Reign of Charles V: Empire, Wars, and Legacy
Reign of Charles V
Internal Conflict in Castile
Upon the death of his grandfather Ferdinand the Catholic in 1516, 16-year-old Charles became King of the Netherlands and was immediately crowned King of Castile and Aragon. Educated in Burgundy, he did not know Castilian. In early 1519, following the death of his other grandfather, Emperor Maximilian, Charles’s candidacy for the German Empire was promoted by ambassadors. Francis I of France also sought the title. The German princes elected Charles, who became Emperor Charles V.
Discontent in Castile led to a rebellion against the crown. Charles had entrusted the administration of Castile to Flemish nobles who exploited their positions for personal gain. Adrian of Utrecht was left as governor, which the Spanish viewed as a humiliation. Rebellion erupted in Toledo before Charles left Castile. In June, towns began sending representatives to Avila. Commoners seized Tordesillas and organized the Holy Assembly, attempting to persuade Queen Joanna to support them.
Charles V reacted by authorizing control by the courts and appointing viceroys alongside Adrian. Weakness among the commoners’ leaders divided the cities, and their troops were defeated at Villalar. In Valencia, hunger and epidemics worsened the situation, pitting the poor against the nobility. The Germania movement, with its social content and the kingdom’s lesser importance to Charles V, explains the crown’s slow reaction.
Charles V returned to Castile in July, restoring control to the nobility and subjecting the cities to royal authority. He also prohibited wool exportation. In 1526, Charles V married Isabella of Portugal.
Empire of Charles V and European Wars
Charles V believed in maintaining Christian unity and fighting Islam while preserving his inherited territories. He faced several conflicts:
- Against France: The French kingdom surrounded Charles’s territories and hindered their expansion. Seven wars ensued.
- Against the Turks: The Ottoman Empire threatened Europe and the Habsburg states with its unified Islamic force, considerable army and naval power, and support from pirates. The Turkish advance was continuous in the early years of Charles V’s reign. In 1529, the Turkish army besieged Vienna. However, in 1535, Charles V reconquered Tunisia.
Sack of Rome
On May 6, 1527, Spanish and German troops under Charles V sacked Rome. This marked a crucial imperial victory in the conflict between the Holy Roman Empire and the League of Cognac (1526-1529), an alliance of France, Milan, Venice, Florence, and the Papacy.
Universitas Christiana and the Spanish Hegemony
Universitas Christiana
Charles V envisioned his empire as a dominion of Christianity (Universitas Christiana). He desired peace and unity among Christian kingdoms, the unification of Europe and the Americas, and a humane government based on Catholic principles. European lands retained their institutions, and conquered territories were treated as kingdoms, provinces, and governments, not colonies.
This project failed due to the Protestant Reformation and the rise of nationalisms. The Reformation shattered the desired spiritual unity, and Spain, as the heart of the Empire, became a target of criticism for its perceived role in enforcing European unity.
Treaty of Alcáçovas
The Treaty of Alcáçovas, signed on September 4, 1479, between the Catholic Monarchs (Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon) and King Alfonso V of Portugal and his son John, resolved conflicts over the Castilian succession and Atlantic exploration. It granted Portugal exclusive rights to territories south of the Canary Islands, including the African coast, Madeira, and the Azores, while Castile retained the Canary Islands.
Pax Hispanica
The Pax Hispanica (1598-1621) refers to the period of Spanish hegemony characterized by a shift from aggressive policies towards pacifism. Several treaties were signed during this time. Spanish imperial values permeated Europe, and the political hegemony established after the formation of the Spanish Empire led to a period of Spanish dominance.
The true peace, however, was within Spain’s domains. The political and administrative organization, along with intellectual advancements fostered by numerous universities, defined the political and cultural landscape.