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Y208: Philip II 1556–1598

Political authority: faction, justice, revolts and finance

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit group 2

Overview

Recall questions on Ruy Gómez and faction, the Pérez brothers and Escobedo, Philip’s view of justice, the fates of Don Carlos and Montigny, the Morisco revolt, the Aragonese crisis and royal finances by 1598.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Who and when

How did faction operate at Philip's court?

Evaluation

What were the roles of Gonzalo and Antonio Pérez?

Key term

What happened to the Baron of Montigny?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Who was Ruy Gómez de Silva, and what did he stand for?

    Model answer

    Prince of Éboli and the king's closest personal servant, he led the faction that favoured conciliation and negotiation, particularly towards the Netherlands, in opposition to Alba's advocacy of force.

  2. 2

    How did faction operate at Philip's court?

    Model answer

    Ministers built networks of clients competing for patronage and for the king's ear, the Éboli group against the Alba group and later their heirs; Philip encouraged the rivalry because balancing factions kept any one minister from becoming indispensable.

  3. 3

    What were the roles of Gonzalo and Antonio Pérez?

    Model answer

    Gonzalo Pérez was a humanist cleric who served as royal secretary to Charles and then to Philip; his son Antonio inherited the office, became secretary of state and leader of the Éboli connection, and used his access to the king for his own profit and intrigue.

  4. 4

    Why did the murder of Escobedo in 1578 become such a scandal?

    Model answer

    Juan de Escobedo, secretary to Don John of Austria, was assassinated in the streets of Madrid after Antonio Pérez had persuaded the king that he was dangerous; when the truth began to emerge Philip abandoned Pérez, whose arrest, escape and revelations did lasting damage to the king's reputation.

  5. 5

    How did Philip understand his responsibility for justice?

    Model answer

    He saw the dispensing of justice as the first duty of a king, refused to be hurried, insisted that cases go through the courts and audiencias, and made himself available through written petitions, which earned him a reputation for fairness even among critics.

  6. 6

    What became of Don Carlos?

    Model answer

    Philip's unstable eldest son, violent and increasingly out of control and apparently intriguing to escape to the Netherlands, was arrested by his father in January 1568 and confined; he died six months later, and Philip's enemies at once claimed the king had killed his own heir.

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