Foreign Policy:Philip IV

 

  FOREIGN POLICY OF PHILIP IV

During this stage, politics focused on maintaining the reputation of the Monarchy in Europe. We find a time of conflicts in Europe in which Spain will be influenced.

After the fall of Olivares, the Spanish were defeated by the French at the Battle of Rocroi in 1643. By the Treaty of Westphalia.

                                                           The Thirty Years war

The Thirty Years' War took place between 1618 and 1648 and was caused by the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire However, it gradually developed into a more general conflict among the great powers in Europe for European political domination. The main phases of this war were the following 

1.Protestant uprising in Bohemia. A group of Protestant nobles from Bohemia expelled the Catholics and appointed a Protestant king. The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire , who was also King of Bohemia, fought against them.

2.The intervention of Denmark

At the same time, the United Provinces resumed their fight against Spain. The Protestants were defeated and signed the Surrender of Breda in 1626

3.Swedish participation. After this defeat, the German Catholics seized the opportunity to take the Protestants' possessions. As a result, a peace treaty was signed, Protestant property would be returned and Sweden would gain more power.

4.France joined the conflict

This preoccupied France: Although it was a Catholic state, it formed an alliance with the Protestants against the Catholic side in1643, the French army defeated the Spanish troops at the Battle of Rocroi.

The toll the war was taking led the powers involved to sign the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, ending the Thirty Years' War.

                                    Consequences of The Thirty Years War

1.The Spanish monarchy lost their dominance over Europe. The independence of the northern Low Countries was recognised. This new country became a great trading and naval power, controlling the trade routes to Asia

2.The sovereignty of the German states was recognised. Religious tolerance and limits on the power held by the emperor were established

3.Sweden became the dominant state on the Baltic coast

4.France obtained territories in the Holy Roman Empire and became the leading power in Europe.

Following the Peace of Westphalia. In 1652, the royal army took control of Barcelona and ended the revolt in Catalonia. Philip trops were defated by the French army. In 1659 they made the Treaty of the Pyrenees.

o       Consequences of the Treaty of the Pyrenees

1.France renounced Catalonia but gained the Catalonian territories of Roussillon and Cerdanya, as well as territories in Flanders.

2. A marriage was arranged between Louis XIV, King of France, and Maria Theresa, the war against Portugal continued with the support of England and France. In 1668, Spain recognised Portugal's independence. The war in France continued due to the demand of Flanders.

England and France agreed in 1657 to divide the Spanish zone of Flanders, to  began strong to the attacks against the Hispanic Monarchy. The marriage of the Infanta María Teresa, with Louis XIV of France was also stipulated. The fight against the Portuguese continued, who won led by Alfonso VI of Portugal in 1665 in the Battle of Villaviciosa.