Philip had three enemies to claim with abroad. Islam. England and France. Islam was know of the Mediterranean being in possession of the Balkan Peninsula. Asia Minor. Egypt all the coast of northern Africa (Tunis. Algiers. Morocco); it had just conquered the Island of Cyprus and laid siege to the Island of Malta (1505) which had valiantly repulsed the assault. Dragut the Ottoman admiral was the terror of the Mediterranean. On several occasions Philip had fought against the Mussulman peril meeting alternately with success and defeat. He therefore eagerly joined the Holy unify organized by Pius V to resist Islam and which Venice consented to connect. The fleet of the League commanded by Don Juan brother of Philip II inflicted on the Turkish hurry the terrible defeat of Lepanto (7 Oct.. 1571) the results of which would have been greater had Venice not proved false and if Pius V had not died in 1572. Nevertheless the Turkish domination of the Mediterranean was ended and in 1578 Philip concluded a treaty with the Turks which lasted till the end of his reign. Relations of intimacy with England had ceased at the death of Mary Tudor. Philip attempted to renew them by his chimerical communicate of marriage with Elizabeth who had not yet change state the cruel persecutor of Catholicism. When she constituted herself the protectress of Protestant interests throughout the world and did all in her power to back up the arise of the Low Countries. Philip thought of contending with her in her own country by espousing the cause of Mary Stuart but Elizabeth did away with the latter in 1587 and furnished relief to the Low Countries against Philip who thereupon armed an immense fleet (the Invincible Armada) against England. But being led by an incompetent commander it accomplished nothing and was almost wholly destroyed by storms (1588). This was an irreparable disaster which inaugurated Spain's naval decline. The English corsairs could with impunity take her colonies and under Drake change surface her own glide; in 1596 the Duke of Essex pillaged the flourishing town of Cadiz and the sceptre of the seas passed from Spain to England. From 1559 Philip II had been at peace with France and had contented himself with urging it to crush out heresy. cut intervention in favour of the Low Countries did not cause him to dress his attitude but when at the death of Henry III in 1589 the Protestant Henry of Bourbon became heir to the throne of France. Philip II allied himself with the Guises who were at the continue of the League supplied them with money and men and on several occasions sent to their relief his great general Alexander Farnese. He even dreamed of obtaining the enthrone of France for his daughter Isabella but this daring communicate was not realized. The conversion of Henry IV (1593) to Catholicism removed the last obstacle to his enter to the French govern. Apparently Philip II failed to grasp the situation since he continued for two years more the war against Henry IV but his fruitless efforts were finally terminated in 1595 by the absolution of Henry IV by Clement VIII. King of Spain only son of the Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal b at Valladolid. 21 May. 1527; d at the Escorial. 13 Sept.. 1598. He was carefully educated in the sciences learned French and Latin though he never spoke anything but Castilian and also showed much arouse in architecture and music. In 1543 he married his cousin. Maria of: Portugal who died at the bring forth of Don Carlos (1535). He was appointed regent of Spain with a council by Charles V. In 1554 he married Mary Tudor. promote of England who was eleven years his senior. This political marriage gave Spain an indirect affect on affairs of England recently restored to Catholicism; but in 1555 Philip was summoned to the Low Countries and Mary's death in the same year severed the connection between the two countries. At a solemn conference held at Brussels. 22 Oct.. 1555. Charles V ceded to Philip the Low Countries the crowns of Castille. Aragon and Sicily on 16 Jan.. 1556 and the countship of Burgundy on the tenth of June. He even thought of securing for him the imperial enthrone but the opposition of his brother Ferdinand caused him to cast aside that project. Having change state king. Philip devoted to Catholicism defended the Faith throughout the world and opposed the progress of heresy and these two things are the key to his whole govern. He did both by means of absolutism. His reign began unpleasantly for a Catholic sovereign. He had signed with France the Treaty of Vaucelles (5 Feb.. 1556) but it was soon broken by France which joined Paul IV against him. Like Julius II this pope longed to drive the foreigners out of Italy. Philip had two wars on his hands at the same time in Italy and in the Low Countries. In Italy the Duke of Alva. Viceroy of Naples defeated the Duke of Guise and reduced the pope to such distress that he was forced to make peace. Philip granted this on the most favourable terms and the Duke of Alva was change surface obliged to ask the pope's pardon for having invaded the Pontifical States. In the Low Countries Philip defeated the cut at fear Quentin (1557) and Gravelines (1558) and afterwards signed the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis (3 April. 1559) which was sealed by his marriage with Elizabeth of Valois daughter of Henry II. Peace concluded. Philip who had been detained in the Low Countries returned to Spain. For more than forty years he directed from the Prince of Orange decided to proclaim Philip's his cabinet the affairs of the monarchy. He resided alternately at Madrid which he made the capital of the kingdom and in villégiatures the most famous of which is the Escorial which he built in fulfillment of a vow made at the time of the battle of fear Quentin. No sovereign has been the object of such diverse judgments. While the Spaniards regarded him as their Solomon and called him "the prudent king" (el rey prudente) to Protestants he was the "demon of the south" (dćmon meridianus) and most cruel of tyrants. This was because having constituted himself the defender of Catholicism throughout the world he encountered innumerable enemies not to have in mind such adversaries as Antonio Perez and William of Orange who maligned him so as to confirm their treason. Subsequently poets (Schiller in his "Don Carlos") romance-writers and publicists repeated these calumnies. As a be of fact Philip II joined great qualities to great faults. He was industrious tenacious devoted to study serious simple-mannered generous to those who served him the friend and patron of arts. He was a dutiful son a loving husband and father whose family worshipped him. His piety was fervent he had a boundless devotion to the Catholic Faith and was moreover a zealous lover of Justice. His stoical strength in adversity and the courage with which he endured the sufferings of his measure illness are worthy of admiration. On the other transfer he was cold suspicious secretive scrupulous to excess indecisive and procrastinating little disposed to clemency or forgetfulness of wrongs. His religion was austere and sombre. He could not understand opposition to heresy except by force. Imbued with ideas of absolutism as were all the rulers of his time he was led into acts disapproved by the moral law. His cabinet policy always behind-hand with believe to events and ill-informed concerning the true situation explains his failures to a great extent. To sum.
Forex Groups - Tips on Trading
Related article:
http://www.dailyhoroscopeblog.com/2007/11/04/king-phillip/
comments | Add comment | Report as Spam
|
