17th Century Europe: Conflicts, Politics & Culture

Posted on Apr 2, 2025 in History

Key Conflicts and Treaties (17th Century)

  • Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648): Began with a conflict in Germany between the Catholic emperor, who defended the unity of the Empire, and the Protestant German princes, who sought greater autonomy.
  • Treaty of Westphalia (1648): Required the emperor to accept religious tolerance and acknowledge the power of the German princes, while Spain had to accept the independence of the United Provinces.
  • Franco-Spanish War (1648-1659): France and Spain continued fighting until the final years of the following decade. Having been defeated at the Battle of the Dunes (1658), Spain signed the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659).
  • Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659): Spain ceded the Catalan territories north of the Pyrenees to France; the Pyrenees mountain range was established as the frontier between the two countries; and the marriage of King Louis XIV of France to Philip IV’s daughter, María Teresa, was arranged.

Political and Economic Systems

  • Absolute Monarchy: The powers of state were controlled by the monarch alone, who ruled without having to consult traditional institutions.
  • Parliamentary Monarchy: The power of the monarch or the most senior authority was limited by a parliament, which represented the interests of the three estates.
  • Chartered Companies: Granted a commercial monopoly in a certain area or for a certain product.
  • Stock Exchanges: Were places where shares in commercial companies were bought and sold.
  • Mercantilism: An economic theory and practice based on the view that a country’s wealth derives from the quantity of precious metals it owns.

Spanish Figures and Art Styles

  • Válidos: Individuals acting in the king’s name: the Dukes of Lerma and Uceda during the reign of Philip III; the Count-Duke of Olivares during the reign of Philip IV; and Nithard and Valenzuela, under Charles II.
  • Churrigueresque Style: Its main feature was the exuberant decoration of buildings.
  • Corrales de Comedias: Were set up temporarily in the patios of buildings, where actors performed on a stage.

Philosophical Developments

  • Empiricism: Formulated by the English philosopher and scientist Francis Bacon, who created the scientific or experimental method. According to him, it was only through observation and practical experiments that scientific laws of a general nature could be formulated.
  • Rationalism: Developed by the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes, who defended the use of reason as a means to understand reality.

17th Century European Timeline

Key Events 1609-1659

  • 1609: Start of the Twelve Years’ Truce; Expulsion of the Moriscos.
  • 1611: Building work begins on the Monastery of the Incarnation in Madrid.
  • 1618: Start of the Thirty Years’ War.
  • 1620: Ribalta paints Saint Francis Comforted by an Angel.
  • 1640: Revolt of Catalonia and Portugal.
  • 1643: Spanish defeat at Rocroi.
  • 1648: Treaty of Westphalia.
  • 1656: Velázquez paints Las Meninas.
  • 1657: Velázquez paints The Spinners.
  • 1659: Treaty of the Pyrenees.

Key Events 1668-1692

  • 1668: Spain grants independence to Portugal.
  • 1670: Murillo paints Two Women at a Window.
  • 1685: Carreño de Miranda paints The Widowed Queen Mariana of Austria.
  • 1692: Foundation of the Academy of Medicine.