Post by xxx on Jan 23, 2004 10:04:45 GMT -5
According to the infamous writings by amateur nordicist and master of delusions Arthur Kemp, the causes for the decline of the Spanish Empire are found in a change in the racial composition in Spain, and the same would apply to the decline of the Portuguese Empire. That simple.
It has always been too obvious to me that, behind the decline of Spain there was, among a number of other reasons, the high level of inefficiency manifested by the kings of Spain -except for the very few ones, whose reigns could be discussed in different terms- who followed the so-called Hispanic Kingdoms. These monarchs, whose lineage was part Germanic (the Habsburg) first, and Frankish (the Borbon) later, were unable to cope with the strain of leading what the Spaniards had achieved.
Of course other reasons exist, such as the lack of manpower to maintain such a vast Empire: Spain was drained after centuries of fighting the Moors and later conquering new territories and wars in Europe or against the Berberisc and the Ottomans. These low levels of population, due to the hundred of years that endured the (re-)conquest period and the expulsion of the Jewish and Moorish populations, explain why during the reigns of Emperor Carlos I [Karel V] and King Felipe II , it was necessary to bring settlers from The Netherlands and Germany into Southern areas of Spain.
Another reason would be the diversion of resources arrived from all parts of the Empire to pay for the maintainance of the Haubsburg possesions in Europe.
Yet another reason to explain the decline of the Spanish Empire, and a most interesting one, is given by historian Geoffrey Parker in a cicle of conferences titled The World Crisis during the 17th Century. According to Prof. Parker, a global climatic change brought lower temperatures and the lost of harvest and, consequently, of food supplies. This, in term, would bring a further lack of manpower as well as the derived economic problems. King Felipe IV was aware about it, but did not change his policies to tackle the new winds, only saying that "God will provide".
Prof. Geoffrey Parker is PhD in History by the University of Cambridge and Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Brussels; he is author of 31 books and a huge number of papers; he is also a Member of the British Academy since 1984.
Arthur Kemp is a Rhodesian who lived in South Africa; while he has no credentials to do so, he spends his time drawing conclusions from unconnected bits and pieces of History chapters, and interpreting historical events at his own will; he is member of a group of people who call themselves a White Nationalist Movement, most of which -judging from what they write on Internet boards- come from marginal backgrounds and have very little or poor formation (but they provide a good customer framework for him).
A brief summary of these conferences, together with the announcement of the conferences themselves, can be found here:
www.march.es/cultura/aulaConferenciasSeminarios/aulaAbierta/enero2004.asp
What Prof. Parker tries to provide with this is not a simple explanation of the causes that lead to the decline of Spain (which goes beyond the part concerning the Spanish Empire), but an historical background which helps understand the possible consequences of a global warming in modern times.
The contents of these conferences are a foretaste of a book that Prof. Geoffrey Parker is preparing and which will be published in Spanish by the editorial Taurus.
It has always been too obvious to me that, behind the decline of Spain there was, among a number of other reasons, the high level of inefficiency manifested by the kings of Spain -except for the very few ones, whose reigns could be discussed in different terms- who followed the so-called Hispanic Kingdoms. These monarchs, whose lineage was part Germanic (the Habsburg) first, and Frankish (the Borbon) later, were unable to cope with the strain of leading what the Spaniards had achieved.
Of course other reasons exist, such as the lack of manpower to maintain such a vast Empire: Spain was drained after centuries of fighting the Moors and later conquering new territories and wars in Europe or against the Berberisc and the Ottomans. These low levels of population, due to the hundred of years that endured the (re-)conquest period and the expulsion of the Jewish and Moorish populations, explain why during the reigns of Emperor Carlos I [Karel V] and King Felipe II , it was necessary to bring settlers from The Netherlands and Germany into Southern areas of Spain.
Another reason would be the diversion of resources arrived from all parts of the Empire to pay for the maintainance of the Haubsburg possesions in Europe.
Yet another reason to explain the decline of the Spanish Empire, and a most interesting one, is given by historian Geoffrey Parker in a cicle of conferences titled The World Crisis during the 17th Century. According to Prof. Parker, a global climatic change brought lower temperatures and the lost of harvest and, consequently, of food supplies. This, in term, would bring a further lack of manpower as well as the derived economic problems. King Felipe IV was aware about it, but did not change his policies to tackle the new winds, only saying that "God will provide".
Prof. Geoffrey Parker is PhD in History by the University of Cambridge and Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Brussels; he is author of 31 books and a huge number of papers; he is also a Member of the British Academy since 1984.
Arthur Kemp is a Rhodesian who lived in South Africa; while he has no credentials to do so, he spends his time drawing conclusions from unconnected bits and pieces of History chapters, and interpreting historical events at his own will; he is member of a group of people who call themselves a White Nationalist Movement, most of which -judging from what they write on Internet boards- come from marginal backgrounds and have very little or poor formation (but they provide a good customer framework for him).
A brief summary of these conferences, together with the announcement of the conferences themselves, can be found here:
www.march.es/cultura/aulaConferenciasSeminarios/aulaAbierta/enero2004.asp
What Prof. Parker tries to provide with this is not a simple explanation of the causes that lead to the decline of Spain (which goes beyond the part concerning the Spanish Empire), but an historical background which helps understand the possible consequences of a global warming in modern times.
The contents of these conferences are a foretaste of a book that Prof. Geoffrey Parker is preparing and which will be published in Spanish by the editorial Taurus.