The Spanish Empire was one of the largest empires in all of history. It spanned from the 14th to 19th century, peaking in the 17th century and part of the 18th century. The realm was known to have expanded to its most significant degree during most of the 18th century, and as a result, it was named "the empire on which the sun never sets". The empire was established in 1492 and disestablished in 1975 (Barrera-Osorio, 2010). During this period, the Spanish Empire expanded its territories across The Caribbean Islands, half of South America, North America and the Northern States like present-day Mexico and Florida. The main reason behind exploring the new world and expanding its empire was due to economic reasons and to show their superiority. The most significant difference between the Spanish Empire and other nations that colonized the world was that the Spanish conquered the lands and took riches from those areas while other countries sought wealth through trade and slavery (Barrera-Osorio, 2010). Despite all the wealth they had acquired throughout the expansion of their territories and colonization, the empire was faced with many challenges that led to its downfall. The fall of Spanish empire was brought about by many factors which were attributed to poor decisions made by the government and the lack of proper investment and trade that led to inflation due to the rigid structure of the country.
Causes of Spanish Empire's fall
Bad Economic Decisions
The Spanish Empire growth regarding the economy was based on a combination of a sense of divine, unlimited free money, and greed, which are the factors that eventually led to its downfall. The wealth they acquired from gold and silver led to unplanned economic growth that the country was not well prepared to handle (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). The wealth they gained from gold and silver lasted less than 100 years after which the region was faced with a terrible economic state of inflation. Due to inflation, the cost of production became higher within the country, and people preferred buying outside the country than to produce goods within the state. As a result, Spain was unable to meet its primary requirements or those of its colonies leading to the colonized nations seeking help and resources from other European merchants which left the Spanish empire with a narrow window for resourcing wealth and other riches (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). It has been argued that by the 17th century, Spain had acquired a lot of wealth to enable the nation to survive for more than ten years, but due to poor economic decisions made by the government, it led to the country's downfall (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). For instance, the Castilian textile industry was frozen by the numerous laws passed by the Spanish Crown that required the cloth industry to follow the current level of development in Spain at that time.
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Due to the wealth the country was flourishing in due to the minerals they had acquired from their colonies, the government failed to support its local sources of income such as agriculture. Previously, the state had protected corn and sheep farmers who worked within the country. In return, these farmers provided an avenue that the country could acquire taxes (Drelichman, 2005). However, in the 1480s and 1490s, these enclosures were revoked, and lands used for farming were converted into roads and military activities. Also, the farmers were taxed heavily, and the money was used to facilitate military operations since the country had become a superpower.
A question that most historians ask themselves is, why Spain, a nation that had accumulated a lot of wealth in 14th to 15th century, unable to be the European superpower by the 19th century? An answer to this question would be the fact that Spain accumulated a lot of wealth over a short period but failed to release that wealth slowly into the economy. An action that plundered the state into inflation (Drelichman, 2005). The government never came up with proper systems to re-invest this wealth, and this led to the gold and silver being sold to Turkish traders or Italians over a short period. Some researchers argue that, the only solution to the inflation and decline of economic growth that was being experienced in the state required diplomatic negotiations which suggested that they reduce the size of the empire and focus on trade with America. However, the Spanish leadership was characterized by greed and corruption which only cared about their welfare and not for the country (Drelichman, 2005). For example, the main reason the Spanish kings changed the capital city of Spain from Madrid to Valladolid was to get rich by selling properties in Valladolid.
External and Internal Conflicts
The war of Spanish succession after the death of Carlos II was another cause of Spanish empire's end. During this war, the British helped Netherlands that had been inherited by Carlos II into becoming an independent state. Spain was a Catholic state while the Netherlands was a Protestant state and therefore this was a war based on religion. The battle lasted for more than 80 years which drove the country that was initially a superpower into a pawn making the nation concede defeat (Leonard, 1949). Also, the global wars of more than 30 years that were being experienced in the European region at this time forced the country to surrender. The country's economy was significantly affected by this war which led the state to the point that it could even support its mercenary armies. Some historians argue that the decline in Spanish budget that was catered for supporting the troops during the war was the reason the state had to surrender. As a result, their allies like Italy and Germany pulled out the association leaving Spain in a state of helplessness. In return, they started taking over some of the Spanish colonies which reduced the empire (Leonard, 1949). Historians acknowledge that the effects of French invasion on land and Bolivar revolution via the sea were among the external conflicts that worsened the economy of Spain.
Spain had internal conflicts that made the nation weaker and more accessible to be defeated which in turn led to its downfall. The reign of Charles II the Bewitched from 1665-1700 was recorded in history as the moment Spain could be considered a superpower. During this time, they were able to resist the rise of France under the rule of Louis XIV from becoming a super power (Leonard, 1949). Also, the country was able to create internal order and provide surplus which was the primary source of strength for Spain. However, after the death of Charles II who had not left behind an heir, the two dominant houses in the country at that time were the House of Bourbon and the House of Hapsburgs (Ostler, 2005). They started fighting on who will take over the leadership of Spain. Emperor Leopold I and Louis XIV both of them who were leaders at that time and married to sisters of Charles II claimed that they were the rightful heir of the Spanish crown. However, the most powerful institutions in the country at that time never recognized them as the heir to the throne (Leonard, 1949). They recognized Philip V of Anjou and Aragonese Cortes as the two contestants fit to take over the leadership of the Spanish empire. To take over the throne despite the competition and internal tension, Philip V bribed other European powers with Spanish colonies which reduced the size of Spanish empire. John Carter, a historian, argues that the devastating civil war, loss of control over commerce in its territories, and dismemberment of Spain from other European superpowers was the leading cause of Spanish empire decline.
Spanish Inquisition
The institution that guarded catholic values in the Spanish empire by persecuting Jews and Muslims from 1480 to 1834 contributed to the fall of Spanish empire (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). Even though historians have never suspected the Spanish Inquisition as a reason that led to the end of Spain, there was no single reason that one could point as the main contributor to Spanish downfall. Inquisition changed the lives and beliefs of people in the country and neighboring nations such as Portugal (Ostler, 2005). Citizens never dared to introduce new developmental ideas in Spain because of the fear of going against the Spanish Inquisition that lasted in the country and its colonies for over three centuries. Because such ideas could be interpreted the wrong way and the perpetrators would then face severe punishment to the extent of being denounced from the country. Due to the Inquisition, Spain was not able to keep up with the current trends and emerging issues that were happening to the rest of the world.
The Protestant countries such as Netherlands, Britain, Germany, and parts of France had an advantage over the Catholic countries because they provided a conducive environment for scientists and researchers to come up with innovations especially in military technology that could help them govern their vast empires without causing civil wars (Barrera-Osorio, 2010). In addition, exploration was a crucial part of any power state that wanted to colonize other countries (Ostler, 2005). The work of explorers was mainly to discover new lands for its empire and search for minerals and other natural resources available in that region. However, the Spanish Inquisition rule made it difficult for explorers to tell their views and suggestions for fear of being punished in case they said something that was against the Spanish Catholic beliefs.
The Collapse of Spanish Monarchy and the Peninsular War
The 1808 French invasion of Iberian Peninsula in Spain and the destruction of the Spanish Monarchy led by their leader Napoleon pointed to the absence of royal authority in Spain which was a primary cause of war and downfall of Spanish empire (Motyl, 2001). Napoleon took advantage of the Spanish weakness in leadership and overturned the government setting his brother Joe on the Spanish throne. The Hispanic-Goth Monarchy was acknowledged legally and politically as the source of the crown for the next leader of Spain. Due to its destruction, a power vacuum was created in Spain which was immediately filled by mestizo elites who refused to relinquish power (Leonard, 1949). Mestizo elites' leadership was characterized by the brutality that promoted the Spanish Inquisition, a factor that was the chief contributor to Spanish downfall. Historians thought that interference of Napoleon was the precipitating factor that led to the rule of Mestizo elites. A law that has been recognized as the main reason that led to Spanish empire’s downfall.
Poor Communication Systems within the Spanish Empire
Banning of Jesuits from running the Spanish communication system led to Spain's inability to get valuable information about the Empire. Thus, Spain could not respond to the needs of its citizens and those in its colonies which contributed to the dissatisfaction among the people that contributed to internal conflicts, a factor that is considered by historians as one of the reasons that led to the end of Spanish empire (Barrera-Osorio, 2010). Previously, the Jesuits had been providing adequate information to the King, but the King's advisors felt that they were not very loyal to his leadership and decided to replace them with his close friends. The replacement took long enough to put Spain in a state of turmoil because the country never had an idea what the people within the Empire wanted (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). Even though the members of the Empire stayed loyal to Spain, their loyalty and respect to the Spanish government dwindled because the government rarely addressed their needs.
By the fact that the government was unable to know what its people want, it became easier for other European Colonizers to invade Spanish territories and establish new communication systems within the Spanish Empire. For example, invasion of Britain into Spanish colonies in 1808 and opening up trade with the former members of the Spanish empire without the information reaching the Spanish leadership (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). In addition, Portugal used to send pirates in the Caribbean Sea whose main objective was to intercept and seize Spanish vessels that were transporting gold, silver, and rubies they had acquired from its members such as America. These goods were then sold to Spanish customers at relatively lower prices than those being offered by Spanish traders. All these things were happening without Spain knowing. For example, France took over the Island of Hispaniola (Haiti) while England took over Jamaica which forced Spain to recognize England as the new colonizing state of Jamaica (Leonard, 1949). Historians have supported the idea that without proper communication to interlink the empire, the government of Spain fell apart and led to the decline of the whole Empire.
How the Expansion of the Spanish Empire Led to its Downfall
The Spanish Empire grew far too much for the government of Spain to govern it. Arguably, some political analysts have stated that it is almost impossible for a system that covers nearly the whole continent to centralize its management and still achieve adequate control (Motyl, 2001). This was the case with Spanish Empire; they lacked a mechanism for maintaining its central management and at the same time keep a proper check of the empire that had expanded into America and the Caribbean Islands. Poor management, just like in any business, was the cause of Spanish Empire downfall. The taxes they levied from the entire empire were barely sufficient to support the management activities the government did.
A more in-depth analysis into the reasons behind Spain's desire to expand its territory, researchers have found out that most places that European Countries colonized lacked population and most of them were just forests and oceans with the scattered settlement (Motyl, 2001). However, some historians have argued that the main driving force that led to the expansion of Spanish Empire was the greediness of the leaders who were governing Spain during the period of colonization (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). All in all, the Spanish Empire became too large for the Spanish government to manage but their reluctance to decentralize their management systems into their colonial viceroys was the reason for the downfall of this empire.
Spanish Approach to Colonialism
Unlike other European powers, the Spanish people either enslaved or exploited members of the Empire instead of trading with them as was the case with other European colonizers. Due to lack of goodwill impression, the natives under Spanish rule which were not yet enslaved, were uncooperative. This led to internal revolutions which led to the fall of Spanish Empire. With their vast empire, controlling people who were alienated to the system of governance became difficult for the Spanish government (Motyl, 2001). Due to the poor infrastructure in the areas they colonized, it was difficult to navigate and reach out to the whole region. Apart from the major cities on the coast, the fields were characterized by extensive forests and wild animals that endangered their lives. Also, lack of the proper modes of transport in the colonized places hampered the movement of colonizers, and therefore, they were not in a position to know how their members felt (Leonard, 1949). This led to an internal revolution in the Empire which was among the causes of the fall of Spanish Empire. Had the Spanish been better at promoting economic growth in the regions of members of the Empire, it could have remained a superpower even past the 19th century.
The Spanish Armada and Drake's Piracy
Invasion of Britain into Spanish territories and the ability of England to help Protestants such as Portuguese forced King Philip II to organize a war to attack these states (Motyl, 2001). He feared that he might lose his power which forced him to take a precautionary measure. However, the Spanish army lost the war to Sir Francis Drake and the after effects have been acknowledged as the primary cause of Spanish downfall (Drelichman, 2005). Armada refers to a fleet of ships sent by Philip II to attack England. This defeat gave England under the leadership of Queen Elizabeth power and authority to cause trouble and invade parts of Spanish Empire. Through the invasion, Spain lost most of its colonies which has been discussed above as a primary cause of Spanish Empire downfall.
Socio-Economic Status of Citizens of Spain
The imbalance and wide gap between the rich and the poor in the 17th century was one of the factors that have been attributed to having caused the downfall of Spanish Empire. The system of governance in Spain promoted discrimination. For instance, citizens in the nobility class were exempted from paying taxes among other privileges (Barrera-Osorio, 2010). This is because, they believed that high social status was associated with leisure and such categories of people never worked. On the other hand, manual labor was associated with people of lower economic situation and this made most Spaniard citizens to shy away from working in the farms that in the long run led to a decline in economic growth (Buschmann, Slack, & Tueller, 2014). As a result of the widening gap between the rich and the poor, negative feelings developed between these two social classes. But the government did nothing in stopping this problem. Also, the massive taxation on the poor citizens forced them to leave the country and search for better opportunities in other nations under the Empire (Drelichman, 2005). As a result of the decreased labour force and a decline in economic growth among other factors, the government was unable to sustain its budgets which caused a decrease in the expansion of Spanish Empire. Also, in the 18th century some of the Spanish colonies such as Philippines, Chile, and Colombia became independent and this, in turn, reduces the size of Spanish Empire and also hurt the economy of Spain.
Conclusion
The fall of Spanish Empire was caused by many factors as discussed above. However, the primary causes of the fall of this empire were; the government was making poor decisions when it came to citizen's welfare and inflation as a result of poor state management of funds. Spanish Empire did not crumble quickly, it took over four centuries starting in 1492 and ending in 1898 after the war between Spain and United States where the Spanish people lost terribly. After the catastrophic loss, the Spanish Empire reduced, and its remaining colonies were Africa until the 20th century. However, in my opinion, the collapse of Spanish Empire was as a result of frequent factors that together led to the downfall. Had the government officials known what was coming, I believe they could have done otherwise.
References
Barrera-Osorio, A. (2010). Experiencing nature: The Spanish American Empire and the early scientific revolution . Texas, MI: University of Texas Press.
Buschmann, R. F., Slack Jr, E. R., & Tueller, J. B. (2014). Navigating the Spanish Lake: The Pacific in the Iberian World, 1521-1898 . Honolulu, HW: University of Hawai'i Press.
Drelichman, M. (2005). All that glitters: Precious metals, rent seeking and the decline of Spain. European Review of Economic History , 9 (3), 313-336.
Leonard, I. A. (1949). Books of the Brave: Being an Account of Books and of Men in the Spanish Conquest and Settlement of the Sixteenth-century New World . California, US: University of California Press.
Motyl, A. J. (2001). Imperial ends: the decay, collapse, and revival of empires . New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Ostler, N. (2005). Empires of the word: A language history of the world (p. 331). New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
