2. The Romans conquered Spain starting in 218 bc and ended
in 17bc. The kingdom of Hispana was divided into two
parts Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Citerior.
Rome improved cities and built roads in the area.
The 5th to the 8th centuries saw the Germanic tribes
invading the Iberian peninsular.
The Barbarian rule was not felt very much as they tended
not to have too much bureaucracy and did not leave much
in the way of architecture.
8th to the 15th centuries saw the Muslim conquest of the
Iberian Peninsular. Iberian Soldier
In 722 at the Battle of Covadonga the Christian forces
scored a victory over the Muslims and the Reconquista
had begun.
3. The Hapsburgs ruled over Spain during the 16th
and 17th centuries.
This is regarded as the golden age of Spain. This
was the time of empire and thus can also be
called the “Age of Expansion”
Most of the expansion took place during the
reigns of Charles V and Phillip II of Spain.
Spain was actually a confederation of kingdoms
and not one nation.
The Kingdoms that made up this confederation
were Castile, Aragon and later Portugal.
4. Charles V was also conferred the title of Holy Roman
Emperor and protector of the faith.
The Catholic Church was very powerful in Spain. The
Inquisition formed by the Catholic kings Ferdinand
of Aragon and Isabella and of Castile and continued
by their Hapsburg successors.
It became part of the government of Spain and
contributed to the downfall of the Spanish Empire
because it encouraged citizens to lie in order to gain
property. Emperor Charles V
Many Jews and Muslims were forced to convert or of Spain
leave Spain during this time.
Of those who converted many were still persecuted
by the Inquisition.
5. The conquistadors were the Spanish and
Portuguese soldiers that were the vanguard of
the conquest of the Americas by the nations
of the Iberian Peninsular.
The word conquistadors means conquerors.
These Spanish warriors were volunteers who
had to pay for their own equipment and
supplies in the beginning, but as it became
clear that there was money to be made these Conquistador
expeditions were paid for by wealthy nobles on his horse in
armor.
and merchants.
They were instrumental in the fall of the
Aztecs of Mexico and Incas in Peru.
6. Hernán Cortés was the captain of the expedition that led to the
downfall of the Aztecs.
He landed on the coast of Mexico and hearing that there was a great
city in the interior of the land decided to go to the city.
On the way he picked up a survivor who had been shipwrecked and
taken prisoner and thus knew the Mayan language.
He also acquired a slave girl called Malinche who spoke both Mayan
and the Nahuatl the language of the Mexicans.
The Steward of the Montezuma the king of Mexico met Cortes and was
given a display of guns and horse.
Some of Cortés's men wanted to leave and go back to Cuba, so Cortés
sunk his ships.
Cortés captured Montezuma, he was then expelled but he returned to
Hernan Cortes
do battle with the Aztecs.
And Montezuma
In the meantime smallpox had killed many of the people in the city.
The defenders were estimated at 300,000 people but the
conquistadores defeated them in a battle that took 80 days
They plundered the city.
There were many other famous Conquistadors such as Pedro de
Alvarado, Francisco Pizarro, Pedro de Candia to name a few. All were
7. During the time of the Hapsburg dynasty Spain was
at her zenith.
Charles V and Phillip II had control over the largest
empire of the world.
Spain’s economy was built around the silver of the
Americas and not manufacturing. The result was
massive inflation.
Because of the wars fought with France, England
and Holland Spain was bankrupted more than once.
In the 1640s the Catalonians, Neapolitans and the
Portuguese rose up in revolt.
After the Battle of Lens the Spanish gave the Dutch
independence at the Peace of Westphalia. This
marked the end of the 80 year war
England took Jamaica. The Battle of Rocroi
The Portuguese declared their independence and (1643), the symbolic
Spain had to make peace with France. end of the greatness of
On November 1 1700 the last Hapsburg died and Spain
was no longer the power it had once been. Spain.
