Hilary 2016, weeks 1-8. Tuesdays 11:00 - 12:00
Lecture Theatre, History Faculty, University of Oxford

I. Medieval Spain: from fragmentation to “unity” (1230 - 1492)
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The end of the Reconquista and the downfall of al-Andalus
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The unification of the peninsular Christian kingdoms
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The preamble of the discoveries: the exploration of the African coast and the conquest of the Canary Islands

II. The Discovery of America: the Encounter between two Worlds (1492 - 1522)
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Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the New World
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The colonization of the Antilles and the firsts expeditions to the Continent
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Magellan-Elcano’s epic voyage: the first circumnavigation of the world

III. Charles I: Emperor of Europe (1516 - 1556)
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How an empire was constructed
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The wars of France and the fight against the Turks
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Catholicism versus Protestantism

IV. The Conquest of Mexico (1518 - 1549)
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Hernán Cortés and the Conquistador archetype
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The fall of the Aztec Empire
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The creation of New Spain

V. The Conquest of Peru (1531 - 1555)
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Francisco Pizarro: the pig farmer who defeated a god
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The fall of the Inca Empire
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The creation of the Viceroyalty of Peru

VI. Philip II: the Empire on which the Sun never sets (1556 - 1598)
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The victory over France and the Turks and the consolidation of Spanish hegemony in Europe
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The accession of Portugal and Brazil
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The beginning of the decline: The Dutch War of Independence, the war against England and the defeat of the Spanish Armada

VII. The Construction of a Global Empire (1573 - 1621)
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The end of the Conquest and the beginning of the Colonization
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Political and legal structures for the government of the Empire
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The destruction of indigenous societies, the miscegenation (mestizaje) and the defence of the Indian

VIII. Philip III: the Decline of the Empire (1598 - 1621)
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The end of the Spanish hegemony in Europe
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The inner crisis
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Why did the Spanish Empire fall?
