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Spain and Europe 1556–98

Spain in 1556 and the legacy of Charles V

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

The division of the Habsburg inheritance, the debts Philip II took on, and the Comuneros' revolt and its consequences for the Cortes.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

What territories did Philip II inherit when Charles V abdicated?

Numbers

When did Charles V hand his lands over?

Key term

State two liabilities Charles V left to his son in 1556.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What territories did Philip II inherit when Charles V abdicated?

    Model answer

    Philip II inherited Castile, Aragon, the Netherlands, Franche-Comté, Milan, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia and the Spanish possessions in the Americas.

  2. 2

    Which part of the Habsburg inheritance did Philip II not receive?

    Model answer

    The Austrian lands and the imperial title passed to Charles V's brother Ferdinand, splitting the dynasty into a Spanish and an Austrian branch.

  3. 3

    When did Charles V hand his lands over?

    Model answer

    Charles V surrendered the Netherlands in October 1555 and the Spanish kingdoms in January 1556, then retired to the monastery of Yuste.

  4. 4

    Why did the division of the Habsburg inheritance matter to Philip II?

    Model answer

    The division deprived Philip II of the resources and prestige of the Empire while leaving him the expensive commitments of the Netherlands and Italy.

  5. 5

    State two liabilities Charles V left to his son in 1556.

    Model answer

    Charles V left debts far beyond the Crown's annual income and an unfinished war with France, alongside the growth of heresy in the Netherlands.

  6. 6

    Why were the inherited debts so dangerous in 1556?

    Model answer

    The inherited debts already committed much of the Crown's future revenue to interest, so Philip II began his reign with little free income for new wars.

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