Philip II of Spain
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Philip II of Spain was a devout Catholic who ruled over the vast Spanish Empire in the 16th century. He believed Protestant ideas were heretical and had thousands of Dutch people condemned as heretics and burned at the stake. While some merchants grew rich from New World silver, most Spaniards suffered from inflation and poverty. Philip invested heavily in art and architecture like the enormous El Escorial monastery, yet this contributed to Spain's growing financial troubles. His neglect of the economy and reliance on silver led Spain to bankruptcy by the late 1500s.
Philip II of Spain
- 1. Philip II of Spain David Kim Philip Cho
- 2. Who is Philip II? Philip II of Spain The Spanish Empire in 15th century The absolute monarch who ruled the massive Spanish Empire
- 3. Religious Persecution Philip II was devout Catholic . He considered Protestant ideas rebellious. Philip condemned Dutch people to death as heretics. (18,000 died; 100,000 fled) Auto da fé ceremony: Hundreds of Protestants were publicly burned to death.
- 4. Widening Disparity Silver from the Americas made some merchants rich, but it also caused inflation . Most Spanish people suffered from high food price (50-100% ↑ ). Fast population growth caused more poverty in cities.
- 5. Philip as a Great Patron of Art Philip wanted to improve the arts of Spain, which was far behind the other European countries. He imported foreign scholars, technicians and artists to make cultural progress. (NO policy of isolation) First ecologist ruler in Europe – All his residences were developed with surrounding nature in mind.
- 6. The Escorial Royal monastery and residence Philip wanted his residence to become as beautiful as the palaces of other countries Philip showed an absolute interest in the project. Enormous amount of money & effort were put in the construction (contributing to bankruptcy !)
- 7. Picture of the Escorial
- 8. Philip as a Great Collector He had an endless curiosity about all aspects of art, science, and culture. He collected enormous amount of art pieces in the Escorial library. (including the works by Titian, El Greco, Velázquez and Goya)
- 9. Spanish Economy under Philip Philip II neglected the internal economy in favor of slivers from Latin America. Little industry / Deteriorating agriculture Heavy taxes on peasants; No tax on nobles & clergies In 1598 Spain went bankrupt .
- 10. Philip II’s Government Believed in divine right and exercised absolute power. Developed regional governments with viceroys (tightly controlled by Philip II) Corruption – sale of offices Nothing could be done with-out his explicit approval Decision making took very long. Philip II Viceroys
- 11. Expanding Spain’s Border Portugal Philippines Coasts of Africa (Portugal) Mexico Peru Brazil (Portugal) Caribbean
- 12. Spanish Armada England supported piracy & Dutch revolt to check Spain’s rising power. Philip waged Armada to conquer England (20,000+ soldiers) Faster English ships defeated lumbering Spanish ships.
- 13. Resources Hilliam, David. Philip II: King of Spain and leader of the counter-reformation . New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2005. “Escorial Library.” Nationmaster . 13 Nov 2008. <http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Escorial-Library>. Hume, Martin. Philip II of Spain . New York: Macmillan, 1906. Kamen, Henry. Philip of Spain . London: Yale University Press, 1997.