Spanish history > Charles > Flashcards
Charles Flashcards
1516-56
Charles’ reign.
1516
Charles proclaimed joint ruler of Castile and Aragon with his mother.
1517
Charles arrived in Spain to take up the Crown of Spain.
1519
Charles succeeded Maximilian as Holy Roman Emperor.
1519-22
Germania revolt in Spain.
1520-1
Comuneros revolt in Spain. Rebels defeated at Battle of Villalar.
1520
Charles left Spain for the Netherlands.
1522
Charles returned to Spain.
1526
Charles married his cousin Isabella, daughter of the King of Portugal.
New Council of State set up.
1527
Birth of Charles’s son Philip - the future Philip II.
Sack of Rome.
1543-56
Charles remained mainly out of Spain, Philip acted as regent.
1556
Charles abdicated in favour of his brother Ferdinand and his son, Philip.
1558
Death of Charles I.
1524
Council of the Indies set up.
1529-39
Isabella was regent during Charles’s absences.
1532
Charles joined his brother Ferdinand to relieve Vienna from the Turks.
1535
Capture of Tunis and La Goleta.
1550
Loss of Tripoli and other holdings.
1525
Battle of Pavia.
Peu, Francisco Pizarro.
1528
Support of Genoa.
1521
Mexico, Hernán Cortés.
1542
New Laws of 1542 forbade all forms of Indian slavery and granting of any new encomiendas.
Junta of Tordesillas in 1520
-Petitioned Charles to live in Castile, bring no ‘Flemings, Frenchmen, nor natives or any other country’ to fill the positions in his household, and follow the customs of the ‘Catholic sovereigns Don Fernando and Dona Isabel his grandparents’.
Reasons for the revolt of the Comuneros 1520-1
- Charles’s foreignness.
- People were resentful of Charles leaving Spain.
- Hated foreigners who filled important positions seen as taking Spain’s wealth.
- Rumours circulated that there would be taxes on the baptism of infants.
- Long-standing concerns over freedoms being lost.
- Also resentment that Charles had asked for money twice in three years.
- Greed of Burgundians.
- Fears that Spain would lose its separate identity as part of the empire and that Charles would not return.
- Seeds of the movement were made in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella and Cisneros’s regency but the actions of Charles brought the revolt to a head and gave movement wide appeal.
Course of the revolt of the Comuneros 1520-1
- The rebellion started in Toledo - Juan de Padilla took command and a gov was set up in the name of the king, queen and the comunidad which indicated that this was not a revolution aimed at overthrowing the king.
- Toledo’s lead was followed by other towns such as Segovia, Salamanca and Valladolid.
- Supporters came mostly from the lower nobility and town dwellers.
- The situation turned in favour of the king. Charles made some concessions: servicio stopped, no more foreigners, 2 Castilians joined Adrian as regents.
- Most of the action took place in urban centres.
- An attempt was made to gain the support of Queen Joanna when Tordesillas was taken. She was prepared to show her support when meeting with some of the comuneros but she would not commit herself to the rebellion on paper. Leaders of the revolt had no claim to loyalty. They had no clear aim.
- The character of the rebellion changed and became more extreme.
- Few attacks were on property and some demands were made for economic and social reforms - curbs on the powers of the nobles and criticism of their exemption from taxation.
- More nobles prepared to support the regents in trying to put down the revolt.
- A royal army was formed which defeated the comuneros at the Battle of Villalar in 1521. Padilla and the Segovian comunero leader Juan Bravo were captured and executed - major defeat. Lost control of most of northern Castile. Toledo held out for a little longer.
The impact and significance of the revolt of the Comuneros 1520-1
- When Charles returned to Spain he was in a position to deal firmly with the rebels.
- Some rebels were executed and others received various punishments.
- The powers of corregidores in towns were increased.
- Charles was willing to show leniency and offered a general pardon.
- 18 towns still able to send their representatives to the Cortes but there was little opposition to the Crown policies and this became a formality.
- Some changes Charles introduced were generally welcomed. The unpopular Chièvres was replaced by Mercurino Gattinara.
Reasons for defeat of the revolt of the Comuneros 1520-1
- Failure to get support from Charles’ mother.
- Radicalisation of the revolt.
- Charles made concessions: stopped collection of subsidy, two Castilians became co-regents with Adrian.
- Nobility took firm action.
Reason for defeat of the revolt of the Germania 1519-1522
-Nobility took firm action.
The revolt of the Comuneros 1520-1521
-Started in Toledo and Segovia then spread to other cities in Castile.
The revolt of the Germania 1519-1522
-Second major revolt broke out in Valencia in 1519 and was much more of a social than a political revolt.
Causes of the revolt of the Germania 1519-1522
- Dislike of privileges and nobility.
- Dislike of Muslims.
- There was also resentment against the privileges of the nobles and the near starvation conditions in which many members of the Germania lived.
- Members of the Germania held grievances mainly against the local Muslims and the powers of the nobles who employed many of them.
- Plague had broken out in the area and this was seen by many as punishment for tolerating the presence of Muslims in their community.
- Further complaints were made against Charles as he frequently postponed the meeting of the Cortes of Valencia and did not seem interested in remaining in Spain.
Course of the revolt of the Germania 1519-1522
- Violence of the movement was directed against the Muslim peasants in the country areas around Valencia - some were murdered and many were forcibly baptised into the Christian faith.
- The Germania experienced success against the small military forces sent against them that were led by nobles and representatives of the crown.
- Many of the rich moved away from Valencia due to the plague so supporters of the Germania were able to take over the city.
- The movement spread beyond the city of Valencia to include most other parts of the kingdom, even taking control of the island of Majorca.
- Support was lost when Vincent Peris took over and incited his followers to more violence and radicalism. Many members of the middle class withdrew their support.
- The supporters of the crown made gains. Valencia was recaptured.
- An army of troops loyal to the nobles and to the Crown had defeated the undisciplined and ill-equipped army of the Germania by the end of 1521.
- After defeat Peris was captured and executed. Resistance continued with much less support until 1524 when the remaining areas in revolt surrendered.
Beginning of Charles’ reign
- Inherited the throne upon the death of Ferdinand in 1516.
- Arrived in Castile in Sept 1517.
- Inauspicious start - relied upon Burgundians, mishandled cortes, and left in 1519 for Holy Roman Empire.
- Consequences - Revolts of Comuneros and Germania.
Charles’ religious aims
- As Holy Roman Emperor, Charles faced massive difficulties and eventual failure in the fight against Protestantism.
- He was fully committed to the extirpation of heresy - ‘Exterminate heresy, lest it take root and overthrow the state and social order’.
Illuminists
- Otherwise known as alumbrados.
- Unorthodox religious movement led by Franciscan sister, Isabel de la Cruz. Organised devotional centres in towns like Alcala and Toledo.
- Was a type of mystical passivism.
- Adopted by influential nobles, especially Marquis of Villena’s household.
- Inquisition was suspicious of the movement. In 1524 de la Cruz and Pedro Ruiz de Alcaraz were arrested for heresy, and in 1525 illuminist proposition were condemned.
- In 1525 and 1527 Loyola was investigated for links with illuminists.
Erasmianism in Spain
- Popular amongst intellectuals eg Alonso Fonseca, Archbishop of Toledo, and Manrique, Inquisitor General and Archbishop of Seville.
- Suspicions of links between Erasmians and Illuminists.
- Manrique failed to prevent persecution of Erasmians.
- Inquisition brought several influential Erasmians to trial including Juan de Valdes and Miguel de Eguia.
- 1533 - Greek scholar, Juan de Vergara on trial. Forced to abjure his sins in an auto de fe, and spend a year in a monastery.
- Persecution had a cultural impact as many scholars chose to leave Spain.
- Protestantism did not take root in Spain under Charles I.
Limpieza de Sangre
- Means ‘purity of the blood’.
- Linked to moves to impose religious unity.
- Focus was the exclusion of conversos from public office.
- Took hold in Charles’ reign, after Siliceo became Archbishop of Toledo in 1546. He used limpieza de sangre as a way of out-manoeuvring his rivals in the cathedral.
- Accepted in 1556 by royal ratification.
Charles and Rome
- Unsteady relationship - Papacy nervous of Charles’ political power. Led to events like the Sack of Rome in 1527.
- Gained papal permission in 1523, from Adrian VI to appoint all bishops within Spain.
- 1523 Pope passed ownership of Orders of Military Knighthood to the Crown.
- Charles relied heavily upon papal grants like the cruzada.
Charles and minorities
- In 1525 all Muslims in Aragon had to convert to Christianity or leave Spain.
- Doubts remained over conversions and practices of conversos and moriscos.
- Royal instructions to Granadan moriscos in 1526 to give up Muslim dress and customs were not implemented.
25 October 1555
-Charles announced his decision to abdicate.
Why were Spaniards reluctant to accept Charles as king?
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Why did revolts break out in Spain in the 1520s?
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What was the significance of the defeat of the comuneros revolt?
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Why were the Spanish more prepared to accept Charles as king when he returned to Spain in 1522?
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How effective were the methods Charles employed to govern Spain?
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How successfully did Charles deal with finance during his time as king?
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How effective were the measures taken to secure Roman Catholicism as the sole faith in Spain during this period?
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What were Charles I’s main aims?
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How successful was Charles in the foreign policies he pursued?
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How might developments in the New World during the reigns of Charles I be considered successful?
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What were strengths and weakness of Spain in 1556?
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