Philip_II

Editors: Christy and Tammy = = =//Timeline of Philip II's Reign// =  -1527: Philip II was born in Spain. -1543: A law was passed that stated Philip II the would grant audience to everyone, regardless of rank. -1556: Charles V, Philip's father, abdicates, and Phillip II crowned sovereign king of Spain. -1559: Philip II forces the French to recognize all Spanish rights to land in both The Low Countries and Italy. -1564: Being a devout catholic, Philip II joins the Council of Trent, which led a crusade against Protestantism aligned with the Holy Roman Empire. -1566: Philip II imposes taxes that restrict the protestant population of the Netherlands. -1570: Philip II begins plotting Elizabeth I's death with Mary Queen of Scots. -1571: Philip II's Army defeats the Turks at Lepanto, a major military victory against the powerful militaristic Ottoman Empire. -1580: Portugal is incorporated into the Spanish Empire. -1586: The English join the Low Countries' cause against Philip II's religious crusade against protestantism. -1588: Spanish Armada defeated by England, this begins the downward slope of power. -1598: Philip II dies of cancer, his kingdom is bankrupt and no longer the strongest monarchy.

=//Quotes //= "You may assure His Holiness, that rather than suffer the least damage to religion and the service of God, I would lose all my states and a hundred lives, if I had them; for I do not propose nor desire to be the ruler of heretics."

"O how small a portion of earth will hold us when we are dead, who ambitiously seek after the whole world while we are living."

=//Accomplishments// = Philip II was a deeply religious catholic, who was involved with the Spanish Inquisition and attempted to stop acts of religious heresy when the Religious Reformation was spreading. He joined the Holy League aligned with the Holy Roman Empire to combat Protestantism and also defeated the Ottoman Turks in 1571. His greatest accomplishment was his buildup of the Spanish Armada, which rose to be to the best navy in the world, at least until 1588 with its defeat at the hands of the English. Also, Philip II inherited the Portuguese throne in 1580 and his empire was expanded exponentially. His control of the New World gold trade allowed for new prosperity for a while and created a confident expansionist foreign policy. The control of the influx of gold led to his own increased prestige, and Philip's presence was felt throughout all of Europe. His was the most powerful monarchy, and Spain reached its height of power, at least for the first two-thirds of his reign.

However, although Philip II achieved a power status for Spain previously unseen, by the end of his reign Spain was in a decline that's effects can still be seen on Spanish society today. His accomplishments are few, and by the end of his reign, Spain was had declared bankruptcy three times during his reign alone. It is perhaps his expenditure with the buildup of the ultra-powerful Spanish Armada that created this debt, as well as spiraling inflation from the influx of New World metals being set loose into the Spanish economy. Even still, Philip II had a vast empire, stretching all the way to the New World where his mercantilistic approach contributed successfully to the Spanish gold trade. It mattered not that Philip II ran a paper and pen government, as a reclusive man. He was larger than life and his influence was felt all over Europe, whether he was policing Catholicism or instilling fear with his impressive Armada.

=//Background //= § The middle class was non-existent in Spain during this time period. § Peasants were poor, did the dirty work, and were looked down upon by the rest of the people in Spain. § The nobles were treated fairly and had opinions that were heard throughout the poorly ruled country. § Peasants were of no importance to anyone except to do the work that nobles thought were above them. || § King Philip II's greatest strength and flaw was that he could not keep his foreign policy separate from his religious views. § It remained the sole aim of the absolute monarch to destroy Protestantism in the name of Catholicism, which remained the catalyst for his foreign policy throughout his reign. § Catholic views made King Philip determined to put down Protestant movements in the Netherlands. § It was Elizabeth I’s religious views that prompted Philip's disastrous moves which meant to undermine England, including his plot with Mary Queen of Scots to murder Elizabeth. § The loss of the Netherlands crippled the economy and led to a downward spiral. || § By 1598, Spain was essentially a bankrupt nation due to Philip II's slow drain on the economy. § Before Philip II's inheritance, Spain was the most powerful in all of Europe with virtually no economic problems. § Spain's wealth was directly linked to the precious metals from the Americas. § Spain's main source of wealth was unstable because the native peoples began to realize the value of their goods and tried to fight off Spanish exploitation, as well as other European countries encroaching on this territory. § Because 68% of revenue in Spain during Philip II's reign was used to pay astronomical war debts, Spain was later crippled because of a lack of industrialization. ||
 * **Social** || **Political** || **Economical** ||
 * § During Philip II’s rule, Spain’s social class consisted of peasants and nobles.

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NOW TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

1. Which of the following was Philip II involved in? a) The Crusades b) The Triple Entente c) Council of Trent d) The Three Emperors League

2. What country did Phillip II rule? a) The Netherlands b) Spain c) France d) Afghanistan

3. With whom did Phillip II plot Elizabeth I’s death? a) Sir Francis Drake b) Charles V c) Mary Queen of Scots d) His servants

4. In what year was the Spanish Armada defeated by England? a) 1566 b) 1418 c) 1588 d) It never happened

5. Which of the following was most likely the impetus for the decline of Spanish prestige? a) The Spanish Armada’s defeat at the hand’s of England. b) The territorial loss of the Netherlands. c) Spiraling inflation as a result of the influx of New World precious metals. d) All of the above.

6. What was the social structure of Spain during Phillip II rules? a) A dominating Aristocracy coupled with a peasant majority, virtually no middle class b) A vocal, dominating Bourgeoisie c) Mass amount of Proletariat with a small aristocracy and peasantry d) White collar employees

7. What religious doctrine was Phillip II? a) Calvinism b) Catholicism c) Luther d) Buddhist

8. Spain’s wealth: a) was directly related to the gold trade b) was in decline throughout his entire reign c) prospered and flourished through the 1580s d) both a and b

9. In 1571, Phillip II defeated a) The Ottoman Empire b) England c) Scotland d) The Netherlands

10. Who said the following quote?

“O how small a portion of Earth will hold us when we are dead who ambitiously seek after the whole world while we are living.”

a) Martin Luther b) Elizabeth I c) Charles V d) Phillip II

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS IN THE DISCUSSION TAB under "Quiz Answers"

SOURCES: Douglas, Carl.__Kung Fu Fighting__. 1974. Elizabethan World. Detroit: The Thomson Corporation, 2007. encarta.msn.com. 11 Feb. 2009 . Jokinen, Anniina. “Philip II, King of Spain (1527-1598).” __Luminarium Encyclopedia Project__. 28 Sept. 2006. 24 Feb. 2009 . “Philip II.” __Catholic Encyclopedia__. 2009. 24 Feb. 2009 . questia.com. 11 Feb. 2009 . Rew, Kimberley.__Walking On Sunshine__. 1985 TePaske, John J., and John C. Rule. The Character of Philip II. United States: D.C. Heath and Company, 1966.