THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM:

THE HAPSBURG EMPIRE

CHARLES V
Gaining Land:
Inherited Holy Roman Empire and its Hapsburg colonies
from his grandparents
Inherited Spain and the Netherlands (Holland) from
his other grandparents.
German princes elected him King (ruler of

Germany).

CHARLES V
Religion:
He was a devout Catholic- he tried unsuccessfully to get
German princes to accept the Popes authority and
to convert to Catholicism.
He signed the Peace of Augsburg allowing German
princes to choose their official religions within their territories(mainly

Catholic or Lutheranism

CHARLES V
Wars:
Fought the French for control of Italy(and won).
Staved off Ottoman Empire invasions on the Eastern
frontier in the Balkans, successfully holding the key city of Vienna
against a long siege.

CHARLES V
Splitting an Empire:
Charles V gave up his throne and split his Holy Roman Empire
between his brother Ferdinand I and son, Philip II
Ferdinand received Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.
Philip II became ruler of Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and
the American colonies.

PHILIP II
Religion:
Sees restoring the glory of the Catholic Church as his goal.
Sends Jesuit priests across Europe to try to convert Protestants back to Catholicism.

Cracks down on Protestants in the Netherlands, but causes a rebellion there and he
loses control of several Dutch provinces who become an independent Holland.
Sends the Spanish Armada against England in an effort to force that nation back to
Catholicism- but his navy is defeated by more agile, faster English ships and a storm in

the English Channel.

PHILIP II
Economy:
The New World colonies are seen mainly as a source of wealth
The vast amount of gold and bullion flowing into the Spanish

economy causes a rise in prices, or inflation.

Spaniards begin buying cheaper goods from outside of the country and money
thus flows out of Spain.
This lopsided balance of trade causes Spain to

eventually to lose its position as a world power.