The 17th Century Spain - Decline or Triumph of a Great Power - Essay Example

? The Surprising Fact about the 17th century Spain is not so much its Decline as a Great Power but its Survival for so Long Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 8 May 2011 The surprising fact about the 17th century Spain is not so much its decline as a great power but its survival for so long. The research focuses on some of the different wars affecting Spain. The war between France and Spain ended with the signing of the Peace of the Pyrenees treaty on October 29 1659. One major benefit of engaging reason for the treaty is the death of England’s staunch commander of the English army who signed an agreement with the French to attack Spain. Spain was able to survive. The Spanish government’s decline as a great power is not as important as the how long Spain continues to survive until the end of the 17th century. Henry Arthur (1980) emphasized the English general Oliver Cromwell’s death in 1658 had inflicted a huge loss on the English Army as well as the strength of the French army. Cromwell had joined forces with the French to prevent the Stuarts from regaining the throne in England. The French were interested in the alliance because they did not want the Stuarts to return the English throne. History shows that the Stuarts did return to the English Throne in 1658 after the political turmoil that erupted in England in the same year. When King Charles II ascended the English throne, England stopped its attacks on Spain. Initially, the English commander, Cromwell, sought Catholic France’s alliance in order to defeat Catholic Spain because Cromwell believes God prefers that the Protestant religion should flourish in Europe. Cromwell initially attacked the Spanish trade and treasure routes. Cromwell tried to attack the Spanish forced on Hispaniola. However, the Cromwell attacked failed because the Spanish defensive forces in Hispaniola were too strong compared to the incoming English army. Defeated, Cromwell’s forces fled and reached the shores of Jamaica in May 1655. Overall, the English Admiral Robert Blake attacks did not completely win the war against Spain. The English – French alliance was entitled the Treaty of Paris was signed in March 1657. The treaty emphasised France will join England in attacking Spain in the battle of Flanders. The treaty specified that English will send an estimated 4,900 soldiers and France will send 19,900 soldiers to fight the Spanish soldiers. The war reached the Gravelines, Mardyck and Dunkirk localities where Spain had more gains compared to the English side. Further, during Spain’s war against England, England suffered huge losses. The Spanish counter attack had eradicated the English shipping trade. In the same light, Spain also suffered huge losses when Admiral Blake blockaded Cadiz. The blockade caused a stoppage of the Spanish economy which generated most of its cash inflows from imported silver and gold coming from the Americas. Spain’s King Philip IV was extremely worried with the English Attacks in Italy, Flanders, and Portugal. Furthermore, William Guthrie (2003) reiterated the 30 years French – Spanish war precipitated from the Habsburg rivalry. France attacked Spain at Les Avins in 1635. In response, the Spanish forces used its Southern Netherlands forces to implement speedy counter attacks on French defensive positions. The counterattacks had literally maimed the French economy. In 1643, the French army crushed the previously invincible Spanish army in Rocroi, Northern France. During this time, the Catalonia revolts and the Portuguese revolts had undermined the strength of the Spanish army. During this war, the Spanish forces were trapped between the French forces on one side and the Dutch forces on the other side. As expected, the Spanish forces were trounced by the advancing French forces at the battle of Lens. However, could not overrun the losing Spanish forces strategically entrenched in Flanders. The In the Peace of Westphalia, France was given the Alsace territory. Likewise, Spain recognized the independence of Holland. In return, Spain was paid for returning some of the territories it had captured along the Rhine region. In the 1646 battle of Turin, the French advancing forces were crushed by the Spanish Tuscan Presidios army; Turin remained under the umbrella of Spain as a result Milan war. In the 1655-1659 Milan war, the French Army made an alliance with the Duke of Modena to attack the Spanish forces in Milan. Unfortunately, the alliance was not strong enough to overpower the entrenched Spanish forces in Milan. At the same time, the disintegration of the Neapolitan revolt precipitated to the scampering (defeat) of the French army. The Spanish forces were able to take back Catalonia from the entrenched French army. The Catalan residents had shifted loyalty to the Spanish crown after suffering harsher treatment from their French invaders. Cathal Nolan (2007) reiterated the Pyrenees war saw the French army retreating from the advancing Spanish army’s overwhelming strength. In addition, John Lynn (Lynn, 2008) emphasized the decline of Spain’s military might started to wane with the signing of the Treaty of Pyreness in 1659. The time is described as the decline of the Habsburg Empire. The Habsburg had relaxed their military prowess after defeating the Turks of Vienna in 1683. The Habsburg decided to turn their current attention to engaging in their conflicts against the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans. After the death of the last Habsburg monarch, King Charles II in 1700, King Louise XIV of France propped up King Philip, his son, as the new king of Spain. Consequently, Fred Kleiner (2008) reiterated the war for the rivalry of the Spanish throne erupted. The treaty of Utrecht finally put an end to the Habsburg monarchy. However, while the French were fighting the Spanish army, the Fronde Revolt lessened the French army’s unified strength. The revolt was aimed at destabilizing the king’s authority in France. The French civil war had erupted in 1648 and continued until 1653. The civil war ended with the king’s army winning over the detractors. Consequently, the people grew tired of the civil war. This was the key that solidified King Louis XIV’s reign as Spain’s monarch. The Spanish confrontation against the French resulted in Spain having the upper hand in the battle of Flanders, Catalonia and in Italy. Consequently, the French army’s leader, Conde, defected to the Spanish army. Civil War in Spain Hugo Garcia (2009) theorized in the battle of the Barretines in Catalan, the revolt focused on destabilizing the current government of Spain’s King Charles II. The revolt was entitled the Revolt of the Gorretes. The Spanish civil war occurred on 1687 and ended on 1689. The civil war included the Spanish people’s disgust over the current taxation system. In addition, the revolt leaders voice their concern regarding the king’s prerogatives over the Catalan citizen’s nationalistic temperaments. The revolt was under the sponsorship of the French leaders. The revolt endured from 1687 to 1689. As expected, the poor sectors of Spanish society were very vocal about their complaints during the Revolt of the Gorretes time period. However, the revolt did not attract the support and loyalty of the intelligent masses, the businessmen, Barcelona residents, and most of the local government units. The Catalan revolt centered on Aragon, Valencia, Catalonia, and Balearic islands. The 1640 Catalan Spanish civil war was supported by a large group of the Spanish masses. The masses included a majority of the Spanish society. Many of the Catalan revolt leaders were charged for treason. However, the punishments handed down were lenient. Consequently Spain’s King Charles II was happy with the leniency. During this time (1660s), King Charles II was despised by the revolt members as an inefficient monarch of Spain. The king’s dull or lazy management of the country made life in Catalan boring. The boring atmosphere was one of the triggers of the Catalan civil war. King Charles II was contended to let each community handle its own affairs. Consequently, many leaders rose up to the occasion in many of the communities. For example, John Austria the Younger was very well- liked in his capacity as viceroy. He was able to prop up good residents of Aragon and Catalan into positions of power. Consequently, John of Austria Younger gained the approval of the noble leaders of Spain. In fact, Feliu de la Pena, a notable Catalan noble praised King Charles II as the best Spanish king that had ever lived. However, nature awoke the Catalan people from their current economic affluence. The locusts ravaged the farms of the Catalan residents. The locust attacks caused the drop in the current economic prosperity of Catalan residents. Spain also made alliances to get an advantage in the wars. With the souring of relations between France and Spain during the 1680s, France had inflicted defeat on Spain in the War of the Reunions which occurred between 1683 -1684. Jeremy Gray (Gray, 2008) opined the war took place in the Spanish side of the Netherlands. King Louis XIV of France was proud at the win because it was in consonance with his plan to unceremoniously grab border communities to form part of the French empire. Specifically, the King focused on amassing communities in Italy, Germany and other adjacent countries. Spain entered into an alliance with nearby countries in response to the defeats that the hands of the encroaching French armies. M Campbell (Campbell, 2008) theorized Spain joined the League of Augsburg. The league is composed of countries that include the German States and Sweden. To defend against the possible encroachment of the French army, Spain sent and estimated 2,000 plus soldiers to guard Catalonia. Consequently, the government had to generate money to feed and pay the soldiers guarding Catalonia. The government charged the Catalonia residents tax money to support the food and living quarter expenses of the soldiers. The residents complained and asked that the soldiers be removed from their village to reduce their share of feeding and housing the soldiers. In terms of Catalonia, Campbell (2008) stated Catalonia, in 1640, was not an independent state but a region defined by a common culture binding the residents. This region was composed of four administrative units in two countries. Andorra was a Catalan country that retained nominal independence due to the fact that both Spain and France possessed feudal rights of suzerainty in the land. Rossello and the Cerdanya were two very mountainous counties of northern Catalonia and marked the northeast border of Spain. The remaining portion of Catalonia, the large tract south of the Pyrenees, was called the Principat. Under the Spanish monarchy, Rossello, the Cerdanya, and the Principat were all governed by the viceroy of Catalonia. Richard Bodley Scott (2010) emphasized the French acquired all of Rossello and part of the Cerdanya at the Peace of the Pyrenees in 1659 and joined their acquisitions as the new province of Roussillon. This newly constituted French province was composed of four principal geographic regions, of which three were very similar topographically and demographically. Roussillon is the name of a broad plain lying along the Mediterranean coast. This plain constituted the entire eastern portion of the province and gave its name to both the Catalan county and the French province. Economically, politically, and demographically, the plain of Roussillon dominated the province of Roussillon throughout the Old Regime. Perpignan (population approximately 10,000), the only true city in Roussillon, is in the center of this plain and was the political center of the province and the seat of the diocese that encompassed Roussillon. Other important places in the plain of Roussillon included Collioure, Canet, and Port-Vendres, active ports along the coast, and Salces, a medieval fortress near the border with Languedoc. Most of the commerce of the province came through the ports of the plain, making the eastern quarter of the province the most prosperous region”. Specifically, David Stewart (1997;73) “emphasized Policies designed to bring Roussillon within the economic, social, political, legal, and religious orbit of France were generally unpopular with the native Roussillonnais and met with resistance. The inhabitants of the province justified this resistance in a variety of ways. They used the political argument that the government was violating the Usatges and the royal promises to respect them. The overt attempts by the French government to acculturate the province led to arguments that defense of the Catalan cultural heritage justified resistance to government directives. French religious policies led the Roussillonnais to view their new masters as poor Christians, which again excused disobedience. Certain individuals suffered economically from the French presence in Roussillon and were therefore justified in their dissatisfaction. The Spanish government and residents of the Principat also provided money, arms, and refuge to those who resisted the central government in the province. In addition to these reasons for resistance, the Roussillonnais possessed a long tradition of resistance to authorities espousing centralization and an intense hatred for the French. In terms of politics, one of the most important justifications for resisting Louis XIV's actions in Roussillon was a perception by the Roussillonnais that traditional Catalan rights were being violated by French policies. Many of the institutions introduced by the French government into the province were viewed by the inhabitants as clear usurpations of the traditional Usatges of Catalonia. According to the Constitutions of Catalonia, no new taxes could be levied upon Roussillon nor could any new political institutions be created without the explicit approval of the Courts of Roussillon, a representative body”. Treaty of Pyreneese. The treaty of Pyrenees was finally signed to end the Spanish – French war. The war had occurred from 1635 to 1659. King Louise XIV of France and King Philip IV of Spain had sent their authorized representatives to sign the treaty on Pheasant Island. The island bordered Spain and France. France started to meddle into Spain’s internal political and government affairs in 1640. The initial interference occurred by secretly funding the Catalonia revolt. At the same time, the Spanish government sent help to the Fronde civil war in France. The Peace of Westphalia treaty had been signed in 1648. France had won Alsace and Lorraine thereby stopping Spain’s access to the Netherlands via Austria. This sparked the war between Spain and France. In terms of rebellion, David Stewart (1997; 87) most of the rebels to the French encroachment of Roussillon had taken place during the first two decades of Louis XIV's personal reign, 1661-1680. Often this resistance was vividly and violently displayed, particularly during the first 20 years of French rule. There were conspiracies to give up key strong points to Spain, plans that had the active included and support of many leading citizens. An open rebellion had cropped up in the Vallespir during 1663 and ranged into other regions of the province during the year 1668. In addition to the mass revolt, there were other activities of violence and rebellion directed against the government of France by individuals acting in singular fashion. The focus of the examination of all the resistance activities, both corporate and individual, is the situation where the year 1680 is shown as a watershed in the historical destiny of the community. All the group acts of rebellion happened and had been stopped before that year, as were all the serious individual activities of rebellion. The few rebellious acts were centered against France after the 1680 had not achieved its goal of generating any popular support and had been seen as more a disturbance than threat by the Sovereign Council. A research of the diverse forms of open resistance against France in Roussillon indicates that government of France was initially unpopular to the people. Likewise, France had finally succeeded in transforming that same governance into a palatable scene. French Success and Failure David Stewart (131) further stated the government of France was finally successful in removing the open hurdles to their command in Roussillon. After 1680 it had become vividly clear that they had reached one of their objectives in the region, political assimilation. Likewise, the government of France was not successful in acculturating Roussillon residents. Throughout the kingship of King Louis XIV, and much of the Old Regime era, the province continued its prior Catalan cultural identity. The identity included the residents’ language, traditions, food, clothing, and social habits continued to be derived from Catalan standards. In terms of the residents’ acceptance of French Rule, the year 1680 had vividly stood out between two eras in the history of French Roussillon. Before 1680, the revolts that occurred included the revolt of the Angelets, the conspiracies in Villefranche and Perpignan, and most of the active forms of resistance to France. Further, several of the activities of passive rebellion to French government’s rule, as separate from French culture, had cropped up before the year 1680. After that date French political authority was safely put into place in Roussillon, as French political symbols had become a largely normal occurrence in the province, the Roussillonnais had offered their free services to serve as part of the contingent force under the French armies, and few aids had been shown for conspiracies crafted against the rule of Louis XIV. The first 20 years after the grabbing of Roussillon by France had witnessed strong opposition both to the rule of the government of France in the province as well as the French attempts to introduce their culture into the region. Also, the untimely murder of Don Emanuel de Sant-Dionis as well as the subsequent investigations had unfolded from 1661 until 1667. The Angelet revolt started in 1661 and went on unabated until the year 1679. The plots in Villefranche and Perpignan had cropped up during the year 1674, and the resulting investigations had prolongs the investigations until 1679. The wars at Ayguatebia and Massenette during 1675 and 1677, respectively, also had fallen within the first 20 year time period. The clerical controversies had affected Jeroni Lleopart, Jean Louis de Brueil, and Josep de Trobat all ended before 1674. Furthermore, David Stewart (113) reiterated “other forms of resistance to the French Rule In addition to revolts, conspiracies, and espionage, French rule in Roussillon was also resisted by less violent activities such as non-payment of taxes, refusing to associate with French immigrants, harassing French officials, and a variety of other means. Leading nobles and other persons of means emigrated throughout the first years after the French annexation. The lower clergy of the province demonstrated hostility to their new masters by rejecting French appointees, appealing to foreign clerical hierarchies, and aiding and encouraging the peasants to resist the French government”. The lowly laymen were bent on joining the rebellion against the French take over of their part of the community, Roussillon. They had proposed their economic contacts with Catalonia, had glaringly discriminated against neighbors of France, and were generally slow to comply with their responsibility to pay their taxes on time. In addition, the municipal and provincial leaders had at times displayed many of forms of resistance by not accepting the role of putting into place the many reasons to refuse the implementation of some tax-related laws and edicts from the French government. All of the above resistance groups had joined the resistance, often for diverse reasons and to differing course offerings, but all had finally reach the point of accepting French rule in Roussillon, even while rejecting French culture. In terms of emigration, one of the first forms of rebellion that had cropped during the research had shown the residents of Roussillon (Roussillonnais) after the signing of the Peace of the Pyrenees peace treaty was emigration from the province to Spanish Catalonia. There are no exact information because of the data concerning the number of persons who fled Roussillon. However, it is estimated that there was an estimated approximately 2,000 people left the province after it was ceded to France. The most important foundation of this emigration was the rural nobility that included the Baron Alemany de Cervellon, the Baron de Saint-Marsal, the Comte de Plaisance, the Seigneur de Llupia, and the Vicomte de Juch. Further another slightly less important group that experienced a significant emigration was the bourgeoisie of Perpignan. Many members of both groups stayed under the safety of Spain’s monarchial rule rather than accept French rule over the Roussillon community. Spain suffered losses during the 17th century. Blake blockaded the Spanish port of Cadiz and captured a galleon of treasure worth more than ?1,990,000 in 1656. In April 1657, Blake had vanquished an entire Spanish treasure fleet, the West India, when it had moored in Santa Cruz pier. Happily for the Spanish government had already unloaded its treasures before the attacks. Based on the above discussion, the surprising fact about the 17th century Spain is not so much its decline as a great power but how it has survive several wars is more noteworthy. The different wars clearly affected Spain. Spain was able to win some battles and loss others. The above discussion clearly shows that Spain was never defeated in battle because the wars ended with a treaty that gave concessions to Spain. Indeed, the Spanish government’s decline as a great power is not as significant as the how long Spain continues to carry on until the end of the 17th century. REFERENCES Arthur, H. (1980). Spain in the Later 17th Century. London: Longman Press. Campbell, M. (2008). European History. London: REA Press. Garcia, H. (2009). Spanish Civil War. London: Sussex Press. Gray, J. (2008). The Netherlands. London: Lonely Planets Press. Guthrie, W. (2003). The later 30 years War . London: Greenwood Press. Kleiner, F. (2008). Garner's Art Through the Ages. London: Western Perspective Press. Lynn, J. (2008). The French Wars 1667-1714. London: Greenwood Press. Nolan, C. (2007). Wars of the Age of King Louis XIV 1650-1715. London: Greenwood Press. Scott, R. (2010). Wars of Religion: Western Europe 1610-1660. London: Osprey Press. Stewart, D. (1997). Assimilation and Acculturation in 17th Century Europe. London: Westport Press. Read More