‘A highly unsuccessful King?’

Successful?

Successful? Unsuccessful?

Spain religiously united

Preserved MonarquiaBullion from new world

Maintained control of Church in Spain

Attempted to challenge heresy where Strategically viable to defendCatholicism – Lepanto 1571

Financial cost of defending Monarquia and Catholicism

Inefficient governmentPaper King –

government paralysis by 1590’s

Rebellion of Provinces – Moriscos 1568 , Netherlands

1566 and Aragon 1590

Maintained Catholic unity Of Empire (Exception of Netherlands)

Economic issues

Military defeat by French, English and Dutch

Final analysis – seeds sown in 16th Century for Spain's later demise

‘Golden Age’ of culture

Acquisition of Portugal in 1580

Counter ReformationReforming degrees of Council

introduced

‘Black Legend’ view – MotleyTyrannical / Absolute

1585 High water mark•Portugal secure – United Iberian Peninsula•Spain religiously united•Tridentine Decrees•Maintained control of the Church (Lynch)•Only 3 provinces under revolt in Spanish

Netherlands•Defeated Turks 1571 Lepanto•1578 Peace held with Turks•Indies – wealth•England and France main concerns•Culture – El Greco / Titian

1588 Signs of decline (Kamen)

•Enterprises too expensive•Already bankrupt x 2 official•Micro managing•Highly personalised direction of affairs•Atlantic facing foreign policy against

England and France e.g. Armada 1588 / war against Henry IV

•More centralised government by 1598•But slow, inefficient and corrupt•Far flung empire•P2 a ‘strait jacket’ to decision making • Independent thought threatened by Inquisition •Stifled culture•Religious uniformity not achieved•Moriscos remained a ‘Trojan horse’•Plague, famine, depopulation, declining agriculture

and industry. •Wealth from new world flowed in but quickly flowed

out due to loans

•Dynastic power, material wealth and spiritual fulfilment at enormous cost

•Successes and failures ran in tandem

Historians Assessment

•Philip ultimately left similarly difficult and complex legacy to that of his father.

•Motley and Watson argue ‘Black Legend’ view of Philip – tyrannical and absolute

•Elliot ‘ Philip had spent all he had, and reduced to misery his kingdom of Castile’.

Others

•Contemporaries – successful king•Sir Charles Petrie – banishment of the

Turks from Western Med, unification of Iberian peninsula.