The late Habsburgs delegaed their authority in their "validos"
Duke of Lerma: Philip III's valido. Peace policy in order to recover the crown's finances
COunt-Duke of Olivares: Philip IV's valido: involved Spain again in wars, provoked the reaction of Portugal and Catalonia with the Unión de Armas, failiure in his financial reforms
1609: expel of the moriscos
Revolts in Portugal and Catalonia: Portugal would end up becoming independent in 1668.
Economic crisis
Decrease in agricultural and livestock production
Less demand=fall in crafts prduction
Decrease in trade with the Americas because of the interference of English and Dutch piracy
Charles II died without children
Died in 1700 naming Philip of Boubon his heir
Spanish War of Succession (1700-1713)
End of Spanish hegemony
1609: 12 years' Truce with the United Provinces (Holland)
1621: Spain intervenes in the Thirty Years' War (1618-48) against German Protestant Princes
France ended up involved in the war
1659: Peace of the Pyrenees. Spain ceded several European territories to France
Spain lost its position as a main European power
1648: Peace of Westphalia: Spain recognized the independence of the United Provinces
Absolutism in France
Absolutism defended the right of kings to hold the 3 powers because God had chosed them to exercise unlimited power
Louis XIV, The Sun king (1643-1715)
His ministers had to ask for his approval on any decission
Controlled the nobles in the court
Promoted political centralisation
Imposed religious unity
Consolidated France's hegemony by fighting and allying with Spain and conquering territories in Quebec
Economic reforms
Royal factories
Trading companies
Custom duties+regulations
The Dutch republic
Independent in 1648
Great economic power due to their trade
Important trading companies
Worked as intermediaries
Parliamentary republic
Important bourgeoisie
Took control of the Parliaments
7 provinces= 7 parliaments
States General: representatives of each province met to take important decisions
England
Beginning of 17th century: the Stuarts attempted to govern GB+Ireland as absolute monarchs
Revolution in 1642
Civil War in 1642 that ended with the Stuart dynasty
Charles I was executed
Dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Parliament
Restoration of monarchy after Cromwell's death in 1660
1688: Glorious Revolution
Deposition of king James II
Approval of the Bill of Rights
restricted the king's power
set out rights of the Parliament
Foundations of the separation of powers
They wanted to impose Catholic views over Scottish calvinists and anglican English population