Charles V's Reign: Communities, Germanías, and Internal Conflicts
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Charles V's Empire: Internal Conflicts: Communities and Germanías
The succession problem of the Catholic Monarchs is as follows: Elizabeth died in 1504, and her daughter, Joan, who was showing signs of insanity, inherited the crown of Castile. The queen herself wrote that if her daughter could not rule, her husband, Ferdinand, should reign until Joan's son, Charles, came of age. Philip, husband of Joan, claimed the throne, and Ferdinand the Catholic returned to govern Aragon and married another woman, a French princess (for political interests). However, Philip the Fair died.
Joan went down in history as Joan the Mad, although it was possibly depression. Ferdinand took over the government.
Upon Ferdinand's death in 1516, Charles inherited Aragon and its Italian territories from Ferdinand, Castile and its Latin American territories from Joan, and the Netherlands (where he was born) and territories in Germany from his father, Philip. Therefore, he had the right to claim the title of Emperor of Germany, which did not entail any real power but did grant great prestige.
Charles arrived in Spain without speaking Castilian, having grown up in Flanders. He arrived surrounded by a Flemish court, which caused objections to the granting of Castilian titles. He delivered the important title of Bishop of Toledo to Adrian of Utrecht. He also granted control of the Order of Calatrava to the Fugger family (in return for a loan). His arrival caused unrest in the kingdom because he did not speak Castilian, empowered foreigners, and spent Spanish money on his election as Emperor of Germany—a very unpopular move among the Spanish population. The courts demanded that he not ask them for money to spend abroad, that he live in Spain, and that he appoint Spanish directors. Charles V was crowned Emperor of Germany and planned to put Europe under the same religion. He had hegemony in Italy: Naples, the Duchy of Milan (after defeating the French king Francis I). After this defeat at the Battle of Pavia, he controlled Genoa and the Vatican.
He intended to give real power to the title of Emperor of Germany, with the aid of Spain and money from America. However, he failed due to opposition from the German principalities, which led to continued war in Germany until the end of his reign. These wars were complicated by the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant princes did not recognize the Pope, which led them to disobey their emperor, who was crowned by the Pope. Charles V did not impose his will but achieved a confrontation with France, which was increasingly surrounded by Spanish territories. Another international confrontation for Charles V was against the Turks, who occupied territory from Anatolia to Vienna. The Turks also posed a security threat in the Mediterranean.
The upshot was a situation of constant warfare and a very difficult state to govern. In 1556, Charles V, tired of wars, abdicated in favor of his son, Philip II, and there was a division of territories: Philip II received Italy, the Netherlands, Castile, and Aragon (America), and his brother, Ferdinand, received the Austrian domains and the right to aspire to the title of Emperor of Germany.
Communities
Before Charles V's departure for Germany in 1520, there was the rebellion of the Communities (Comuneros), which was very important in Segovia, Toledo, and Salamanca. The Comuneros revolted against absolutism, demanding that the courts' wishes be respected (namely, not to spend money abroad). It was a rebellion in the cities of Castile (the northern plateau of the Tagus Valley, Segovia, and Toledo). The Andalusian cities did not participate; they were loyal to the king. Burgos opposed this rebellion because it relied on the export of textiles to Flanders. The Comuneros gathered in Ávila and were defeated by the king's army at the Battle of Villalar in 1521 (Valladolid). Their leaders (Padilla, Bravo, and Maldonado) were executed. The rebellion lasted one more year in Toledo, led by Padilla's wife. The Comuneros wanted Joan to reign, which could have overthrown the king's power, but she never intended to rule. After the collapse of the Communities, the king's absolutism had no restraints.
The Germanías
Rebellions occurred in Valencia and Mallorca. It was a social revolt of the craftsmen of Valencia who wanted greater participation in political life. It was also a movement against the feudal lords' taxes and against the Moors. They forced the Moors to be baptized, and the Church validated these baptisms. This rebellion lacked a solid foundation, so they were easily subdued.