Spain
The Spanish spelling is Felipe. The first four kings of this name were of the House of Hapsburg; the fifth was the first Spanish monarch of the House of Bourbon. Most important were:
Philip II (1527–1598) reigned 1556–98. He was the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain), who trained Philip to rule by letting him govern some of the Hapsburg domains. Philip's first wife having died, he was married in 1554 to Queen Mary of England. In 1556, Charles abdicated in favor of his brother, Ferdinand, and Philip. Ferdinand became ruler of the Hapsburg Austrian realm and Holy Roman Emperor. Philip became king of Spain and ruler also of the Netherlands, the county of Burgundy, Hapsburg holdings in Italy and Africa, and the Spanish colonial empire in America.
War with France, which had been going on intermittently for more than 50 years, broke out again at once. Although Philip lost the support of England at Mary's death in 1558, he forced France to accept the peace terms of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559. Queen Elizabeth of England refused his offer of marriage, and a French princess became his third wife.
Philip, a devout Catholic, encouraged the Inquisition as a means of stamping out Protestant heresy in his lands. In 1566 revolts broke out among the Protestants in the Netherlands. The Duke of Alva was sent to quell the uprisings, and his harsh measures quickly brought the seven northern provinces to united rebellion. In 1581 they declared their independence of Spain.
In the meantime Philip's eldest son, Don Carlos, plotted against his father's life and died a prisoner in 1568. A year later the Moriscos, Spanish Moors who had been forcibly Christianized, revolted. They were subdued by Don John of Austria, Philip's illegitimate half brother. In 1570 the Turks occupied Cyprus. Don John led the forces that sailed against them and won a great sea victory at Lepanto. In 1580–81 Philip invaded Portugal, claiming the throne through his mother, and annexed the country and its colonies in America and India.
During this period the English were trading illegally with South America, and their buccaneers were raiding the Spanish Main, in Central America. Philip decided to invade England, and prepared a great fleet, which he called the Invincible Armada. Hostilities started when Sir Francis Drake raided the Spanish fleet at Cadiz in 1587. The next year the Armada met defeat in the English Channel.
In the last year of his life Philip signed the treaty of Vervins with Henry IV of France; each country relinquished all territory taken from the other. Philip was succeeded by Philip III, a son born of his fourth marriage.
Philip V (1683–1746) reigned 1700–24 and 1724–46. He was the Duke of Anjou, second son of Louis of France (known as le Grand Dauphin), son and heir of Louis XIV of France.
The childless Charles II of Spain named Philip as his successor. However, the Austrian House of Hapsburg also had a claim to the Spanish throne, and Philip's accession, threatening to upset the balance of power, caused the War of the Spanish Succession, (1701–14). A year after Philip was acknowledged the rightful king of Spain, his nephew became Louis XV of France. Philip engaged in many intrigues to make himself his nephew's heir. In this pursuit, in 1724 he abdicated in favor of his son Louis. When young Louis died a few months later, Philip returned to the throne. He was succeeded by his son Ferdinand VI.
