17th Century Europe: Transformations, Conflicts, Baroque

1. The 17th Century: Transformations and Conflicts

1.1. The Transformations of the 17th Century

• Political Transformations: Serious international confrontations arose, leading to the decline of Spain's hegemony in Europe. Authoritarian monarchy was substituted by absolute monarchy, and the first parliamentary systems emerged.
• Economic Transformations: The rise of commerce encouraged financial capitalism, and the majority of states imposed mercantilism. Mercantilism was a new economic doctrine proposing that the power of both the monarchy and the country was based on the accumulation of wealth and precious metals.
• Social Transformations: The society of the three estates began to rupture due to the rise of the bourgeoisie, who became wealthier through colonial trade.
• Cultural and Artistic Transformations: The 17th century witnessed the birth of modern science, and the application of experimental methods gave rise to a scientific revolution. In terms of art, new ideas led to a new artistic style, the Baroque, which arose in Italy and spread to other European countries.

1.2. The European Conflicts

The international situation was marked by two important European conflicts: the Thirty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War. Both France and Spain fought for hegemony over the continent.

The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)

The Thirty Years' War began with a conflict in Germany between the Catholic emperor, who defended the unity of the Empire, and the Protestant German princes, who sought greater autonomy. The confrontation became an international affair when the emperor received support from Spain, while the German princes were backed by Spain's major enemies: France, Sweden, Denmark, the United Provinces, and England. Spain and the emperor were defeated at Rocroi (1643) and signed the Treaty of Westphalia (1648). The treaty required the emperor to accept religious tolerance and acknowledge the power of the German princes, while Spain had to accept the independence of the United Provinces.