Habsburg Spain: Charles V and Philip II's Reigns

Charles V's Empire: Comuneros and Germanies

In 1516, Charles arrived in Spain without knowing either the language or the political reality of the Iberian Peninsula. His appointment of Flemings to administrative positions caused ill will among the Castilian nobility. Another problem arose from his desire to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor. He convened the Cortes in Compostela, requesting funds for his imperial coronation, which sparked the Revolt of the Comuneros in Castile. This movement originated among the urban commoner nobility in Toledo, Segovia, and Salamanca, later joined by Madrid, Ávila, Guadalajara, and Zamora. The political demands of the Comuneros were articulated in the so-called Supreme Junta of Ávila, where they called for the restoration of the Cortes' power, the reinstatement of Queen Joanna's authority, and the removal of Flemings from political office. The nobility, fearful of these radical ideas, sided with Charles I and defeated the Comuneros at the Battle of Villalar. Charles also faced the Revolt of the Germanies, which took place in Valencia and Mallorca. This was an urban movement against the nobility and was crushed when the nobility supported the king.

Philip II's Hispanic Monarchy: Iberian Unity

The reign of Philip II marked the Hispanization of the Habsburg Monarchy. Upon his abdication, Charles I had left the imperial territories to his brother Ferdinand and the Spanish possessions to his son Philip. Philip II faced two major challenges during his reign. The first occurred in 1568 in Aragon, when Antonio Pérez, accused of murdering Don Juan de Austria's secretary, sought refuge under the Justice of Aragon, preventing his arrest and creating an institutional conflict. The second was the Revolt of the Moriscos in the Alpujarras, Granada, a problem that was not fully resolved until the expulsion of the Moriscos under Philip III. During his reign, Philip achieved the union of all Iberian kingdoms by being proclaimed King of Portugal. This union significantly reinforced the power of the Spanish Habsburgs, effectively creating a dual empire, although Portugal retained its own laws and institutions.