The Iberian Peninsula: History and Civilization
The Historic Settlements: Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians
In the first half of the first millennium BC, more advanced peoples, both materially and spiritually, reached the eastern peninsula. We call these peoples colonizers. They came for economic and commercial interests, since the peoples of the Mediterranean East were much more advanced and developed substantial trade in the Mediterranean, especially in metals like copper, tin, gold, and silver.
Phoenician colonization, primarily, had a
Read MoreThe Spanish Empire: Rise and Fall of the Habsburgs
The Empire of the Habsburgs
The Universal Empire: Charles I
Charles I inherited a vast empire: Austria from his paternal grandfather, the Netherlands and Franche-Comte from his paternal grandmother, the Crown of Aragon (with Sicily, Sardinia, and the Kingdom of Naples) from his maternal grandfather, and Castile (and territories in Latin America) from his maternal grandmother.
Internal Problems
Growing discontent in Castile, caused by factors including the presence of foreigners in senior political positions,
Read MoreThe Reign of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain
Union of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon
The marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, and their subsequent accession to their respective thrones in 1479, marked the beginning of the dynastic union of these realms. Isabel’s victory in the Castilian Civil War and Ferdinand’s inheritance of the Aragonese throne solidified their power. As cousins, their union created a powerful family dynasty ruling both Castile and Aragon. This union would last throughout Isabel’s lifetime.
Read MoreThe Spanish Monarchy: From Ferdinand and Isabella to the Habsburgs
The Rise of the Spanish Monarchy
The Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella
The Conquest of Granada
The conquest of Granada was a pivotal moment in the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. It solidified their power in Castile, secured their position against the nobility, and significantly developed the Castilian military and fiscal systems. This war, a joint effort between Castile and Aragon, marked a crucial step in the formation of the modern Castilian state. The victory also allowed the monarchy to focus on
Read MoreThe Bourbon Dynasty in Spain: Absolutism and Foreign Policy
The Imposition of Bourbon Absolutism
The authoritarianism of the Habsburg monarchy had already begun in the seventeenth century with a process of concentrating power in Castile. His cuts were not met since 1665, and they only had to approve taxes. In the Crown of Aragon, Navarre, and the Basque Country, they had retained their own institutions and a degree of sovereignty over the central power.
By installing the Bourbons on the Spanish throne, the absolutist model implemented in France under Louis
Read More19th Century Spain: Renaissance, Industry & Social Change
Renaissance
Starting in the first half of the nineteenth century, the Renaissance was characterized by the desire for recovery of the Catalan language. The movement began with the publication of La Pàtria by Bonaventura Carles Aribau and was consolidated with Joaquim Rubió i Ors, who wrote poems that retreat with a book in which the prologue was considered the manifesto of the Renaissance.
T3
1. Changes in Demographics
During the nineteenth century, the population grew rapidly, but less significantly
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