History can be a very boring subject. I still have memories of high school teachers raving on about subjects that just didn't interest me at all. So I've decided to produce the lazy mans guide to Spanish history. After reading this short article, you will know enough about it to sound like a pro.
The Roman Empire conquered what we now call Spain in the 2nd century BC. While the Iberians were fierce warriors, they never stood a chance against the armies of Rome. You may be interested to know that after taking control of Spain, the Romans took on the Iberian swords for their own armies. It was mostly peaceful in Spain for the next few centuries. Spain supplied Rome with supplies and men and there are very few examples of uprisings, unlike other parts of the Empire. However, with the fall of Rome, Spain was about to go through some changes.
As Germanic barbarians swept through former Roman outposts, they eventually came across Spain. Even though they came over in great numbers, they tended to live within their own communities and most the most part, kept themselves separate to the local population, who still lived under Roman laws.
The next part of Spains history is much more significant. In 718 AD, the Moorish invaders conquered the Spanish mainland. They had originated in North Africa and had come to seek new lands. While the Muslims initially were a minority, conversion rates increased due to better opportunities for the average person. Things had not always gone well for the muslims. They had faced significant opposition in the north of Spain and after several centuries, cracks began to appear. By 1248, only a fraction of Spain was held by the Muslim factions and by the 15th century, all of Spain was under Christian control once again. It was around this time that the Spaniards also began to explore the seas for a new world and Spain's rise as an empire was about to begin.
The 16th and 17th centuries were known as Spains Golden Age. It was the most powerful Empire in all of Europe. Wars and economic strain eventually led to a downfall and the French Bourbons took advantage of this and put their own king on the throne. Following several wars, Spain finally got back on it's feet in the 18th century. The steel and shipping industries began to boom which helped the Spanish economy greatly.
While plenty of things went on in the next couple of centuries, they would take quite a lot of time to explain and, for brevity's sake, I might have to include it in another article.
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