GREAT EMPIRES SERIES
SPAIN!
By Jaron Pak
Europe is filled with a rich antiquity. Dozens of countries have crowded themselves into this land and each has made for itself quite a history. A history of love and war, of religion and of invention, they have fought for and against each other for thousands of years. Great empires like Greece and Rome, England, France, Germany, and Spain have risen and fallen. Greece was made famous under Alexander the Great while Rome saw powerful figures such as the Caesars. England and France, ever pitted against one another over the centuries, combined together to defeat Germany in two World Wars, but there was another country whose prowess and power was greatly feared for many years. This was Spain. Spain also had her “Golden Age,” and it is that that we will focus on today.
The country of Spain lies below France and is situated on the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Portugal. Her borders are close to Africa and touch both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It was from the Mediterranean Sea that the Greeks and Phoenicians first began to arrive on her shores around 1100 BC, although the exact date, and indeed, the exact century as to their arrival varies. The Iberians, one of the main peoples living there at that time, found themselves under pressure from the foreigners and soon many of them were conquered by the invaders. The Celts also began to move into Spain from the north, further weakening the local inhabitants. Some major cities were founded at this time, such as modern day Cadiz, which was a strong Phoenician trading post.
Despite these early struggles, the first serious conquerors of the Spanish Peninsula were the Carthaginians. Carthage was one of the earliest major threats to Rome and her colonies in Spain grew over several centuries. They served as a springboard for the invasion of Italy by one of history’s most famous generals, Hannibal Barca. During the second Punic War, Hannibal was finally defeated in 202 BC in the battle at Zama, and Carthage itself was defeated. With Carthage gone, her Spanish colonies were taken by Rome.
The Peninsula flourished under Roman rule and law for nearly six hundred years. Known as the province of Hispania during this time, Roman culture fully captivated her inhabitants. Cities and roads were built and great knowledge was spread. The Latin language was introduced along with religion, as the Christian church began to grow. Then, in the beginning of the fifth century, the Visigoths invaded. By 409 AD they had conquered the bulk of Spain. They ruled until 711 AD. Then came the Moors.
The Moors lived in Africa and they came sweeping across the straights between Africa and Spain in 711 AD. They quickly conquered Spain and set up their own rule. Thus began a period of nearly 800 years of Moorish control. The Moors were Muslim, but even though their religion differed from that held by most of the inhabitants, they allowed Christians and Jews at first to live in relative peace. However, not all of Spain was conquered and a few of the northern Christian kingdoms survived the invasion. They did not remain on the defensive, but quickly began to attack the invaders in an attempt to retake their lost country. The Moors were also turned back by Charles Martel in 732 AD and denied entry into France. The Islamic rule in Spain was long, but it slowly started to decay and the harsh treatment of other religions by the Muslims also intensified as time went on. Eventually the Islamic rulers broke up into smaller, weaker factions, hastening their defeat. All the while the Christians in the north continued to retake their old land. The Reconquista, it was called. It was a movement to expel the Moors and retake Spain for the Christian world. Some major characters emerged during this era such as the national Spanish hero, El Cid. There was seldom a complete peace on the borders, and slowly and painfully the Muslims lost ground.
In 1469 AD Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile married, thus unifying two of the strongest Christian factions in Spain and bringing a unified force and mind to the Reconquista. Finally, in 1492 AD, after nearly continuous war for years beyond count, Granada, the last Moorish stronghold, fell to the Christian armies. The Reconquista was complete and Spain was well on her way to becoming one of the most powerful countries in Europe.
It was in 1492 AD that another great event happened, more important than the expulsion of the Moors from Spain. Christopher Columbus, backed by Spanish power and gold, discovered the Americas. In the following years Spain sponsored numerous explorers and conquistadors, professional explorer-soldiers, to explore the new land. Included were men such as Ferdinand Magellan, the explorer made famous by his attempt to circumnavigate the globe, Hernando Cortez, the conqueror of the Aztec Empire in Mexico in 1519-21 AD, and Francisco Pizarro, who kidnapped the emperor of Peru and held him for a massive ransom. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, who discovered the Pacific Ocean, was also among them, as well as Hernando De Soto and Cabeza de Vaca who explored more northerly directions such as Florida and Texas.
With all of these explorers out discovering and conquering new lands, Spain began to grow more powerful and, especially, more wealthy. The 16th century would mark Spain’s most powerful moments in history. The Hapsburg monarchy ruled for most of this time, the most famous of her kings being Charles I (The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). King Charles I inherited the crown from his grandfather, Ferdinand II, in 1516 AD and led Spain into her “Golden Age.” He also ruled the Holy Roman Empire along with numerous smaller provinces throughout Europe. During this time, with gold pouring in from the New World, her culture flourishing, and her armies and navies unmatched in strength, Spain became one of the most powerful countries in Europe. Indeed, there were few with strength enough to challenge her. However, in 1556 AD King Charles abdicated his throne to two men. His brother, Ferdinand I, became ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, while his son, Philip II, ruled Spain.
Under King Philip II, Spain suffered a crushing blow to her sea power. In 1588 AD the English achieved the impossible by destroying the famous Spanish Armada that was attacking her shores. After this Spain never again was as powerful on the sea. Throughout the following century her strength was slowly sapped by wars with various European countries and the costs of maintaining her international power, which dwindled in spite of all she did to preserve it. Finally, from 1701 AD-1714 AD the War of Spanish Succession took place, by the end of which her international power had been reduced to nearly nothing. After the death of the childless Charles II, the last Hapsburg king, several claims to the throne were made and in the end Spain was stripped of her previous prowess and glory.
In 1808 Napoleon would set up his brother, Joseph, as king of Spain but the Spanish people did not accept this and rose against him. After five years of war he was overthrown. The 19th century was marked by internal conflict and the loss of the last of Spain’s overseas claims. The final blow was the loss of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba in the 1898 Spanish-American War.
Spain crept into the 20th century, a shadow of her previous self. She still possessed her homeland, but internal struggles and wars continued to plague her. She remained neutral throughout WWI and fought a little in WWII but never again would she rise in power as great as that seen in her “Golden Age.”
Christianity was a key factor in the growth of Spain as a world power. It had good effects as well as bad ones, but one of the most noticeable is certainly a dark one, the Spanish Inquisition. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, devoted Catholic Monarchs, united Spain and expelled the Muslim invaders, but it was at the cost of religious freedom. Once the peninsula was largely in their hands they began, in 1478 AD, the persecution of all Muslims and Jews remaining among them. They were accused of being heretics and of adhering to their faith and their people, and therefore were a threat to the country. They were given the choice to convert or leave. Torture was common and many dark and evil things took place under the authority of the Inquisition. This went on for many years and eventually spread to the persecution of Protestants. The horrors and bloodshed would not completely stop until 1834 AD, more than three hundred and fifty years after it began, a sad chapter, indeed, in both Spanish and church history. Now it has become very clear that forcing another person to believe in God is wrong and should never be done. God gave us the ability to choose freely what we believe, and that choice should be controlled by no man but ourselves.
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
(CAVEAT: Please be aware that we have not pursued these links fully. There may be material unsuitable within the site, such as nudity in the paintings. Be cautious and look through the links to see if they will be acceptable for your family use!)
Geography of Spain:
http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/spain-information/geography.htm
Timeline of Spain:
http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/spain-information/history.htm
Spanish Artists:
Create your own Picasso!: http://www.mrpicassohead.com/create.html
Salvador Dali Painting Gallery: http://www.3d-dali.com/gallery-IV-b.html
Online flashcards: Learn your numbers in Spanish:
http://www.jvlnet.com/~liliana/Spanish_Numbers.html
Bull fighting has been a part of Spanish history for centuries!: http://www.escuelai.com/spanish_magazine/bullfight.html
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/bullfight/
http://www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com/history-of-bullfighting.html
PRINTABLES:
The History of Spain in Pictures
According to what you read in the article above, cut out the pictures of people and events in Spain's history and adhere them to the master page! A teacher key is provided with the correct placement.
Mapping Spain!
Maps are provided both with labels and without labels or a title, so you can create your own boundaries or add information, depending on which time in Spain's history you choose to study!
Maps provided by our NEW "Olde World Style: WORLD MAPS" set!
http://www.hands-onteachingtips.com/newsletter/HistoryOfSpain-1.pdf
http://www.hands-onteachingtips.com/newsletter/SpainPortugal-Map.pdf
http://www.hands-onteachingtips.com/newsletter/SpanishRecipes.pdf
