Philip Flashcards
1556
Crowned king of Spain and its empire.
His father withdrew to Yuste in Spain.
1561
Madrid becomes administrative centre.
1564
Philip II is forced to withdraw Cardinal Granvelle from the Netherlands.
1566
Outbreak of the Netherlands Revolt against Philip’s rule (until 1609). Cardinal Espinosa appointed President of the Council of Castile and Inquisitor-General Antonio Perez and Gabriel de Zayas appointed royal secretaries.
Death of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
1568
Council of Troubles orders executions of Counts Egmont and Hoorn. Deaths of Don Carlos and Élisabeth de Valois. Outbreak of Moriscos Revolt against Philip’s rule (until 1570).
1570
On Philip’s orders, Baron Montigny executed at Simancas prison.
1572
Philip dismisses Cardinal Espinosa. Mateo Vazquez appointed royal secretary (until 1585).
Philip creates new archdiocese of Burgos.
1578
Juan de Escobedo murdered.
Philip signs truce with Ottoman Turks.
1579
Arrest of Antonio Perez. Cardinal Granvelle appointed head of Council of State.
1580
Philip annexes Portugal and its empire.
Philip acquires Portugal.
1585
Philip expands junta system to speed up administrative decisions.
English invade the Netherlands under terms of Treaty of Nonsuch.
1590
Cortes grants millones tax with more than 100 conditions.
1591
Aragon Revolt.
1557-62
Inquisitors discover ‘Protestants’ in Valladolid, Burgos, Salamanca and Seville.
1558
Inquisitor General Fernando de Valdés arrests Bartolomé de Carranza, Archbishop of Toledo for heresy.
Philip sends Spanish Armada to invade England.
English garrison surrendered as French successfully besieged Calais; Charles V died.
1559
Inquisitor-General Fernando de Valdés issues First Index of 670 prohibited texts.
1560-9
Granada Inquisition active: 88 per cent of victims Moriscos.
1562/3
Final session of Council of Trent issues decrees to reaffirm orthodox Catholic doctrine and to discipline the clergy; 100 Spanish clergy present.
1563
Publication of the Tridentine decrees in Spain.
Construction of the Escorial begins.
1567
Philip II releases Carranza for trial in Rome.
1568-70
Moriscos Revolt against Philip’s rule and their subsequent dispersal throughout Spain.
1571
Battle of Lepanto.
Holy League fleet destroys Ottoman navy at Battle of Lepanto.
1583/4
Inquisitor-General Quiroga issues Second Index of 3500 prohibited (1583) and expurgated (1584) texts.
1557
Philip’s troops defeat French at Battle of St Quentin.
Philip declares bankruptcy.
April 1559
Philip signs Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis, ending Habsburg-Valois Wars.
1560
Turks defeat Spanish invasion of island of Djerba.
Philip declares bankruptcy.
1565
Philip’s fleet relieves Turkish siege of Malta.
1567
Alva arrives in the Netherlands with 10,000 troops.
1573
Spain recovers Tunis and la Goletta.
Turks capture Cyprus.
1574
Turks recapture Tunis and la Goletta.
1575
Philip declares bankruptcy.
1584
Death of Duke of Anjou.
Assassination of William of Orange.
Philip gives financial and military aid to French Catholic League in Treaty of Joinville.
1590
Duke of Parma relieves Henry of Navarre’s siege of Paris.
1593
Henry of Navarre converts to Catholicism.
1596
Philip at war against Triple Alliance (England, France, the United Provinces).
Philip declares bankruptcy.
1598
Philip makes peace with France at Treaty of Vervins.
July 1559
Henry II of France died in a joust celebrating the end of the wars.
September 1559
Philip II returned to Spain.
What was Philip’s financial inheritance?
- Unstable.
- Charles’ expansive and prolonged foreign conflicts and difficulties.
- Philip inherited considerable debt - 20 million ducats (50 million ducats of juros liability).
- Declared bankruptcy in 1557 - froze payments and reset interest payments.
How ‘fit for purpose’ was the Castilian financial administration?
- Not well-equipped to deal with financial responsibilities.
- Castile continued to carry financial burden.
- Council of Finance lacked expertise.
- No state bank - Crown was dependant on powerful banking families. These had monopolies over interests as wide ranging as playing cards (Genoese) and mercury mines (Fuggers).
- Huge logistical problems in transferring money across Empire eg privateering.
Economic growth
- Population and agricultural production in Spain increased in early part of Philip’s reign.
- But agriculture did not become more efficient and much land remained infertile.
- Birth rates fell after 1580.
- Sheep and Mesta dominated agriculture.
- Increasing reliance on imported grain.
Crown income
- 1557-98: 3 million-10 million ducats.
- Taxation increased by 50% (1556-70) and by 90% (1570-1600).
- Alcabala most important tax (mainly Castile) - revenues rose by 14%.
- Custom duties increased.
- Church = important source of revenue. 3 graces - cruzada (quadrupled), subsidio (made permanent in 1561) and excusado (introduced in 1567). Also, crown received tithes, pensions and income from vacant sees eg Carranza.
- New tax ‘millones’ 1589 fell most heavily on poor. It and the sisa were greatly resented.
Crown expenditure
- Rose much faster than income.
- Huge sums went to army and navy eg 1571-77 11.7 million ducats went to army in Flanders.
- Had to declare bankruptcy in 1557, 1560, 1576 and 1596.
- Interest from debt absorbed half Crown income.
- Government debt 85 million ducats by 1598.
- War remained largest source of expenditure.
- Asientos (loan contracts for huge sums) used in the run up to Armada in 1588.
Were new world resources fully utilised?
- Crown entitled to 1/5 all minerals mined in NW.
- Revenue had tripled (from 90,000 p.a. of 1560s) by 1590s.
- 1576-98 - 65 million ducats in gold and silver.
- Influx of bullion helped fund military ventures.
- Inflation - 1530-1600: Spanish could afford 20% less goods.
What was the Council of Trent?
- This was a Council of the whole Catholic Church.
- Charles I had been instrumental in supporting it as he desired a clear direction for the Church and a response to Protestantism.
- It met for the first time at Trent in 1543 by Paul III, it met in 3 sessions between 1545 and 1563.
- Its key aims were to:
1. Condemn Protestantism.
2. Clarify the doctrines of the Church.
3. Deal with the corruption within the Church.
4. Introduce reforms to improve the quality of the clergy.
The Tridentine decrees
- These reinforced the traditional foundations of Catholic doctrine: The Latin Vulgate Bible was to be the official version of scripture; the mass was the most important aspect of worship, variations in the liturgy were abolished and a new missal introduced.
- The authority and ability of the bishops were strengthened: They had to live in their benefices, hold meetings of the clergy in their areas, visit their diocese regularly, preach regularly, were responsible for the quality of those taking holy orders and that religious communities were observing their rules.
- For their part priests had to: receive more education; seminaries were set up to improve their training, preach every Sunday, provide for the Christian education of the laity, keep parish records of baptisms, marriage and deaths, remain within their parishes, stop holding a number of parishes.
- Pope Pius IV approved these in 1564. In the same year Philip approved their introduction in Spain. He also made it clear that, as the leader of the Spanish Church, he, not the Pope or his representatives, would be responsible for overseeing their introduction across Spain.
Evidence that Philip was an absolute monarch
- Central control from Madrid.
- Decline in the power of the Castilian Cortes.
- Dominance of Castile.
- Religious affairs.
Evidence that Philip was not an absolute monarch
- Continuation of the conciliar system of government.
- Rivalry and faction.
- Philip’s ‘ministries’.
- The power of the aristocracy.
- Poor communications and inefficiency.
- The system of justice.
- Lack of an imperial plan.
- The Aragon Revolt of 1590-91.
What main principles would Philip follow in carrying out his role as king?
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What were the advantages and disadvantages in Philip’s method of government?
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To what extent was the conciliar system effective?
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How effective was Philip II in dealing with the financial problems of his reign?
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How successful were the Church reforms that were introduced in Spain during the reign of Philip II?
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What were the causes of the rebellions in Granada and Aragon?
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What did Philip wish to accomplish in foreign policy? How far did he achieve his aims?
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What was Philip’s stronger motivation in deciding policy: the preservation of his empire or religion?
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What factors made it difficult for Philip to achieve his aims?
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What were the advantages and disadvantages of the Spanish Empire extending to the New World?
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Was defending his empire the main consideration during Philip’s foreign policy?
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How successful was Philip at home and abroad over the course of his reign?
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