The Machiavellian Struggle in Spain and England during the...

The time of the reformation was a time of heavy politics, political wars, and religious attacks and conflicts. This was a period of growth for some countries, such as England, and a time of decline for other countries like Spain. These two particular countries, England and Spain, had two very powerful rulers who helped determine the fate of their nations. Phillip II of Spain was born into a very powerful family of extremely Machiavellian heritage. He had control of the Netherlands, Spain, parts of the North and South Americas, and parts of Asia and Brazil. He was also extremely Catholic and loyal to the Catholic Church. Queen Elizabeth I of England inherited a small country divided between Lutherans and Catholics, but she would turn out to be one of the greatest rulers of England in history. These two rulers would go head to head until their deaths, and while England rose up, Spain began to decline. Although Phillip II of Spain was a very Machiavellian ruler, Elizabeth I of En gland was much more Machiavellian, for Phillip of Spain was not governed by necessity, as Machiavelli advised; he was feared by his subjects, not loved; and Queen Elizabeth I of England was an effective ruler and near perfect example of the Machiavellian Prince. Phillip, though a great ruler, did not allow his actions to be governed by necessity, but rather his religious ambitions. Phillip, His Most Catholic Majesty, was very serious about religion. When the Dutch, within his empire, beganShow MoreRelatedInstitution as the Fundamental Cause of Long Tern Growth39832 Words   |  160 Pagesclarify these notions before commenting on some of the underlying assumptions and discussing comparative statics. Consider the development of property rights in Europe during the Middle Ages. There is no doubt that lack of property rights for landowners, merchants and proto- industrialists was detrimental to economic growth during this epoch. Since political institutions at the time placed politi cal power in the hands of kings and various types of hereditary monarchies, 6 such rights were largely