Spain’s Empire and European Absolutism
CHAPTER 5, SECTION 1
Charles V
 Charles V is a Hapsburg (one of the most
important ruling families in Europe)
 He controls Spain, Spanish colonies, parts of
Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands
 He is elected Holy Roman Emperor, controls
much of Germany
A Powerful Spanish Empire
 Charles V is a devout Catholic; he eventually
withdraws from the monarchy to become a
monk.
 Divides his empire between Ferdinand (his
brother), and Philip II (his son)
 Ferdinand-Austria and HRE
 Philip II-Spain, colonies, Netherlands
Philip II’s Empire
 He is shy, serious, religious, hardworking, also
can be suspicious
 Aggressive-he seizes Portugal
 Immensely wealthy
Defender of Catholicism
 Religious conflict is ongoing in Spain between
Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jews
 Philip II tried to fight against Protestants and
Muslims, felt it was his duty to protect Spain
from non-Catholics
Golden Age of Spanish Art
and Literature
 The Golden Age of Spanish art and literature
occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries
El Greco and Velazquez
 El Greco “The Greek,” born in Crete
 He used bold colors, distorted figures,
expressed emotion
 Displayed deep Catholic faith
 Diego Velazquez-pride of the Spanish
monarchy, painted portraits of the royal
family
Don Quixote
 Miguel de Cervantes writes Don Quixote,
which is a book about a poor Spanish
nobleman who reads too many books and
has wild ideas
 Is he mocking chivalry, or is he a romantic
idealist?
 Known as the birth of the European novel
The Spanish Empire Weakens
 Temporary wealth leads to long-term
problems
Inflation and Taxes
 Inflation is a decrease in the value of money,
combined with an increase in price
 Ex. $1 is now worth 80 cents; at the same time,
gas is going from $3/gal to $3.50
 There are 2 factors in this case
 Increasing population, silver floods the market
 Expulsion of Jews and Muslims causes a
problem as nobles did not pay taxes
Making Spain’s Enemies Rich
 Artisans (people making things with their
hands) must belong to guilds
 The guild system forces costs to go up, which
leads people to buy goods from other
countries
 Philip II is borrowing money to pay foreign
debts.
The Dutch Revolt
 The Spanish had to have an army in the
Netherlands to control their colonists
 Culture clash
 The Spanish raise taxes and attempt to crush
Protestantism
 Causes a full-fledged revolt, separate in 1579
Independent Dutch Prosper
 The Netherlands become like the city of
Florence during the Renaissance
 Widespread feelings of religious toleration
and republicanism
Dutch Art
 Rembrandt-Greatest Dutch artist
 Jan Vermeer-Pioneered effects of light and
dark on painting
Dutch Trading Empire
 The Dutch bought surplus grain from other
European countries and held it for the right
time
 They were able to sell when demand was high
and supply was low, so price was ________
 They had the largest fleet of ships in the
world in the 1600s
Absolutism in Europe
 Philip II is the 1st major example of absolutism
Theory of Absolutism
 An absolute monarch wants to control every
aspect of society
 They believe in divine right to rule
Growing Power of Europe’s
Monarchs
 KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:::::::
 Decline of feudalism
 Rise of cities
 Growth of national kingdoms
 Supported by middle class
Crises Lead to Absolutism
 17th century-period of great upheaval in
Europe
 Governments build huge armies and
therefore levy huge taxes, people revolt
 Monarchs try to impose order by increasing
control
 Most famous absolute monarch: Louis XIV