As Roman control of Hispania began to decline in the fifth century, Germanic tribes established Visigothic Kingdom which continued Christian traditions.
Modern Spain makes it difficult to secure employment as a historian of Spanish history; most departments prefer hiring PhDs with dissertations on other topics instead.
Roman Empire
Roman influence could be found everywhere from Europe to Spain; yet its legacy would also shape its own history both inside and outside the peninsula.
Scipio Africanus’ victory at Numantia marked the beginning of Roman dominance in Hispania; since then there had been centuries of turmoil as native tribes alternated between supporting Carthage or Rome and rebelling against their occupiers.
Diocletian (284-305) launched a period of recovery when he implemented extensive reforms and created a tetrarchy of four co-emperors to stabilize empire governance. Unfortunately, this temporary respite from revolt eventually ended when Roman control over Hispania decreased, creating the vacuum Visigoths soon filled during their invasion in 5th Century Spain.
Visigothic Kingdom
Visigothic Kingdom was an early medieval kingdom centered in Toulouse that controlled Gallia Aquitania and Gallia Narbonensis in southwestern France as well as Hispania, but was beset with internal conflicts; wealthy landowners often exploited poor tenants who lived under their care, bloody family feuds raged, religious dissidence undermined monarchical authority, etc.
Visigothic monarchs Leovigild and Reccared laid the groundwork for Spain as a nation in the sixth century, creating the basis of Spanish government through church anointment rituals for monarchs as a sanctification ritual, while consulting assemblies of bishops and magnates on matters concerning governance.
Islamic Conquest
With Rome’s fall in the first millennium AD, power vacuums were left open throughout Europe and various Germanic tribes invaded, eventually settling in Spain as Visigothic Kingdom.
As highlighted in this University of Calgary tutorial, the grandson of one of these ruling families traveled from North Africa back to Southern Spain (what would become known as Muslim Spain).
The Muslim period in Spain was not an easy one for the region; often seen as a battleground between Christian and Muslim communities, but nonetheless marked an artistic flourishing with Muslims helping transfer Greek knowledge across to Western Europe via tradesmen, artisans, and ideas that flowed back and forth freely.
Christian Reconquest
The Christian Reconquista took hundreds of years, as various kingdoms gradually dislodged Muslim rule from various areas across Spain and its empires. It left its mark, which can still be seen today through changes to Spanish spelling and pronunciation.
Religious motivations were rarely the driving force of crusades in medieval Spain; rather, political expansion often drove violence between Muslims and Christians. Financial motivations like booty or tribute (parias) often proved stronger motivators than any heavenly rewards for such conflicts.
The Reconquista began with a Christian victory at Covadonga over Moors at Covadonga – now part of Asturian region, famous for hiking and climbing – under King Pelagius’ reign; it marked an important step toward returning all of Spain to Christianity for good.
Medieval Kingdoms
Like many European kingdoms, medieval Spain began as an amalgam of local powers before coalescing into one unified kingdom by the 15th century.
After Muslim and Christian rulers established distinct yet compatible dynasties, a culture of cultural mixing spread throughout the peninsula. Decentralized politics brought closer the royal court to towns; municipal councils emerged.
Royal marriage also helped consolidate political power. At the conclusion of this period, Granada stood as an outpost of Islamic rule in Spain while Castile and Aragon united to form what we know today as Spain.
Renaissance
The 16th-century Renaissance in Spain was an age of exploration, discovery and literary ferment. Humanistic studies thrived during this period as did a new literary form: sonnets.
After the fall of Granada, Christian rulers looked toward other parts of the globe for expansion. Conquest of Latin America propelled Spain as an economic power and global player. Additionally, this period saw monarchy emerge as the ultimate institutional and personal representation of Sovereign Nation.
Modern Spain
Millions of English-speaking tourists visit Spain annually, attracted by sun, sand and sangria. Yet this modern nation remains relatively obscure outside its borders – something which may change given Spain’s recent transition from an authoritarian dictatorship to an open democracy.
Historically, Spain’s corporaciones>> provided the social glue for hierarchies of privileged classes who supported each other both doctrinally and through social functions derived from functionally derived social values. Furthermore, church institutions served to uphold this order through their influence over education as well as moral influence over moral suasion techniques.