Philip II of Spain 1527-1598

1. Philip II of Spain1527-1598 • http://www.apworldhist.com/Europe_1450_-_1750_web.ppt http://www.historyshareforum.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=1331 Richard Fitzsimmons Strathallan School

2. Overview … • Philip II of Spain has had a chequered reputation among historians, many of them polarised over his character, his policies and his legacy • For some, Philip’s reign was a ‘golden age’, and he was Spain’s greatest monarch • For others, Philip personified everything that was most sinister about Counter-Reformation Catholicism • But, it is not only the man who invites controversy – the rest of this course concentrates on the policies he pursued and the consequences of his actions – equally controversial and the subject of historical debate

3. Philip’s early life • Born in 1527, brought up in a large household of 191 – rarely alone – raised strictly by his mother (Isabel of Portugal) until her death in 1539 – father, Charles V rarely there (away 1529-33, 1535-6, 1539-41, 1543-57) • From 1535 he had his own household under his ‘governor’, Don Juan de Zuniga • A sickly child –very ill in 1535 with gastric problems – dogged him for the rest of his life – became obsessed with his health • Brought up a very devout Roman Catholic – legacy of his mother -to play an important role in later life – sometimes he confused what was for God’s cause with his own … partic. in foreign policy • Given a sense of duty and responsibility as Charles’ heir – dynastic concerns – attended Council meetings from age 12 – Regent of Spain at 16

4. Philip’s upbringing … 1 • Educated by tutor Juan Martinez de Siliceo – governor Juan de Zuniga – skilful at hiding his feelings • Primarily a Spanish emphasis in his learning – maths, architecture, geography, history, classical langs, but no contemporary langs – lack of skill in foreign langs plagued him throughout his reign.

5. Philip’s upbringing … 2 • He preferred hunting to study. • At age 14, given his own secretary – Gonzalo Perez • 1542 – made his first ‘progress’ – travelling round Castile and Aragon • 1543 – Charles left for Germany, leaving Philip behind as Regent, aided by a group of highly experienced men including the Duke of Alva, Cardinal Juan de Tavera and Francisco de Los Cobos • 1543 - Philip married Maria of Portugal (she died in July 1545 in childbirth)

6. Philip’s character … • Assessments of Philip’s character have often been influenced by historians’ own prejudices • J. L. Motley – ‘grossly licentious, cruel … a consummate tyrant’ • Henry Kamen – ‘Philip was by temperament tranquil, subdued and always in control of himself … as a person he was more gentle. He disliked war and violence…’ • They have concentrated on alleged character defects - cruelty, ambition, war-mongering, his religious obsession, his indecision etc, and rarely have achieved a balanced summary

7. Philip’s character … ‘zero-defects mentality’ or procrastinator? • One area that has been most raked over has been Philip’s seeming inability to make decisions, particularly in foreign policy. • Geoffrey Parker advances one potential explanation for this – what he calls Philip’s ‘Zero-defects mentality’ • i.e. an obsessive drive not to make mistakes, and a fear of failure – may help explain why he had an almost pathological desire to control decisions • wanted to prove himself worthy of his father Charles V, and to avoid the disgrace of failure • this could lead to periods of deep depression e.g. over the Netherlands in 1574-5, and Armada 1588.

8. Philip’s character … • How far did he depend slavishly on the advice of his father ? • He tended to withhold information from his ministers – led to confusion and perhaps competing advice • Not good at delegation – tended to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of government business • BUT, did work very long hours conscientiously, sometimes at the expense of his own health

9. Philip’s inheritance … • Philip was King of Spain, but also separately King of Aragon and Castile • Duke of Milan • King of Naples and Sicily • Ruler of Sardinia • Ruler of Franche-comte • Netherlands – multiple titles depending on each province (17) • Philip’s dominions were huge and, essentially, ungovernable as a unitary state.

11. Philip’s inheritance … problems • Philip’s dominions were huge and, essentially, ungovernable as a unitary state. • He had different titles in each state, and consequently different powers • He had to deal with a number of representative assemblies – Cortes in Castile and Aragon, States-General in the Netherlands • Each territory guarded its ‘privileges’ jealously – made collection of taxation and use of military force difficult in his many wars • The size of his empire, and the distances involved, made direct governance basically impossible and communication was extremely slow

13. Charles V’s legacy … • Charles gave Philip four sets of instructions, advising him in the art of government • Nov 1539 • May 1543 • Jan 1548 • 1556 • Of these, the 1543 instructions were probably the most important and certainly the most comprehensive • Laid down precise rules for government • Gave advice on anticipated problems • He discussed in detail the strengths/weaknesses of individual councillors • He urged Philip to avoid being identified with, or reliant on, any particular faction at court, or any individual

14. State of the Empire, 1556 … • In 1556 Charles V left an on-going war with Valois France under Henry II – not going well on the Netherlands border • War in the Mediterranean against the Turks – in uneasy abeyance in 1550s • An imperial treasury strained by almost 40 years of continuous warfare – bankruptcy was declared in 1557 (national debt 25.5 million ducats – annual income 3 million) • Military forces stretched throughout the Empire

15. Further Reading • J. Casey, ‘Philip II of Spain, the prudent King’ Teaching History 1997 • H. Kamen, Spain 1469-1714: A Society of Conflict. • H. Kamen, Philip II of Spain. • H. Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition. • J. Kilsby, Spain: Rise and Decline, 1474 - 1643. (Hodder) • A. W. Lovett, Early Habsburg Spain, 1517-1598. • J. Lynch, Spain 1516 - 98; From Nation State to World Empire. • D. McKinnon-Bell, Philip II (Hodder) • N. G. Parker, ‘Philip II of Spain – a reappraisal.’ History Today 1979 • N. G. Parker, The Grand Strategy of Philip II. • I. Thompson, War and Society in Hapsburg Spain. • G.Woodward, Philip II. (Longman, Seminar Studies) http://www.historyshareforum.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=1331