Spanish Empire

Spain was the center of one of the first Global Empires. During the 16th century and the next one, Spain established itself as a superpower with globe-spanning reach. Castille, along with Portugal, was in the vanguard of European global exploration and colonial expansion and the opening of trade routes across the oceans, with trade across the Atlantic between Spain and the Americas and across the Pacific between

Related Topics:
Spain - Global Empire - 16th century - Superpower - Castille - Portugal - Americas - Pacific

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East Asia and Mexico via the Philippines. Castillian and Basque Conquistadors discovered and conquered vast stretches of land and different cultures in North and South America. Its colonies sent back gold and silver to finance its military capability of Habsburg Spain in Africa and Europe. Between the incorporation of the Portuguese empire in 1580 and the loss of its American colonies from 1800 it was the largest in the world by territory even though it suffered declining and fluctuating military and economic fortunes from the 1640s. Spain dominated the oceans with its experienced navy, and its soldiers were the best trained and most feared infantry. The Spanish Empire had its cultural golden age in the 17th century.

Related Topics:
East Asia - Mexico - Philippines - Basque - Conquistador - Habsburg Spain - Africa - Europe - Portuguese empire - 1580 - Cultural golden age - 17th century

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Its vast and scattered empire meant that it was in constant contention with rival powers that caused territorial, trade and religious conflict. In the Mediterranean there were the Ottoman Turks; on the European continent, France was comparably strong. In America, Spain was initially rivalled by Portugal, and later by England; once the Dutch gained their independence from Spain, they also became contenders. Dutch, English and French sponsored piracy, overextension of its territories, and constant warring with its enemies, often simultaneously for long periods, and often religiously based, contributed to the slow decline of Spanish power. This decline culminated with the Peace of Utrecht (1713), Spain, stripped of Portugal and its territories in Italy and the Low Countries, lost most of its power, and became a second rate nation in European Continental politics. However, Spain maintained its vast overseas empire until, beginning with declarations of independence in Venezuela and Paraguay (1811), successive revolutions split away its territories on the mainland of the Americas. Nevertheless, Spain held onto significant fragments of its empire in America (Cuba and Puerto Rico), Asia (Philippines), and Oceania (Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Northern Marianas and Marshall Islands) until the Spanish-American War of 1898, and in Africa (Equatorial Guinea, North of Morocco, Western Sahara) until 1975.

Related Topics:
Mediterranean - Ottoman Turks - France - America - England - Dutch - Peace of Utrecht - 1713 - Italy - Low Countries - Venezuela - Paraguay - 1811 - Cuba - Puerto Rico - Asia - Oceania - Guam - Micronesia - Palau - Northern Marianas - Marshall Islands - Spanish-American War - 1898 - Africa - Equatorial Guinea - Morocco - Western Sahara - 1975

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