Philip III ruled Spain from 1578 to 1621. The main achievement of the Duke of Lerma, who influenced Philip III's government, was a pacifist foreign policy. However, Lerma was also known for the high levels of corruption and nepotism during his rule, which made him the richest person in Spain. During Lerma's government, 300,000 Moriscos were expelled from Spain, worsening an existing economic and demographic crisis. Margaret of Austria opposed Lerma's excessive influence and eventually exposed his corruption, allowing her to remove him from politics.