For hundreds of years, Spain was ruled by outsiders including the Visigoths, the Moors and the Romans.
Even in the late 1400s, Spain was really several nation-states. But within half a century, Spain became a massive power with a far-flung empire.
The most important step in the creation of the Spanish empire came in 1469, when Prince Ferdinand of the kingdom of Aragon married Princess Isabella of Castile. The two kingdoms controlled nearly all of what today is modern Spain.
The two moved quickly to establish a strong army and drive out unfriendly forces. In 1492, the Spanish army defeated the last of the Moorish forces.
The same year, the couple agreed to underwrite an expedition by Christopher Columbus to search for another route to the riches of Asia.
His discovery of the New World touched off a half-century of exploration and conquest.
Ponce de Leon discovered Florida in 1512. Vasco Nunez de Balboa marched across Central America in 1513 and discovered the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean.
In 1521, Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztec empire of Mexico, and in 1533 the vast Inca kingdom of South America fell to Francisco Pizarro.
By 1550, Spain controlled Mexico, Central America, most of the Indies and the southern third of what is now the United States.
Spain was equally ambitious in Europe: Spanish armies invaded and conquered part of Italy, northern Africa, the Canary Islands and a French province.
In 1516, Charles I became king of Spain. He was the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, and had been the ruler of what are today Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Those lands became part of the Spanish empire.
In 1519, Charles increased his power even more by becoming the Holy Roman emperor, with domain over much of central Europe.
His son, Philip II, became king in 1556 and increased the empire even more. He took control of Portugal in 1580 and then the Philippine Islands.
Spain was the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world in the late 1500s. But the seeds of decline already had been planted.
To control its empire, Spain needed a large and expensive army. The constant wars proved costly.
Philip decided that the way to preserve the empire was to expand it. He turned to England, declaring war against the British in 1588.
Spain had all the advantages, including the world’s largest navy, with 130 ships. But the war was determined not by the number of ships, but the weather. In a storm, the British led by Sir Francis Drake destroyed nearly half of the Spanish Armada.
After Philip, Spain suffered through a series of weak rulers. Internal problems increased as did the threat from other countries.
The situation became so bad that Portugal declared its independence and France seized control of several Spanish provinces. Spain, once the richest nation in the world, became one of the poorest.
The French threat became so great that King Charles II appointed a French duke as heir to the Spanish throne. In 1700, the duke became the king of Spain.
For many Spanish citizens, rule by a French aristocrat was too much. A civil war broke out that soon involved other nations. The 13-year-war eventually involved England, France and the Netherlands.
When the shooting stopped, the French duke kept the throne, but Spain had to give up all of its European territories along with the island of Gibraltar. But the series of French nobles who ruled Spain during the 1700s turned out to be an improvement for the nation.
In the New World, Spain gradually lost control of its territories both to internal movements for independence and to the British, French and Dutch who seized what had been Spanish possessions.
In 1763, Spain lost Florida to the British, but regained it 20 years later. By the early 1800s, Spain was too weak to hold on to Florida, and turned it over to the United States.
By the late 1800s, the Spanish empire was left with just Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In the Spanish-American War of 1898, Spain lost those three territories. Its 400-year-old empire was over.
As a historian specializing in the rise and fall of empires, particularly focusing on Spain's expansive history, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge backed by extensive research and a deep understanding of primary sources. My expertise is rooted in the analysis of political, social, and economic factors that shaped Spain's trajectory from a collection of nation-states to a global empire, and subsequently, its decline.
The transformation of Spain from a fragmented entity in the late 1400s to a formidable global power within half a century is a fascinating tale of strategic alliances, military prowess, and exploration. The pivotal event in this narrative occurred in 1469 when Prince Ferdinand of Aragon married Princess Isabella of Castile, unifying two powerful kingdoms that controlled the majority of modern-day Spain. This union laid the foundation for the creation of the Spanish empire.
The strategic moves by Ferdinand and Isabella to establish a robust military and drive out opposing forces set the stage for Spain's expansion. In 1492, the defeat of the Moorish forces marked a significant victory, coinciding with the underwriting of Christopher Columbus's expedition. This exploration led to the discovery of the New World, triggering an era of exploration and conquest.
Notable expeditions and conquests followed, such as Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida in 1512, Vasco Nunez de Balboa's march across Central America in 1513, and Hernando Cortes's conquest of the Aztec empire in 1521. By 1550, Spain controlled vast territories in the Americas, including Mexico, Central America, and the southern part of the present-day United States.
Simultaneously, Spain extended its influence in Europe, with military campaigns in Italy, northern Africa, the Canary Islands, and a French province. The ascension of Charles I in 1516 and his subsequent becoming the Holy Roman emperor in 1519 expanded Spain's dominion over central Europe.
However, the seeds of Spain's decline were sown amid the constant wars and the need for a large, expensive army to control its vast empire. The reign of Philip II saw Spain at its zenith, but attempts to preserve and expand the empire, including the ill-fated war against England in 1588, contributed to its eventual decline.
Subsequent weak rulers, internal strife, and external threats from other nations further weakened Spain. The 1700s witnessed a series of challenges, including a civil war and the loss of European territories. Despite appointing a French duke as the heir to the Spanish throne in 1700, Spain faced internal and external conflicts that ultimately led to the loss of European territories and Gibraltar.
By the late 1800s, Spain's once-mighty empire had dwindled to just Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The Spanish-American War in 1898 resulted in the loss of these remaining territories, marking the end of Spain's 400-year-old empire.
In summary, Spain's rise and fall as a global power are intricately woven with political maneuvers, military conquests, and external pressures, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of empire-building and the complexities of maintaining such vast dominions over the centuries.
