Spanish Empire: A History from Beginning to End

The Spanish Empire was the first truly global empire and the first to be described as one on which “the sun never sets.” It rapidly grew to become one of the largest and most powerful empires in the history of the world and brought us goods such as potatoes, chocolate, and chewing gum.

Yet in the Middle Ages, Spain as we now know it did not exist. Most of the north of the Iberian Peninsula was ruled by two powerful Christian kingdoms, Castile and Aragon, while the southern part was al-Andalus, an Islamic kingdom that had originated in North Africa. By the end of the fifteenth century, al-Andalus had been defeated, the peninsula was united under Christianity, and Spain had become one of the most powerful countries in Europe. Then, Spanish explorers discovered the Americas. Unimaginable wealth flowed from the New World to Spain, increasing its power even further. Over vast tracts of territory in the Americas and lands in Asia, Spanish became the dominant language and Catholic Christianity the dominant religion, all as a direct result of Spanish imperialism.

Barely three hundred years later, the Spanish Empire collapsed. Almost all its colonial possessions gained independence or were acquired by other countries. How could this happen? How did Spain come to dominate the world and then abruptly lose its power? This is the astonishing story of the rise and fall of the Spanish Empire.