Catholic Monarchs: Spain's Centralization and Expansion

Theme 7: The Catholic Monarchs and the Great Expeditions

1. The Reign of the Catholic Monarchs

At the end of the 15th century, the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, established an authoritarian monarchy on the Iberian Peninsula. The same process of centralization also occurred in France and England.

1.1 Domestic Reforms

The Catholic Monarchs carried out a series of domestic reforms to centralize power:

• To weaken the power of the nobility:
  • A permanent army was formed.
  • Permission was obtained from the Pope to place military orders under the monarchs' control.
  • The royal treasury was given greater powers to control and administer tax collection.
  • Councils of experts were appointed to advise the monarchs about:
    • Territories: Council of Castile.
    • Specific matters: Council of the Supreme Inquisition.
  • The judicial system of Castile was restructured through the audiencias.
  • A militia, the Santa Hermandad, was created.
• To reduce the autonomy of the kingdoms of the Hispanic Monarchy:
  • The power of the Cortes was reduced.
  • The position of Viceroy was created.
  • The Inquisition was established; it was controlled by the Crown.

Castile became an authoritarian monarchy. However, the Crown of Aragon maintained the pact tradition, meaning that the king made decisions with the approval of regional institutions.

1.2 Foreign Policy

The Catholic Monarchs' main objectives were the unification of the Iberian Peninsula and the containment of France.

• Diplomatic: The monarchs formed political agreements and alliances by marrying their children to the kings and princes of other European realms.
  • Union with Portugal.
  • Isolation of France: the monarchs married their children to English princes (enemies of France) and to members of the Habsburg family of the Holy Roman Empire, who governed Austria and Burgundy.
• Military:
  • In 1492, Boabdil, the ruler of the Kingdom of Granada, surrendered.
  • In 1512, Ferdinand "the Catholic" conquered Navarra (Navarre).
  • Northern Africa: Between 1497 and 1510, various enclaves were conquered (Melilla, Oran and Bugia).
  • Italy: Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba defeated the French and secured the Aragonese territories of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia.
  • The Atlantic Ocean: The Canary Islands were conquered.