"). This weapon made his army very powerful and allowed his phalanxes to strike first ("Philip II"). In 338 B.C.E., Philip defeated Chaeronea, "one of the Greek city-states" (Heckel 2). The "League of Corinth" was formed securing "an alliance of Greek states" under King Philip, the "hegemon or supreme military commander" (2). Philip had "unified the Macedonian state, consolidated power to the north, and made himself master of the Greek world" (15). He was known to create alliances by marriage, securing allegiances to grow his empire ("Philip"). His first wife, Audata, sealed an allegiance with Illyria, and his marriage to Phila, a Macedonian princess, made his ties much stronger in Macedonia ("Philip"). He later married Olympias, securing an alliance with Epirus and the western frontier ("Philip"). Philip and Olympias had two children, Alexander III and Cleopatra (Freeman 36). He divorced Olympias to marry Cleopatra of Eurydice, the niece of his general Attalus, who he needs for the invasion of Persia (33). Attalus made it known at their wedding ceremony that he does not believe Alexander is a legitimate heir (34). Alexander has an altercation with Attalus,...
The palace of Versailles was built by King Louis XIV of France and the Escorial was built by King Philip II of Spain. The two kings each had their differences about their beliefs on how to rule, yet there are some similarities. Louis XIV believed in showing off his power and being open. Philip II was a simplistic guy devoted to Catholicism. They both had military to spread their beliefs and ideas. Despite the kings’ beliefs, their palaces reflected their ideals.
The Spain, France, and Russia empires are all absolute monarchs. They all are neighbors to each other but Russia is a little further away.They were same but different at the same time. Compare the Absolute Monarchy of Spain to the Absolute Monarchy of France and Russia.Philip II and Charles V were the rulers of Spain. They were next to france, they also colonies the coast of south america and mexico.
One of England’s main adversaries was Spain. In May of 1702 England, Austria and the Dutch declared war to begin the ‘War of of the Spanish Succession.” The cause of the war was due to the death of the King of Spain, Charles the
In their effort to secure becoming the ultimate power, Spain used gruesome tactics and smart strategy to get a leg up. Once Spain conquered the Aztecs and the Incas they then already had access to farm lands and buildings. This opened many opportunities for them to expand as they already had the necessary items. The amount of gold and other precious items the Americas produced helped the Spanish exceed to a very wealthy level. Even at the rate the Americas were sending metals to Spain, they spent it very quickly. Spain rose to power very quickly because of how brutal their strategy was. Since they were expanding so fast they needed a way to build, so they used natives to help build and serve. However, they were expanding at such a rapid pace
Diffie, Bailey W. Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415-1580. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1977. Print.
“The Conquest of New Spain” is the first hand account of Bernal Diaz (translated by J.M. Cohen) who writes about his personal accounts of the conquest of Mexico by himself and other conquistadors beginning in 1517. Unlike other authors who wrote about their first hand accounts, Diaz offers a more positive outlook of the conquest and the conquistadors motives as they moved through mainland Mexico. The beginning chapters go into detail about the expeditions of some Spanish conquistadors such as Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernando Cotes. This book, though, focuses mainly on Diaz’s travels with Hernando Cortes. Bernal Diaz’s uses the idea of the “Just War Theory” as his argument for why the conquests were justifiable
History is not a collection of unrelated events, but it is instead an account of various causes and their effects. World War II was not an isolated event. It was a product of numerous events in Europe which included the Spanish Civil War. Spain prior to World War II was an area of crucial political and strategic importance. By analyzing the events of the Spanish Civil War, the events of World War II can be understood in greater detail. Hitler’s confident foreign policy, the quick surrender of France, the forging of unlikely alliances, and the diverse ideological state present in Europe can be understood more comprehensively by looking at the Spanish Civil War. The events of the Spanish Civil War changed the political atmosphere of Europe; these events influenced the beginning of World War II.
The Conquest of New Spain Cortés came not to the New World to conquer by force, but by manipulation. Bernal Daz del Castillo, in the "Conquest of New Spain," describes how Cortés and his soldiers manipulated the Aztec people and their king Montezuma from the time they traveled from Iztapalaopa to the time when Montezuma took Cortés to the top of the great Cue and showed him the whole of Mexico and its countryside, and the three causeways which led into Mexico. Castillo's purpose for recording the mission was to keep an account of the wealth of Montezuma and Mexico, the traditions, and the economic potential that could benefit Cortés' upcoming conquest. However, through these recordings, we are able to see and understand Cortés' strategy in making Mexico "New Spain." He came as a wolf in sheep's clothing and manipulated Montezuma through his apparent innocence.
The Ottomans and Spanish built flourishing empires based on different philosophies from 1450 to 1800. The Ottoman and Spanish were two powerful empires during that time. During the building of the two empires, the Spanish and the Ottoman both developed similarities in their social, political, and economic structures. The Ottoman took control of Europe, while the Spanish saw it as easy to monitor new lands. The different tactics employed made the both empires flourish. For instance, the Spanish were not tolerant of religion. They conquered other areas with the aim of converting Christians to Islam, if they refused, they would be killed. On the other hand, the Ottoman leaders incorporated leaders of diverse culture
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