AQA A-LEVEL HISTORY 7042/1B [Component 1B Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598 ]QUESTIONS & MARKING SCHEME| MERGED|GRADED A+

Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A Early in his reign, Philip II pursued limited, defensive policies. Even these entailed multiple commitments in the Netherlands and Mediterranean, leading to a state bankruptcy in 1575. Nevertheless, by 1580 he had maintained peace with France and England, had stemmed the Turkish tide, and had conquered Portugal. Even in the Netherlands, things were starting to improve. After this, though, Philip’s foreign policy became more aggressive. Legitimate or not, Philip’s acquisition of Portugal in 1580 alarmed other European powers. He failed to appreciate how threatened his neighbours felt by further expansion of the already immense Spanish Empire. His aggressive policy towards England and intervention in France made the risk of war in Europe more likely. Yet to the end Philip did not see himself as an aggressor. He was increasingly dominated by a belief that he was engaged upon God’s work and that God would bless his endeavours. Towards the end of his life, Philip’s fixed ideas led him to take on commitments that good sense would have advised against. Adapted from D McKinnon-Bell, Philip II, 2001 5 10 Extract B Philip II’s foreign policy was driven by multiple considerations. Religion, for example, was a strong element of his reasoning. Catholicism needed to be defended against not just Protestantism, but the threat of Islam. Defence against both was as fundamental to Philip’s policies as they had been to his father’s. Apart from defence of religion, Philip’s main aim in ruling his empire was to retain control of all his territories. He was determined to safeguard the interests of his family, his dynasty, and to hand on, undiminished, his inheritance. The Netherlands were particularly vulnerable. To protect the Netherlands, Philip had to protect the sea routes which linked them with Spain. This meant that Philip had to ensure good relations with those rulers through which the sea routes passed. Philip’s need for finance also meant that particular care had to be taken to ensure that the treasure fleets from America were able to cross the Atlantic safely. Adapted from J Kilsby, Spain, Rise and Decline, 1474–1643, 1989 5 10 3 IB/M/Jun23/7042/1B Turn over ► Extract C The acquisition of Portugal had profound political and psychological importance for Philip II. The acquisition led him to bring about a dramatic rescheduling of his priorities in foreign affairs. In the crucial years 1580–83, the conquests of Portugal and of its Atlantic islands of the Azores took precedence for Philip over affairs in Northern Europe. It was perceptively remarked of Philip that he would ‘rather surrender Flanders than Portugal’, and so it proved. Philip was now the master of two global empires and there seemed to be no limits to his power. To both his friends and enemies that power seemed to be unchallengeable. More importantly, it seemed to be so to Philip himself; from 1583 he undertook one gamble in foreign affairs after another, each more risky than the next. The second half of his reign saw the King, who had previously been prudent, now gambling and failing – on the grandest of scales. Adapted from P Williams, Philip II, 2001 5 10 0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the arguments in these three extracts are in relation to Philip II’s foreign policy.