the height and downfall of the hapsburgs

7/29/2019 The Height and Downfall of the Hapsburgs

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The Height and Downfall of the

Hapsburgs


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Americas

Initially disappointing colonization

of the Americas proves fruitful.

- Silver discovered in Mexico

(1520)

- rapid increase of inflation inSpain, social problem but not

political

- leads to massive influx in

wealth, but economic

stagnation- Beginning of serious Spanish

economic problems

In Spain, everything is dear but

silver.


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Spains economic

problemsMore money = more wealth

But gold/silver is less valuable.

Retards economic development,no reason for industrialinvestment.

Most wealth went to publicprojects, not investment

Spain lacks sophisticated banking

system (legacy from late-development, reconquistadiverted resources)

Financiers invested gold in banksin Holland (problematic later)


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What did Charles V do

with the money?

Charles V (1519 1556)

- Not Spanish, so had difficulty

with Spain.

War with France (1521):

- Spain successfully takes N.Italy

- Papacy allies with France,

fearing Hapsburg power, Spain

sacks Rome

- forces Pope to refuse HenryVIIIs divorce (1553) (England

now enemy of Hapsburgs,

Catholic Church)

- 1548: France allies with

Ottoman Empire


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WAR!

Successful, but expensive.

- By 1528, Charles was reliant onloans from Dutch banks

- Similar loans were being madeto rising powers like England andFrance

- Spains bleeding money andenriching enemies.

1540s: Tepid alliance with England,more or less contained France

Great power struggles graduallybankrupting the Empire

But, trouble from within


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Protestant Reformation1517: Martin Luther proposes 95

theses designed to reformcorrupt Catholic Church.

- Believed that church was overlysecular, concerned with wealth,insufficiently focused on spiritualworld

- Objected to indulgences, donationto church in exchange for heavenly

consequences.

Noted: indulgences defy any logicalconcept of morality, violate severalcore principles of Catholic Doctine.

Church attempts to silence Luther

Incapable, mainly due to risingliteracy.


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Schmalkaldic League

Group of German city-states,motivated by Luthers objections

Quickly find political alignment:

- Many princes object to payingtaxes to Rome, see little value inmembership of HRE

- France immediately allies,provides military aid

Formed 1531, designed to protectLutherans, essentially pronouncesindependence from HRE

Small military force, avoids outrightantagonism of Charles V, butseizes church land, property.

Survives 1530s because Hapsburgsare distracted by other wars.


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Schmalkaldic War(1547-48) Technical Spanish success,

subdues, defeats Schmalkaldic,Lutheran territory, forces Lutheransto capitulate.

But Luthers ideas are too popular,and spread too quickly to suppresswith force.

1551: proposes Augsburg Interim,designed to reintegrate Lutheransinto Catholic Church

- Locals object

- Princes revolt, France assists

Another defeat, but more friendly toLutherans.

Peace of Augsburg (1553): recognizesLutheran church, independent ofRome

Charles retires, due to health


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Phillip II

Philip II (1556-1598): Golden Age of

the Spanish Empire but

Political legitimacy issues

- Hapsburg domains very un-united. Separate legal systems,

economies, cultures, oftenhampers Phillips ability to rule

- Absolute Monarch in name only

- Constant threat of revolts

Economic problems:- Charles Vs wars left theHapsburg Empire deeply in debt.

- New World financing military

- Spainish economy not

producing much wealth


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Defender of

ChurchSee primary duty as defending Catholic

Church

- From Ottomans, from Protestants

Success: decisively defeats Ottomans

at Battle of Lepanto (1571)

Not success: Protestantism proves un-

suppressable

- England secedes from Papal domain

(1530s)

- Protestantism in Germany,

Netherlands hobbles HRE control

- French, though Catholic, see

relgious wars, opposed to Spain


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Dutch Revolt

Dutch Revolt: (1568 - ???)

- Series of never-ending revolts led

by Protestant Princes in

Netherlands.

- Drain treasury, force Spain into

bankruptcy

- Protestants receive modest

assistance from Elizabeth I of

England

- Prompts Spanish invasion of

England (1588) wherein theSpanish fleet gets annihilated.

- Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604)

Rapid deterioration of health in 1590s,

dies (1598), son Philip III suceeds.


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Spain in 1600

Military powerful but deep economicproblems

- Attempts at reform were

unsuccessful, based on increasing

royal authority in provinces

- Couldnt overcome highlyfederalized Hapsburg system.

Famine throughout 1590s and plague

in 1600 caused further destruction.

Continued War with English, Dutch

(1609-1621) exacerbated financial

difficulties.


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Thirty Years War

1618-1648: Incredibly destructive,costly war (or series of wars)

Sparked by protestant revolt in

Bohemia (modern Czech Rep.)

Spain: worried about increasingrevolts in adjacent Hapsburg

territory

France: sought to lessen Hapsburg

power which directly surrounded it

Sweden: Sought to gain control overGerman lands

German Princes: sought

independence, religious freedom


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ResultsBad for Hapsburgs

Peace of Westphalia: essential end ofHRE, German states winsovereignty

- Netherlands, Switzerlandindependent of Hapsburgs

Portugal revolts, wins independence(Brazil out of empire)

Holland, Sweden major internationalpowers

Franco-Spanish war ends favourably

for France1) Powerful France

2) Smaller Hapsburg Lands

3) Much less colonial income

4) Loss of HRE


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Bourbons >

HapsburgsAfter defeat of Spain (1659), France is

major military super power.

1665: Charles II of Spain becomes

king, incompetent, mentally

deficient, presides over a series of

successful revolts.

France, England begin colonizing

Americas, Asia (loss of Spanish

monopoly)

Wars of Spanish succession (1700-

1719), Bourbon victory over

Spanish throne.

Hapsburg territory only in Austria


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the height and downfall of the hapsburgs

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