Michele Suriano's point of view about Philip Il's rule in Spain.

Philip II was the emperor of the Spanish Empire from 1556 to 1598. In the time of Philip, Spain reached the peak of its power, but it also knew its limits. During his reign, Spain was embroiled in increasingly complex conflicts. Thus, despite the ever-increasing flow of gold and silver from American mines, despite the large profits from the Portuguese spice trade and the enthusiastic support met with by the counter-reform in the Hapsburgs, Philip failed to make Spain a lasting power over time.

The endless wars caused significant problems in his empire, which became particularly apparent. after his death. His exhausting obsession with detail, his inability to prioritize goals, and his insistence on making all decisions personally led to the creation of a labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Despite these problems, his reign cannot be described as a failure. He stabilized the Spanish colonies on the American continent, significantly increased the amount of silver coming from these colonies and defeated the Ottoman navy in the famous Battle of Nafpaktos, a defeat from which the Ottomans would never recover. He managed to unite Spain and Portugal under his crown and successfully faced the crisis that arose in Aragon. His efforts were also instrumental in limiting the spread of Protestantism in Northern Europe.

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