The Spanish Empire at the time of its power was one of the largest states that ever existed in the world. Its creation is inextricably linked with the Age of Discovery, when it became a colonial power. For several centuries, the flag of the Spanish Empire flew over vast territories located both in Europe and in Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
Rise of the State
Most historians are sure that Spain as an empire began its existence at the end of the 15th century, when the Union of Castile and Aragon was signed in 1479, as a result of which Isabella I the Catholic and Ferdinand II began to rule the united lands. It is interesting that, being spouses, the monarchs each ruled their territory as they pleased, but as far as foreign policy is concerned, the views of the ruling couple always coincided.
In 1492, Spanish troops captured Granada, which completed the Reconquista - the liberation struggle of Christians againstMuslim conquerors. Now that the Iberian Peninsula had been reconquered, its territory became part of the Kingdom of Castile. In the same year, Christopher Columbus set off on his first exploratory expedition, which headed west. He managed to swim across the Atlantic Ocean and open America to the Europeans. There he began to create the first overseas colonies in history.
Further strengthening
After the death of Queen Isabella the Catholic and her husband Ferdinand II, her grandson Charles V of Habsburg ascended the throne. It must be said that he was not a Spaniard, but it was his reign that is associated with the golden age of the empire.
After Charles V united the two titles - King of Spain and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, his influence increased many times over, as he inherited Flanch-Comté, the Netherlands and Austria along with the crown. The uprising of the comuneros in Castile was a real test for him, but he coped with it. The rebellion was crushed, and Charles V began to rule the largest empire in Europe, which had no equal until Napoleon Bonaparte appeared on the world stage.
Charles V's politics
For 200 years the Spanish Empire was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty. This clan was perhaps the richest, as it owned truly huge reserves of silver and gold, and also sat on the throne of the world's largest power, which included not only Spain with its colonies, but also almost all European states.
As mentioned earlier, the country prospered during the reign of the Habsburgs. They did not stint and were quite generous patrons in regard to culture. However, things were not so smooth in the political sphere. Even under Charles V, the Spanish Empire faced a big problem: a huge power did not become truly united, because many of its lands wanted to become independent. In this regard, the king had to wage numerous wars even with his subjects, including in the north of Europe. Despite all the greatness of the Spanish Empire, it was hard for Charles V to resist France and Italy. The wars with these countries were long, but they never led to the victory of either side.
Reign of Philip II
After the death of Charles V, the throne was inherited by his grandson. Philip II, unlike his grandfather, spent most of his time at the Esscoreal Palace. This monarch in childhood received an excellent education for that time, was extremely pious and supported the Inquisition in everything. Under him, religious intolerance reached its peak: not only Catholics, but also Protestants persecuted non-Christians throughout Europe.
Under Philip II, Spain reached its peak of development. Like his predecessor, he also fought with external enemies. For example, in 1571, at Lepanto, his fleet completely defeated the Turkish squadron, thereby blocking their path for further advance to Europe.
Anglo-Spanish War
In 1588 off the coast of England sothe so-called Great Armada of Philip II suffered a crushing defeat. Later, in 1654, these two powers would again fight at sea. The fact is that the English Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell was sure that the time had come when he could expand the colonial presence of his state in the West Indies. In particular, he wanted to capture the island of Jamaica, which at that time already belonged to the Spanish Empire.
The war with England for this piece of land was fought with varying success, but it still had to be conceded. In 1657-1658, the Spaniards again tried to retake Jamaica, but nothing came of them. With the consent of the British authorities, Port Royal turned into a base for pirates, from where they attacked Spanish ships.
Crisis in the economy
It is worth noting that at first the overseas colonies were unprofitable and brought only disappointment. Of course, there were some moments that had a positive impact on trading, but they were not enough. Everything began to change gradually when, in the 1520s, silver began to be mined at the newly discovered deposits of Guanajuato. But the real source of we alth was the deposits of this metal found in Zacatecas and Potosi in 1546.
During the entire 16th century, the Spanish Empire exported gold and silver from its colonies in an amount equal to the equivalent of one and a half trillion US dollars (at 1990 prices). In the end, the amount of imported precious metals began to exceed production volumes, which inevitably led to inflation. Economicthe decline that began in the last decade of the 16th century was aggravated at the beginning of the next. The reason for this was the expulsion of the Moriscos and Jews, whose representatives have been engaged in handicraft production and trade since ancient times.
The collapse of the Spanish Empire
The gradual decline of this huge state began after the death of Philip II. His successors turned out to be bad politicians, and Spain gradually began to lose its positions, first on the continent, and then in overseas colonies.
By the end of the 19th century, the level of nationalist and anti-colonial sentiment reached its climax, resulting in the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, from which the United States emerged victorious. The Spanish colonial empire was defeated and forced to cede its territories: Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. By 1899, she no longer had land either in America or in Asia. She sold the remaining islands in the Pacific Ocean to Germany, retaining only African territories.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Spain practically stopped developing the infrastructure of its remaining colonies, but still continued to exploit the huge cocoa plantations, which employed Nigerian workers. In the spring of 1968, under pressure from the UN and local nationalists, the authorities were forced to declare Equatorial Guinea independent.
Legacy
The Spanish Empire, which has a history of five hundred years, influenced not only the development of Western Europe. The conquistadors brought with them to America, Africa and the East Indies the Roman Catholic faith and the Spanish language. A rather long colonial period contributed to the mixing of peoples: Hispanics, Europeans and Indians.
Together with the Portuguese, the Spanish Empire became the ancestor of real international commerce, opening up new overseas trade routes. It was her money that became the first world currency, on the basis of which the American dollar arose. As a result of the trade between the Old World and the New, a large number of domestic animals and various plants were exchanged. So, cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and donkeys were brought to America, as well as barley, wheat, apples, etc. Europeans, in turn, first tried potatoes, tomatoes, corn, chili peppers, and tobacco. The result of these exchanges has been a significant improvement in the agricultural potential of America, Europe and Asia.
Don't forget the cultural impact as well. It is visible in everything: in music, art, architecture, and even in the drafting of laws. The contact between different peoples over a long period of time led to the mixing of their cultures, which in a bizarre way intertwined with each other and acquired their own unique form, which is now noticeable in the former colonial areas.
