Spain's Empire and European Absolutism

Charles V

Divided his empire between his brother Ferdinand (Austria and the HRE) and his son Philip II (Spain, Spanish Netherlands, and the American colonies

• Shy
• Serious
• Religious
• Hard Working
• Deeply Suspicious
• Aggressive

"His smile and his dagger were very close"

When the king of Portugal died without an heir, Phlip seized the kingdom claiming he had the right because he was the former king's nephew

As a result, he gained territory in Africa, India, and the East Indies

The Economy

By 1600, American mines had supplied Spain with an estimated 339,000 pounds of gold

Between 1550-1650, roughly 16,000 tons of silver bullion were unloaded from Spanish galleons

He claimed between a fourth and a fifth of every shipload of treasure as his royal share

As a result, Spain was able to support a standing army of about 50,000

Defender of Catholicism

Religious conflict was nothing new

The Reconquista, the campaign to drive Muslims from Spain, occured only 64 years before

Philip's great-grandparents, Isabella and Ferdinand, had used the Inquisition to investigate suspected heretics and non-believers

Philip believed it was his duty to defend Catholicism against the Muslims of the Ottoman Empire and the Protestants of Europe

In 1588, Philip launched the Spanish Armada in an attempt to punish Protestant England and its queen, Elizabeth I. His attempt was defeated.

El Escorial

Philip's gray granite palace that had massive walls and huge gates to demonstrate his power

Had a monastery inside the palace

Philip II

How was Spain transformed into a powerful empire?

16th-17th Century

El Greco

"The Greek"

Often puzzled the people of his time

He chose brillant, sometimes clashing, colors, distorted the human figure, and expressed emotion symbolically in his painting

Often showed the Catholic faith of Spain

Diego Velazquez

Often reflected the pride of the Spanish monarchy

Was a court painter under Philip IV of Spain

Best known for his portraits of the royal family and scenes of court life

Don Quixote

• 1605
• Often called the birth of the modern European novel
• Miguel de Cervantes wrote about a poor Spanish nobleman who went crazy after reading too many books about heroic knights
• Mocked chivalry while promoting a sense of romanticism for the past

What was the Golden Age of Spain?

In the Spanish Netherlands, Philip has to maintain an army to keep his subjects under control

Philip raised taxes and took steps to crush Protestantism

In response, angry Protestant mobs swept through Catholic churches

Philip sent an army under the leadership of the Duke of Alva to punish the rebels

On a single day, the duke executed 1,500 Protestants

Lasted 11 years

In 1579, the seven northern provinces (Protestant) of the Netherlands united and declared their independence from Spain

United Provinces of the Netherlands

The ten southern provinces (present-day Belguim) were Catholic and remained under Spanish control

The Dutch Revolt

Why did the Spanish empire weaken?

The United Provinces of the Netherlands was different from other European states of the time

First, the people practiced religious toleration.

Second, the United Provinces was not a kingdom but a republic.

During the 1600s, the Netherlands became what Florence had been during the 1400s.

It boasted the best banks and best artists

Wealthy merchants sponsored many artists

Rembrandt Van Rijn

The Night Watch

Portrayed a group of city guards while using sharp contrasts of light and shadow to draw attention to key spots

• Painted portraits of wealthy middle-class merchants
• Produced group portraits

Jan Vermeer

Like many other Dutch artists, he chose domestic, indoor settings for his portraits

Often painted women doing such familiar activities as pouring milk from a jug or reading a letter

His work reveals how important merchants, civic leaders, and the middle class in general were in 17th century Netherlands

Stable government allowed the Dutch to concentrate on economic growth

The merchants of Amsterdam bought surplus grain in Poland and then sold it at a higher price to southern European countries

Had the largest fleet of ships in the world (4,800 ships in 1963)

Helped the Dutch East India Trading Company dominate the Asian spice trade and the Indian Ocean trade

The Dutch replaced the Italians as the bankers of Europe

Dutch Art

Why did the Dutch prosper?

The Golden Age of Spain

Netherlands

SPAIN

• Calvinist
• Prosperous middle class

• Catholic
• Sluggish economy