The development of the new Spanish State
Your answers to essay questions will focus on:
* How the Dual Monarchy system functioned, in terms of the degree to which Spain operated as a single kingdom with regards to finance, laws, aims in foreign policy.
* The foreign policy aims of the new State.
* The successes and failures of financial and economic forms and the overall economic development of Spain.
* The development of the ‘Reyes Catlicos’ relations with the Catholic Church.
* The development of the role played by the Church in Spain.
* The consequences of the discovery of the New World.
* The influence of Cardinal Cisneros in developing the Inquisition and in royal politics and his religious reforms.
* The on-going attempts to Christianize Spain, including expulsions of Moors and the work of the Inquisition.
* The political consequences of Isabella’s death in 1504.
* The extent to which Spain was a unified state by the time Charles I became King in 1516.
The Reign of Charles I
Questions relating to the reign of Charles I/V focus on:
* Charles’s inheritance of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1519.
* The development of a scholarly community in Spain under Charles.
* Charles’s relations with the Spanish aristocracy and his degree of authority of it.
* Causes and handling of the Revolt of the Brotherhoods.
* The reasons behind the Revolt of the Comuneros and Charles’s response to it.
* The consequences of Charles’s periods of absences from Spain.
* The economic effects of the conquests in the Americas, in particular the large transfer of gold and silver to Spain.
* The reasons for and consequences of the wars with France.
* The conflicts with the Ottoman Empire.
* Stance on the development of Protestantism.
* The Regency of Philip and the ultimate handover of power to him.
* The development of the activities of the Inquisition under Charles and its work in dealing with heretics, protestants, Muslims and Jews.
* The overall fortunes of the Crown’s finances during Charles’s reign.
Continue reading below for helpful questions to consider for your As level history and A level history revision.
Example Questions
‘Spain only became a unified state because of the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella’ . Discuss.
How successfully did Charles I handle challenges from Spain’s nobility?
‘The Catholic Church had full control over Spain between 1492 and 1556’. Discuss.
How far was Charles I responsible for the problems he faced during his reign?
To what extent was Spain a unified country by the time of Ferdinand’s death in 1516?
‘The unification of Spain was driven primarily by the desire to Christianize and to remove heretics, Jews and Muslims.’ Discuss.
Assess the successes and failures of Charles I’s foreign policies.
The Big Questions
* The rise to prominence of the kingdoms of Castille and Aragon.
* The process of consolidation of Spain into a unified country under the monarchy of Ferdinand and Isabella.
* The main social and political features of Spain in this period.
* The problems faced by Charles I and his successes and failures as King of Spain.
Key Information
Using our As level history & A level history revision guide and your own notes, note down key information relating to the principal questions above, dividing it into the following areas:
The Union of Castille and Aragon and the Monarchy of the Reyes Catlicos
The Development of the new Spanish State
The reign of Charles I