Spain has long been ruled by Muslim conquerors, various Christian kingdoms, and eventually by the Habsburg empire – with an interlude of republicanism from 1931-1936 as well.
During its Republic era, Spain granted Catalonia and Basque provinces substantial self-governance; however, economic instability and corruption led to widespread popular discontent that eventually resulted in civil war.
The Moors
Moorish rule ended abruptly when they surrendered Granada to Catholic Monarchs in 1492; yet their legacy lives on today in Andalucia culture such as flamenco music and architecture in cities like Cordoba and Seville.
Tariq ibn Ziyad led an army from North Africa into Spain to expand the Umayyad Caliphate. On their arrival they found that Visigothic Kingdom had collapsed under its own weight due to dynastic disputes and competing noble factions, thus leaving Tariq with no option but to extend his empire further south into Spain.
The Conquest
After unifying its Christian kingdoms and Christopher Columbus’ voyages to the Americas in 1492, Spain emerged as one of Europe’s most powerful nations. Unfortunately, however, its internal politics were often unstable and civil wars frequent. A low-level insurgency led by supporters of another branch of its royal family continued throughout this time.
Muslim rulers of Al-Andalus were uninterested in developing resource-poor northern Spain after Witiza died in 711. With Frankish support, this allowed for a military takeover by Umayyads across Gibraltar Strait.
The Renaissance
The Renaissance birthed a humanist movement which forever altered Spanish society. Humanism’s greatest contribution in Spain wasn’t in academic terms but through wide-scale general education that penetrated all aspects of society.
Renaissance also brought with it new interpretations of religious themes that greatly impacted modern Spain.
The Age of Discovery
In 1492, Spain entered a new era after unifying Castile and aragon under one crown. Their rulers immediately committed themselves to seeking out international trade routes; financing Christopher Columbus’ journey around Portugal’s monopoly over West African sea routes in order to reach India instead.
Even though their expedition ended in failure, its failure catalyzed Spain’s global expansion; they quickly became an influential Empire with territory well beyond Iberia’s shores ruled over by silver and gold from America’s rich resources.
The Moorish Empire
From 8th century to 1492, when Muslim rulers (known as al-Andalus ) dominated Spain (also called al-Andalus), they brought about transformations to food, architecture and language. While Christian Europe had no libraries at that time, Moorish Spain boasted more than seventy libraries! New words like algebra, alcohol and chemistry entered Spanish vocabulary.
Although Moorish influence wasn’t directly responsible for sparking the European Renaissance, its legacy still can be felt today as you sip paella in Madrid alleyways or enjoy passionate flamenco music performances.
The Bourbon Dynasty
The Bourbons are Europe’s oldest surviving royal family. Their male line can be traced all the way back to Robert I of Hesbaye (d. 807), who is considered the first securely documented European monarch.
He created a cadet branch that still holds most Catholic thrones today and introduced a revolutionary colonial government system which increased Crown revenues, disrupted corrupt local elites, and helped achieve Latin American independence. This model of state formation has since found application across various modern contexts; but close ties to reactionary French and Neapolitan relatives posed serious difficulties as progressive liberalism took root across Spain.
The Modern Period
Spain emerged as an influential Empire that spread far beyond the Iberian Peninsula. Yet it remained fragmented due to internal feuds and dynastic rivalries.
Townson wants to change this by writing his book so schoolchildren can gain an appreciation of Spanish history and feel less alienated by depictions such as the Inquisition’s brutal treatment of non-Catholic cultures, leading to negative portrayals that marginalized Spain in mainstream European history – thus earning it its Black Legend status. Townson intends on changing this trend; his book should help schoolchildren comprehend the past of Spain while encouraging them to investigate controversial periods in its past.
The Republic
The modern Republic in Spain was born out of a revolutionary liberal revolution which implemented major reforms to politics, government, church-state relations, education and culture as well as public works projects, military affairs and society as a whole. But this process did not go smoothly; indeed a right-wing military coup led by Ferdinand Marcos led to three years of civil war after 1936 right-wing military coup attempts failed.
Conflict in Spain during this era was waged between various factions of the Republican Alliance, with help from Germany and Fascist Italy – this marked a critical turning point in its history.