On this day, in the year 1519, Carlos I/Karel V (Charles V) Habsburg King of All the Spains and Lord of the Netherlands and Count Palatine of Burgundy was elected Holy Roman Emperor He is best known for opposition to the Protestant Reformation. Several German princes abandoned the Catholic Church and formed the Schmalkaldic League in order to challenge Charles authority with military force. Unwilling to allow the same religious wars to come to his other domains, Charles pushed for the convocation of the Council of Trent, which began the Counter-Reformation. The Society of Jesus was established by St. Ignacio de Loyola during Charles reign in order to peacefully and intellectually combat Protestantism, and continental Spain was spared from religious conflict largely by Charles nonviolent measures. In the New World, Spain conquered Mexico and Peru, and extended its control across much of South and Central America. Charles oversaw the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Charles provided five ships to Ferdinand Magellan whose voyage — the first circumnavigation of the Earth — laid the foundation for the Pacific oceanic empire of Spain and began Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Though always at war, Charles was a lover of peace. Not greedy of territory, wrote Marcantonio Contarini in 1536, but most greedy of peace and quiet. Charles retired in 1556. The Habsburg Monarchy passed to Charles younger brother Ferdinand, whereas the Spanish Empire was inherited by his son Philip II. The two empires would remain allies until the 18th century.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 09:10:30 +0000
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