This document summarizes the major political, economic, social, religious, and cultural developments in Europe between 1492 and 1789. It describes the transition from the late Middle Ages to the Modern period, characterized by geographical discoveries, the fall of Constantinople, the rise of absolute monarchies, the growth of capitalism, and the Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation. It then provides more specific details on the politics, economy, society, and arts of this period, focusing particularly on the decline of the Hapsburg dynasty in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries.

2. 1492 – 1789
– From mid 15th c.  Great transformations
• Geographical discoveries.
• Political changes:
– Fall of Constantinople  End of Byzantine Empire (1453)
– End of feudal monarchies  Authoritarian monarchies.
• Economic changes  Birth of commercial capitalism.
• Social changes  Growing importance of the bourgeoisie.
• Religious changes  Protestant Reform and Counter-
Reformation.
• Cultural changes  Humanism.
• Artistic changes  Renaissance.
 NEW HISTORICAL STAGE  MODERN AGE

3. Politics:
• Divine right of kings. Absolute power.
– Bureaucracy (ministers, advisers, secretaries, civil servants)
 Help for carrying out the government duties.
– Parliaments  Limited powers.
– Louis XIV  L’Etat, c’est moi.
• Thirty-Year War (1618-1648)  Peace of Westphalia  Change
of hegemony  From Spain to France.
• 1688  Glorious Revolution (England)  Bill of Rights. Limited
powers of the monarchy. Powers to Parliament 
PARLIAMENTARY MONARCHY

4. Economy:
– Importance of trade routes  MERCHANT CAPITALISM
• Precious metals  America – Iberian peninsula.
• Spices  India and Malaysia – Portugal.
• Atlantic and Indian routes
– Netherlands – Indonesia
– England - India (East India Company)
– Agriculture  Base. Subsistence.
– Manufactures  Guilds.
» Domestic system
– Importance of: England, France, Netherlands, Germany.

5. Society and demography:
• Little increase 1600-1700  100 mill. to 105 mill.
– Growth in the Atlantic countries.
– Stop in the Mediterranean countries.
• Based on estates of the realm  But growing importance of the
bourgeoisie.
» Privileged: Nobility and clergy.
» Non-privileged: Bourgeoisie, urban working class and
peasants.

6. Religion, Culture and Art
Religion  Counter-Reformation in Catholic countries.
Culture
• Counter-Reformation  Stopped some scientific advances.
• Great scientific advances (Descartes, Newton, Copernicus,
Galilei, etc.)  Rationalism and empiricism.
Art  Baroque  Power of the Church and the monarchies.
Expression of passions, movement, etc.

7. Catholic Monarchs
Juana I & Felipe I
Carlos I
Felipe II
Felipe III
Felipe IV
Carlos II

8. HABSBURG DYNASTY (16TH CENTURY)  Carlos I and Felipe II
- Internal policy:
- Establishment of the authoritarian monarchy in Spain.
- Bureaucracy and centralisation (capital city, corregidores,
advisory councils, etc.).
- Religious unification (Inquisition, Morisco Revolts, etc.)
- Foreing policy - Spain is the hegemonic power in Europe.
- Holy Roman Empire (Carlos I)
- Conflicts in Europe: Turks, France (over Italy), Protestants
(Germany, United Provinces, England).
- Possessions abroad  Expansion: America, Philippines.
-Economy:
- Importance of Atlantic trade (Gold and silver from America).

10. HABSBURG DYNASTY (17TH CENTURY)  Felipe III, Felipe IV and
Carlos II.
General decline
- Internal policy:
- Attempts to reform the State (Conde-Duque de Olivares).
- Internal conflicts (Andalusia, Portugal and Catalonia [Guerra dels
Segadors]).
- Religious unification (Inquisition, Morisco Revolts, etc.)
- Foreign policy:
- Thirty-Years’ War (1618-1648)  Peace of Westphalia  End of
hegemony.
- Independence of the Netherlands.

11. HABSBURG DYNASTY (17TH CENTURY)  Felipe III, Felipe IV and
Carlos II.
Economy:
- Loss of population  hunger and epidemics; expulsion of the
moriscos.
- Crisis (mostly Castilla)  Agriculture, livestock, handcrafts and
trade affected.
- Loss of revenue for the Crown  Less income + less metals from
America + more expenditure.