Philippe II of Spain , born the May 21st 1527 with Valladolid and dead the September 13rd 1598 with the palate of Escurial, is king of Spain of 1555 to its death, and king of Portugal as from 1580; it is a Spanish prince of the house of Habsbourg.

Ascent

He is the son of the Germanic Roman Emperor Charles Quint (1500 - 1558) and of Isabelle of Portugal (1503 - 1539).

Marriages and descent

In 1543, it Marie with her paternal and maternal cousin Manual Marie of Portugal which dies shortly after the birth of their son Don Carlos of Spain (1545 - 1568).

In 1554, it marries Marie I {{Re}} of England (1516-1558), girl of Henri VIII and Queen of England of 1553 to 1558, but it is not a popular marriage. With the assistance of the Spaniards, it tries to restore the Catholicisme her mother Catherine d' Aragon abolished by her father Henri VIII which founded the Anglicanisme, and much of Anglicans are put at death.

It remarie in third weddings on June 22nd 1559 with Elisabeth de France, girl of Henri II and Catherine de Médicis, following the Treated of Cateau-Cambrésis between Spain and France. It is during the festivities of this marriage that Henri II dies tragically.

Elisabeth becomes queen of Spain and puts at the world two children:

Isabelle Claire Eugenie (Segovia, August 12th, 1566; † Brussels, December 1st, 1633). Married on April 18th, 1599 with the archduke Albert de Habsbourg (1559 † 1621), it was governor of the Netherlands, countess of Burgundy and countess of Charolais.

Catherine Michele (Segovia, October 10th, 1567; † Turin November 6th, 1597), married in 1585 with Charles-Emmanuel Ier (1562 † 1630), duke of Savoy.

Philippe II remarie in 1570 with his/her niece, the archduchess Anne of Austria de Hasbourg (1549 - 1580) with which it has a heir, Philippe de Hasbourg, the future Philippe III (1578 - 1621) which succeeds to him.

Reign

In 1556, after the abdication of his/her father and his retirement with the monastery of Yuste, Philippe became king d' Espagne (1556 - 1598), without counting many other titles, while the prince-voters of the Saint Worsens Roman Germanic carried at their head the younger brother of Charles Quint, Ferdinand I {{er}} (1503 - 1564), following the efforts of the Ligue of Heidelberg in order to prevent the election of Philippe II with this dignity.

Colonial empire

Under the reign of Philippe II, the Filipino (named in its honor) are conquered and of the colonies are established in North America (Florida). The transpacific trade between Asia and America (see the Galion of Manila, which is the vector during three centuries) begins in 1565.

The lowering of France

Philippe II continues the conflict against France started by his father Charles Quint. Its reign starts on a prestigious event which inaugurates the advent of the century of Spanish gold: the battles of Saint-Quentin (1557) where Philippe crushes the French very easily. This battle of great importance in the geopolitical balance of Europe opens the prevalence of the Spanish power.

France remaining a serious rival for Spain until in the years 1580, Philippe will not have an other policy only the lowering of France. Philippe makes massacre the French huguenots installed in Florida and prevents any other attempt at French establishment in America. He intervenes in the wars of religion, by supporting the catholic party and tries to maintain the fire of the disorders for better weakening France. Philippe II knows that as a long time as France will be divided, Spain will be able to dominate the European chess-board.

The return of interior peace in France in the middle of the reign of Henri III involves the recrudescence of the tensions. But Spain destroys the French armada that Catherine de Medicis had sent to the Canary islands. This battle during which Philippe Strozzi dies marks the final supremacy of Spain on France. As from this moment, France ceases being a danger to Philippe who consequently tries to make ride on the throne of France his Isabelle daughter.

The victories of Henri IV against the Spanish League and troops oblige Philippe to make peace.

The revolt of the Netherlands

The Provinces of the Netherlands were a true spine in the foot of Philippe II. These rich person provinces constituted the engine of the empire of Charles Quint, but high Philippe II in Spain of it is quickly distant. After the victory over France and the Treated of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559, Philippe II left the Netherlands never not to return there. A certain incomprehension enamels its relationships to its septentrional subjects, which do not regard it as one as of theirs. Philippe II was high in Spain, he knows French and realities of the heritage bouguignon (as the collar of the Golden Fleece) but culturally he does not include/understand his subjects of the Netherlands. A sling appears in 1566 and 1567 and the violence with which Philippe II subjects it met a term to the friendship that the Netherlands carried to him. It follows a terrible war at the end of which the part northern, Protestant, proclaims its independence in 1581 under the name of United Provinces. On this date, the influence of Spain is almost null there. The exploits of Alexandre Farnèse and captains as valorous as Valentine de Pardieu make it possible Philippe II to take again in hand the southern part of the country, ratifying separation between what is called today Belgium and the Netherlands.

The war with England

In 1558, Marie I {{Re}} of England dies and, not having had children, it is his half-sister, Elisabeth I {{Re}}, hostile in Spain, which succeeds to him on the throne of England and restores the Anglicanisme founded by his/her father Henri VIII.

In 1588, in fight against England of Elisabeth I {{Re}}, which supports the revolt of the Provinces of the Netherlands, it sends against her, all her forces embarked on a very large fleet, the Invincible Armada, which was overcome and almost entirely destroyed at the time of the Bataille of Gravelines (1588) what marked the beginning of the decline of the Spanish power

King of Portugal

In 1580, after the death of the king of the Portugal Henri I {{er}} (1512 - 1580), known as Henri the Cardinal , Philippe II of Spain becomes in its turn king of Portugal (1580 - 1598) under the name of Philippe Ier .

Economic difficulties

The century of gold

Its reign then represents the top of the power of Spain, for which it is gold the Siècle . The richnesses flow of America.

In 1571, the Spanish fleet, with its Venetian allies, crushes the Turkish fleet with fine Lépante putting at the Turkish domination in the Mediterranean.

In Spain, Philippe defends very firmly the Catholicisme, preventing the appearance of Protestant, forcing the conversion of the Moors (that of the Jewish already had been imposed in 1492). The Inquisition remains powerful in the Spanish company and was it still after him.

He dies on May 6th, 1598 with the palate of Escurial and his/her son Philippe de Habsbourg succeeds to him under the name of Philippe III (1578 - 1621)

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