Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II became king of Spain in 1556 and ruled a vast empire. His personal character and working methods shaped how he

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II faced challenges to his power from rival nobles at court and from rebellious groups within Spain itself. He us

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II used religion to hold Spanish society together and project royal power. He worked with the Jesuits and the Inq

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II ruled a vast empire that poured silver into Spain from the Americas. Yet he still ran out of money repeatedly,

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II's reign produced a remarkable burst of Spanish art, literature, and ideas known as the Golden Age. Wealth from

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

By 1598, Spain looked powerful but faced serious hidden problems. Philip II left behind a country with real strengths in

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

When Philip II became king in 1556, he inherited a vast empire spanning Europe and the Americas. He used a powerful army

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II used military victory and political meddling to push France out of Italy and keep it too weak to challenge Spa

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II fought the Ottoman Turks for control of the Mediterranean Sea. He also took over Portugal in 1580, uniting the

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

Philip II faced a long, costly rebellion in the Netherlands and a deepening conflict with England. That rivalry spilled

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

During Philip II's reign, Spain controlled a vast empire in the Americas. That empire brought enormous wealth — but also

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

By 1598, Spain looked like the world's greatest power. Historians debate whether that dominance was real or a facade hid

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

Philip II's Spain, 1556–1598

When Philip II inherited the Spanish crown in 1556, he ruled over one of the most powerful empires in the world, stretch

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

In 1469, the Iberian Peninsula was a patchwork of separate, often rival kingdoms. No single ruler controlled the region,

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Ferdinand and Isabella rebuilt royal power across their kingdoms after decades of noble disorder. They created shared in

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Ferdinand and Isabella managed four distinct social groups to strengthen royal power. They rewarded, restricted, or refo

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Ferdinand and Isabella used religion to unify Spain. They expelled or forcibly converted Muslims and Jews, completing a

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Spain's economy grew unevenly under Ferdinand and Isabella. New trade routes and overseas exploration brought wealth, bu

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

By 1516, Ferdinand and Isabella had pulled Spain's separate kingdoms closer together. But real unity remained incomplete

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

When Charles I became king in 1516, many Spaniards resented him as a foreign ruler. Two major revolts — the Comuneros an

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Charles I ruled a vast empire by using a network of specialist councils to govern different territories. He also careful

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Charles I fought wars across Europe to defend and expand Spanish power. He also led military campaigns against the Ottom

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Ferdinand, Isabella, and Charles used the Catholic Church as a tool of royal power. They controlled Church appointments,

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Spanish soldiers called conquistadores (conquerors) seized vast territories in the Americas from the 1490s onwards. The

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

By 1556, Spain had become a vast empire with a powerful monarchy, a Church-backed Inquisition, and enormous wealth from

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598

The establishment of a 'New Monarchy', 1469–1556

Between 1469 and 1556, the monarchs of Spain transformed a fragmented collection of rival kingdoms on the Iberian Penins

Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598