Historia de España
Based mainly on Encarta Articles
PREHISTORIA - ALTAMIRA
Bison and other animals, painted mostly in red, black, and mauve, form a
spectacular ensemble on a ceiling within the prehistoric cave at Altamira, in
Northern Spain. These drawings are estimated to date from approximately 13,000
to 14,000 years ago. Characteristic of prehistoric cave paintings, drawings, and
engravings is the absence of a painted horizon line and the apparent lack of
relationship between one image and those adjacent to it.
About 1100800 BC
Phoenicians began colonizing Spain. Modern cities such as Cádiz
and Málaga were founded by the Phoenicians during this time.
400s BC
The Carthaginians conquered much of Spain.
Spain ranks as a world leader in both wine grape and olive production. These
grape vines and olive trees grow near Lérida, a city in eastern Spain. Most grapes
and olives are raised in the country’s east or south, the most intensively irrigated
regions of the largely hot and arid country.
Photo Researchers, Inc./Porterfield-Chickering
Hannibal
The Carthaginian general
Hannibal is considered one of
the greatest military
commanders in history. In 218
BC Hannibal traveled from
Spain across the Alps to attack
Rome. He inflicted crushing
defeats on Roman armies as he
marched, but lacked the
reinforcements necessary to
take the city. In 202 BC Hannibal
was called back to Africa to
defend Carthage against
invading Roman forces, and
there he was finally defeated at
the Battle of Zama.
200s BCSpain became an important part of the Roman Empire following the Punic
Wars.
As Carthage expanded into the Iberian peninsula, or what is now mostly
Spain, Rome became increasingly concerned. During the Second Punic War
of the second century BC, Romans finally drove the Carthaginians out of the
peninsula. The area, divided into Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior,
yielded rich agriculture and mining resources. Although the Roman influence
in Spain largely dissolved after the 4th century AD, much of its presence can
still be seen in ruins such as these aqueducts in Segovia.
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Beginning with the Second Punic War (218-201 BC), the Roman army spent about 200 years gaining
control of the Iberian Peninsula. At the height of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century, the territory
now comprising Spain and Portugal was divided into three provinces. The Roman Senate controlled
Baetica, in the southernmost region of the peninsula. Lusitania and Tarraconensis were Imperial
provinces controlled by the emperor.
AD 573
The Visigoths completed their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The medieval city of Toledo is situated on a high hill above the Tajo River in
central Spain. Toledo was the capital of the Visigothic kingdom in Spain. The city
has narrow winding streets and contains many historic sites.
LOS MOROS 711-1492
711-718
The Moors conquered most of Spain. Many Spaniards converted to
Islam, and Moorish culture began to flourish.
1000s
The Christian reconquest of Spain began.
Moorish architecture Horseshoe arc (arco de herradura)
Geometrical designs
Mosaics (cut tile design)
Arabic scriptures from the Koran or
from famous pets
Arco de herradura
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The Moorish influence in Córdoba, Spain, dates from the 8th
century, when it became a Muslim caliphate. The city’s Moorish
architecture includes the cathedral, originally an impressive
mosque.
La Alhambra
The Alhambra complex sits on a hill at the base of the
Sierra Nevada mountain range in Granada, Spain. The
Alhambra is made up of three distinct areas: a fortress
known as the Alcazaba, extensive gardens called the
Generalife, and the royal palace. The Alcazaba, parts of
which date to the 11th century, is the oldest part of the
complex. During the 13th and 14th centuries, Spain’s
Moorish rulers built the Generalife and the royal palace
in the Islamic architectural style. This photo faces the
Alcazaba, with parts of the royal palace showing in the
background.
Spread of Islam
In the 7th and 8th centuries the religion of Islam spread through conversion and
military conquest throughout the Middle East and North Africa. By 733, just 100
years after the death of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, an ordered Islamic state
stretched from India in the east to Spain in the west.
Isabella I
• In 1469 Isabella of
Castile, heiress to the
Castilian crown, married
her cousin, Ferdinand of
Aragón (later known as
Ferdinand V). As Queen
Isabella I, she and
Ferdinand ruled the
kingdoms of Castile and
Aragón. Their rule
brought about the
permanent union of Spain
and saw the beginning of
an overseas empire in the
Americas
Ferdinand V
King Ferdinand V
was a gifted
statesman.
Ferdinand used
foreign policy to
expand the domains
controlled by the
kingdoms of Aragón
and Castille, which
he and his wife
Queen Isabella I
ruled jointly. When
Ferdinand died, both
of their crowns went
to their grandson,
Charles I, later
known as Charles V.
Cristóbal Colón
Sponsored by Spain,
explorer Christopher
Columbus sailed west
from Europe in an
attempt to find a shorter
route to India and China.
He landed in The
Bahamas in 1492. Soon
after, Spain began to
colonize areas of the
West Indies.
By colonizing the Americas, Spain became one of the richest and most powerful
countries of the 16th century. At the height of its power in 1588, the Spanish
Empire included the West Indies, Cuba, Florida, Mexico, Central America, much of
South America, and the Philippines.
1479
Aragón and Castile were united under Ferdinand V and Isabella I. The
following year the Spanish Inquisition was established.
1492
The Kingdom of Granada was conquered, ending Moorish rule in
Spain. Christopher Columbus initiated Spanish claims in the Americas,
where Spain quickly established a huge colonial empire.
Carlos V
Charles V was born Charles I, the grandson of Ferdinand of
Castile and Isabella I and heir to Burgundy and Spain. He then
acquired Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia through succession.
He bribed the electors of the Holy Roman Empire to name him
emperor, crowning him Charles V and giving him rule over
more countries than any other European monarch.
1512
The Kingdom of Navarre was absorbed into the unified Kingdom
of Spain. Spanish culture flourished and Spain became a world
power.
1588
The English navy defeated the Spanish Armada, beginning a
period of slow decline for Spain.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Spanish churchman Ignatius
of Loyola founded a pious
fraternal order in Paris in 1534,
that received papal
confirmation as the Order of
the Jesuits in 1540. Motivated
by the desire to restore piety,
Loyola and the Jesuits were
later strong proponents of the
Counter Reformation.
Philip II – Felipe II
The Spanish Empire
reached its height during
the reign of Philip II
(1556-1598), and Spain’s
great Golden Age of art,
literature, and learning
began under him.
However, Philip’s efforts
to stamp out
Protestantism in Europe,
including attempts to
conquer England,
permanently impaired the
financial resources of
Spain.
Spanish Armada
Spanish king Philip II planned to build a fleet unequaled in power in the 1580s in
hopes of not only ending English raids on Spanish towns and ships but also to
invade and conquer England. Eight years later, 130 large battleships sailed for
England. The English failed to stop the fleet in long-range cannon duels. They
next used ships laden with gunpowder and set afire to attack the Armada. The
Spanish force eluded the fire ships by sailing out to sea, but strong gales wrecked
most of the ships off the coast of Ireland, and only 67 ships returned to Spain.
Madrid’s Plaza Mayor
Built during the reign of Philip III in the early 17th century, the Plaza Mayor was
used for a variety of activities, including bullfights, executions during the
Inquisition, and festivals. Today it is one of Madrid’s main tourist attractions.
Cervantes
Spanish writer Miguel de
Cervantes changed the face of
fiction with his early 17th
century masterpiece, Don
Quixote (part I, 1605; part II,
1615). In the book, a
distinguished country
gentleman becomes a knight
after reading too many
chivalric novels. Intended as a
spoof on the romantic
literature of the time, Don
Quixote exposed and satirized
Spanish society, medieval
romance, and the pastoral
novel. Don Quixote reveals the
essential humanity of its
complex, crazed characters
and has influenced many
subsequent works.
Windmills dot the landscape in the region of La Mancha, Spain. The area is known
as the land of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, characters in a novel by Spanish
author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Considered the first modern novel, it was
published in the early 17th century and was set in La Mancha.
Felipe IV
Philip IV
(of Spain, Naples,
and Sicily)
Insurrection and the loss of territory marked the reign of Philip IV. While ruler
of Spain, Naples, and Sicily during the 17th century, the weak monarch lost
Portugal (1640) and then experienced rebellion in Catalonia (1640-53) and
Naples (1647). He precipitated the decline of his native country, Spain, through
exhaustive wars with Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. As a result, Philip
IV was forced to cede Spanish territory to both the Netherlands and France in
1648 and 1649.
1714
Great Britain gained Gibraltar from Spain.
1808
Napoleon I of France invaded Spain and captured Madrid. Spanish,
English, and Portuguese forces did not drive the French from Spain until
1814.
Ferdinand VII
Ferdinand VII, king of Spain,
instituted an oppressive reign,
revoking the liberal constitution
drafted in 1812 and ruling as an
absolute monarch. He was forced
from his throne by French Emperor
Napoleon I in 1808 and, in 1820,
by his own people, who opposed
his harsh rule
Spanish artist Francisco de Goya painted Third of May, 1808 in 1814. His purpose was
to commemorate the Spanish war of liberation, during which a number of innocent
civilians were shot by soldiers from Napoleon’s army.
El tres de mayo, 1808
Most of Spain's American colonies won their
independence.
1810-1825
1- Simon Bolívar el Libertador de Venezuela y Colombia
2- José de San Martín, el Libertador de Chile y Argentina
Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), el Libertador Venezuela.
Six nations Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia venerate
Simón Bolívar as their liberator from the rule of Spain. This great statesman,
writer, and revolutionary general is known as the George Washington of South
America. He inspired men to follow him through trackless wilderness to fight
and die for liberty. Bolívar's followers, however, did not support him as loyally
in his struggle to set up stable governments. Simón Bolívar was born in
Caracas (now in Venezuela) on July 24, 1783, of a noble Spanish family.
Orphaned in boyhood, the youth was educated in Europe. He absorbed the
spirit of revolution then widespread in Europe and vowed to free Venezuela.
When Napoleón Bonaparte overran Spain, the restive colonies of Spanish
America seized the opportunity to revolt. Venezuela was the first to declare its
independence, in 1811. The revolt failed and in 1812 the colony was again
under stern Spanish rule. For 20 years Bolívar led the fight to free northern
South America. His small, poorly equipped forces won amazing victories and
met overwhelming defeats. At one time he might be a conquering hero, with
honors and autocratic power at another, a fugitive in exile. At his height,
between 1825 and 1828, he was president or protector of Gran Colombia (now
Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador), Peru, and the newly formed
Bolivia.
The spirit of disunion and opposition, however, was strong. Bitter and broken
in health, he died at a friend's estate in Colombia on Dec. 17,1830 seven
months after he resigned his offices. Bolívar was a sincere patriot, devoted to
the cause of liberty and equality. While ruler of Venezuela he proclaimed the
liberation of slaves. He also was a pioneer in urging the formation of a union of
American republics
José de San Martín - El Libertador
By the 1820s, the cumbersome methods by which taxation was extracted by
a stagnant and complacent Spain allowed a flowering pan-American
identity to blossom into a push for full independence. Simón Bolívar and
José de San Martín led armies of freedom fighters from Venezuela to
Peru, and from Argentina into Chile. Bernardo O'Higgins, son of an Irish
immigrant and erstwhile viceroy of Peru, became supreme director of the
new Chilean republic. The newly independent Chile was a fraction of its
eventual size, consisting of Santiago and Concepción, and with fuzzy
borders with Bolivia and Argentina. The coming of the railways and
military triumphs over Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific (1879-83)
incorporated the mineral-rich Atacama desert to the north and the
southern temperate territories. Chile quickly achieved a degree of political
stability and relative democracy, enabling rapid agricultural development
and the advancement of mining, industry and commerce. The now
empowered working class and the nouveau riche both challenged the
political power of the landowning oligarchy in a brief but bloody civil war
in the 1890s.
Isabella II
The reign of Isabella
II, queen of Spain,
was marred by
intrigues and political
instability. She was
deposed in the
Revolution of 1868.
1898
Spain lost the rest of its important overseas possessions
following the Spanish-American War.
Cuba
Puerto Rico
Guam
The Phillipines
1931
King Alfonso XIII fled from Spain, and the country became a republic.
In 1936 a group of military leaders tried to overthrow Spain’s elected government,
beginning the Spanish Civil War. Together with their supporters, such as
the troops shown here, they became known as the Nationalists.
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Republicans in the Trenches
This series of photographs was
taken by Hungarian-American
photographer Robert Capa during
the Spanish Civil War. Capa
supported the Republican forces
who fought durign 1936 through
1939 to defend Spain's elected
government from an attempted
military coup. As he documented
the Republicans’ efforts, Capa
became the first to capture on film
a soldier being killed in action.
1936-1939
Spanish Nationalist forces led by General Francisco
Franco defeated Republican forces during the Spanish
Civil War.
During the Spanish
Civil War, General
Francisco Franco was
the leader of the
Nationalist forces that
fought to overthrow
Spain’s elected
government. As a
result of the Nationalist
victory in 1939, Franco
became el Caudillo
(the leader) of Spain
and ruled the country
until his death in 1975.
Francisco Franco Salutes a Crowd
La Guerra Civil 1936 -1939
SPANISH CIVIL WAR 1936 - 1939.
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King Alfonso XIII abdicated the throne and went in exile in Rome.
The country chose in favor of a Republic rather than continue the Monarchy.
Two parties emerge in Spain, the Nationalists and the Republicans / Loyalists.
The Civil War saw both sides in fierce battles:
- The Nationalists with the help of Italy and Germany, headed by General
Francisco Franco
- The Republicans / Loyalists with the help of Russia, France and the U.S.
The Germans destroyed Guernica with their bombers. This was immortalized
by Picasso in his painting of the same name, Guernica. The Republicans lost.
Franco became Presidente / Dictator of the country, (el país) for almost 40 years.
Franco repressed freedom of speech and expression. Most artists were imprisoned
or had fled to France.
Franco appointed Juán Carlos, grandson of Alphonso XIII, as his successor to the
leadership of Spain. The Monarchy was restored at his death in 1975. El Rey Juán
Carlos y la Reina Sofía de Grecia tienen 3 hijos: Elena, Cristina and Felipe. Felipe,
Príncipe de Asturias should later inherit the throne.
The Memorial to the victims of the Civil War (la Guerra Civil) is El Valle de los
Caídos, not far from El Escorial
1968
Buoyed by strong economic growth, the government eased
censorship restrictions. Protests erupted in Barcelona and
Madrid, and regional separatist groups gained strength.
The Basque Country
Cataluña
Galicia
– own language Euskara
– own language Catalán
– own language Gallego
S.M. El Rey de España
• el Rey Don Juán
Carlos de Borbon
• Roma, el 5 de enero
1938
• Rey de España en
1975
1975
Franco died and was succeeded by
King Juan Carlos. Spain began the
transition to a democratic government.
Shown here are disguised members of the Basque separatist group known as the
ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, Basque for “Basque Homeland and Liberty”). The
ETA has used terrorist tactics to push for the Basque Country’s independence
from Spain
ETA Basque Separatists
1980s Spain joined
the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO)
the European Community (now
the European Union
and
increasing its ties with the rest of Europe.
Spanish politician José María Aznar became prime
minister of Spain in 1996.
LOS OLÍMPICOS EN BARCELONA
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1992 The Summer Olympic
Games were held in
Barcelona
Los Olímpicos de 1992
Es un estadio muy grande
Celebración frente al Palacio
Nacional
1994
Spain threatened to block expansion of the European Union until a
compromise guaranteed protection of Spanish fishing rights.
Agreements were reached in March and December giving Spain wider
access.
1999
January no more pesetas! Spain adopts the €uro currency.