Spain’s Empire and
European Absolutism
Chapter 21, Section 1
Section Opener

During a time of
religious and
economic instability,
Philip II rules Spain
with a strong hand.
Philip II of Spain
May 21 1527 - September 13 1598
A Powerful Spanish Empire

A New Spanish Ruler
– In 1556, Philip II begins ruling Spain and its
possessions

Philip II’s Empire
– Philip seizes Portugal in 1580
– Gold and silver from Americas make Spain
extremely wealthy
• By Philip’s time, Spain is
raking in massive
amounts of gold and
silver.
• By around 1600
(shortly after his
death) to 1650, Spain
had taken in 339,000
pounds of gold and
16,000 tons of silver
and the king took 2533% of it.
• That’s a lot of bling.
Yo.
Philip’s palace, Escorial
A Powerful Spanish Empire

Defender of Catholicism
– Philip defends Catholicism against Muslims
and Protestants
– Spanish fleet helps defeat Ottomans at
Lepanto in 1571.
– Spanish Armada is defeated by the British in
1588 (more on that later).
Golden Age of Spanish Art and
Literature

El Greco and Velázquez
– El Greco uses unusual style to convey
religious themes
– Works of Velázquez show Spanish court life

Don Quixote
– In 1605, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
is published
– Novel marks the birth of the modern
European novel.
“Portrait of an Old Man”

This painting titled
“Portrait of an Old
Man” is considered a
self portrait by El
Greco, circa 1595–
1600, oil on canvas.

The Assumption of the
Virgin (1577–1579, oil on
canvas, 401 × 228 cm,
Art Institute of Chicago)
was one of the nine
paintings El Greco
completed for the church
of Santo Domingo el
Antiguo in Toledo, his
first commission in Spain.
This shows the religious
themes of his painting.
Diego Velázquez: two self portraits

Portrait of Pablo de
Valladolid
– A court fool or jester,
circa 1635
The Spanish Empire Weakens

Inflation and Taxes
– Inflation (due to the huge influx of American gold and
silver) weakens Spain’s economy.
– Taxes on lower class prevents development of middle
class.

Making Spain’s Enemies Rich
– Spaniards buy goods abroad, making Spain’s enemies
rich.
– Philip declares bankruptcy three times due to weak
economy.

The Dutch Revolt


Protestants in the Netherlands win independence from Spain in
1579.
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada at the hands
of England in 1588.
• Lepanto was the good naval battle. The
Spanish Armada, aka The Invincible
Armada, was the bad one, in 1588.
• Philip is motivated to restore Roman Catholicism to
England against Elizabeth (who was Phillip’s sisterin-law since he was married to Bloody Mary).
• He’s also put out at English support of the rebellious
Dutch in the Netherlands and the fact that Elizabeth
had commissioned Sir Francis Drake as a privateer
who raided Spanish treasure ships.
• Phillip even put a bounty of what would be about
$10 million on Drake’s head.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMpigAUQt_4
• “I, too, can command the wind sir!”
Fate of the Spanish Armada
• He sends a fleet of 133 ships to attack and conquer
England. The English fight back in the English
Channel with superior longer range canons and
more maneuverable ships.
• That was after they sailed fire ships into the Spanish
lines in order to break their formation.
• The English also had better gunnery. The Spanish
guns weren’t as good (and many had the wrong
ammo) and the gunners not well trained.
• That and the Spanish were planning on boarding the English
ships and fighting hand-to-hand. The English wouldn’t allow
that. The English pound the Spanish who retreat. The Spanish
then keep encountering bad weather and more ships are lost.
• Ultimately, 15,000 Spanish sailors are killed and nearly half the
fleet lost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39fmG
1IGjjc
• The battle also occasioned one of Elizabeth’s most
famous speech’s when she visited the troops:
• “I have come amongst you as you see, at this time,
not for my recreation and disport, but being
resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live
or die amongst you all, to lay down for my God and
for my kingdom, and for my people, my honor and
my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body
of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart
and stomach of a king, and of a king of England
too.”
• Do you think Elizabeth I had the makings of a good
monarch???
• The Dutch revolt in the 1560’s and
1570’s.
• They had been under Spanish rule but
resented it, especially since they were
protestant and quite religiously tolerant.
• The Dutch succeed in part because they had
funding from Queen Elizabeth I of England

"Queen Elizabeth I Feeds the Dutch Cow", a satirical Flemish painting, c. 1586. The cow
represents the Dutch provinces. King Philip II of Spain is vainly trying to ride the cow,
drawing blood with his spurs. Queen Elizabeth is feeding it while William of Orange
holds it steady by the horns. The cow is defecating on the Duke of Anjou, who is
holding its tail - a reference to Anjou's fiasco at the "French Fury" in Antwerp, three
years previously
The Independent Dutch Prosper

A Different Society
– The Netherlands is a republic and practices
religious toleration.

Dutch Art
– In the 1600s, the Netherlands becomes center
of European Art
– Rembrandt and Vermeer are famous Dutch
Painters
Rembrandt

Self portrait

Christ in the Storm
on the Lake of
Galilee by
Rembrandt, circa
1633. This original
painting was stolen
in 1990 and was
never recovered.
Paintings by Vermeer

Vermeer painted
scenes from every
day life. This painting
Milkmaid, is circa
1658-1660.
Paintings by Vermeer

Officer Laughing With
Girl, is circa 16571659.
Paintings by Vermeer

The Little Street, is
circa 1657-1658.
The Independent Dutch Prosper

Dutch Trading Empire
– Dutch merchants engage in world trade
– Dutch have world’s largest trading fleet
– Dutch people replace Italians as Europe’s
bankers
Absolutism in Europe

The Theory of Absolutism
– Rulers want to be absolute monarchs—rulers with
complete power
– Believe in “divine right”—idea that monarchs
represent God on earth. (The idea can be derived
from Romans 13: 1-4.)

Growing Power of Europe’s Monarchs
– Decline of Feudalism, rise of cities help monarchs
gain power
– Decline of Church authority also increases power

Crises Lead to Absolutism
– The 17th century is a period of great upheaval
– Monarchs impose order by increasing their own
power.
Possible Basis of
“Divine Right of Kings”
Romans 13:1-4
”Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, and those
that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore
whoever resists the authorities resists what God has
appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For
rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?
Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do
wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out
God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”