Wars and Revolts in 16th and 17th Century Europe
Battle of Lepanto (1571)
Catholics (Holy League) VS Ottoman Turks. The Protestants in the Low Countries: Felipe II seen as a foreigner by the Flemish (born in Spain, court in Madrid…) + expansion of Protestantism… Flemish rebelled demanding autonomy (1566). It was the beginning of the 80 Years War. In 1579 the northern Low Countries declared themselves independent forming the United Provinces, but the war continued.
Eighty Years War
Spain VS United Provinces (northern Low Countries) In 1579 the northern provinces of the Low Countries, mostly Protestant, declared themselves independent creating the “United Provinces” (Union of Utrecht). The southern provinces, mostly Catholic, remained loyal to Felipe II (Union of Arras) in order to receive protection against Protestants’ attacks. However, the war between Spain & the Protestants of the United Provinces continued until 1648. Felipe IV recognized their independence in the Peace of Westphalia. The Spanish Armada Invencible wasn’t able to invade England due to the bad weather, it wasn’t possible to pick up the soldiers from the Low Countries (which were suffering the Protestant rebellion), food rotted (since the wood was still humid)… 1598: he died in the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, being succeeded by his son Felipe III.
Transformations of the 17th Century
Absolute monarchies & first Parliamentary systems. Growth of the bourgeoisie. Development of science. Baroque art. Decline of Spain’s hegemony: – International conflicts – Weak monarchs (“Austrias menores”).
Crisis in the Hispanic Monarchy
“Validos” External conflicts Internal conflicts. DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS: 8 6 million people Wars Emigration to America Expulsion of the Moriscos Bubonic plague. ECONOMIC CRISIS AGRICULTURE: agrarian production dropped & irrigation agriculture was abandoned due to the expulsion of the Moriscos. INDUSTRY: barely developed because Domestic demand dropped due to the demographic decline. The wealth acquired in America wasn’t invested in promoting industry (they preferred to import foreign products). TRADE: declined due to pirate attacks & rivalry of the English, Dutch & French traders.
Felipe III
Peace with England (Treaty of London, 1604) end Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) England ended financial & military support for the Dutch rebellion & stopped piracy against Spanish ships in the Atlantic. Spain stopped supporting Catholic rebels in Ireland.
- Peace with United Provinces: Twelve Years’ Truce (1609) temporary armistice* between Spain & the Netherlands (80 Years’ War) Both sides were under financial struggles due to the huge costs of their military campaigns.
- Assured the peace with France by arranging a double Franco-Spanish marriage: Louis XIII (King of France) & Ana de Austria (daughter of Felipe III) Felipe IV (King of Spain) & Isabel de Borbón (sister of Louis XIII)
Felipe IV Supported the German emperor at the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48). End of the Twelve Years’ Truce with the Netherlands (1621) continuation of the Eighty Year’s war. War against France (1648-59).INTERNAL POLICY With Felipe III EXPULSION OF THE MORISCOS (1609). With Felipe IV 🠶 CATALAN REVOLT (1640) 🠶 PORTUGUESE WAR OF RESTORATION it gain independence again.
Felipe III: Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609)
Loss of 300,000 inhabitants (4% of total population), mostly from Valencia (⅓ of its population), led to an economic decline: Decrease in tax collection nobles had to increase the taxes to the Christian peasants Loss of hardworking labour force (because most of the Moriscos were active population) this led to an increase of salaries and, thus, of prices. Abandonment of fields. Need to import agricultural products. Decline in irrigation agriculture (rice, sugar…) in favour of dryland agriculture (cereals, vines).
Felipe IV: Portuguese War of Restoration (1640 – 68)
Another revolt broke out in Portugal against the domination of Castilla. Portugal finally regained their independence.
Catalan Revolt (1640)
A revolt broke out in Cataluña against Castilla due to: The financial support demanded to Cataluña by the central government to create a Spanish army paid by all the territories (not only Castilla). It was rejected by the Catalan Cortes, since they hold the right to pass new taxes. Obligation for Catalan peasants to accommodate Castilian troops & the damage caused by these in Catalan fields, during the fights against France in the context of the Thirty Years’ War. The Vicerroy of Cataluña was killed. Cataluña declared its independence from Spain & swore allegiance to King Louis XIII of France, who turned out to be more absolutist than Felipe IV. 1652: Felipe IV attacked Cataluña and annexed it again to the Spanish Monarchy.
Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Origin: an internal revolt in the Holy Roman Empire, of Protestant Princes against the new Catholic Emperor (Ferdinand II). It all began in the Kingdom of Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic), when a Catholic, Ferdinand II, was elected king (1617). The new king soon began to restrain the religious freedom of the population in Bohemia: he closed and forbid the construction of Protestant churches. This made him very unpopular given the great number of Protestants, including some nobles, in the kingdom. In 1618, the representatives of the king in Prague were captured by a group of Protestant nobles and threw them out of the palace window!!! Although injured, they survived!! This event, known as the DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE, started the Bohemian Revolt. Soon afterward, the Bohemian conflict spread through all Germany… and eventually across the whole continent of Europe, involving Spain, France, Sweden, and a number of other countries. It was the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War.
PEACE OF WESTPHALIA (1648), which put an end to… Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648) Eighty Years’ War (1566 – 1648) Spain VS United Provinces MAIN CONSEQUENCES: Weakened the Holy Roman empire: Increased autonomy of the states that integrated the empire. German princes gained independence & limited the power of the emperor. Religious freedom (each prince had the right to decide the religion of his own state). End of the Religion Wars in Europe. Weakened Spain formally recognized the independence of the United Provinces. Strengthened France they annexed some German territories (Metz, Verdun, Alsace…)
Franco-Spanish War (1648-59) Origin: continuation of the fights between Spain & France. Main reason?? the French annexations in the Peace of Westphalia cut off the Spanish access to the Low Countries from Milan. Spain was defeated (again!) TREATY OF THE PYRENEES: France annexed the Roussillon. The marriage of Felipe IV’s daughter (Mª Teresa) was arranged with the French king Louis XIV. Meant the definite decline of the Hispanic Monarchy and the hegemony of France in Europe!!!