In
1556, at the age of 29, Philip II inherited much of the Habsburg
patrimony possessed by his father, Emperor Charles V, including the Low
Countries, Milan, Naples, Sicily, and Spain with its American
possessions. In 1581 he became King of Portugal as well, which also
bought him control over extensive colonial holdings in Brazil, Africa,
and India. His was the first "empire on which the sun never sets". His
reign is often regarded as the golden age of Spanish power and
prestige, but the decline had visibly begun well before his death in
1598.
Geoffrey Parker's book is not a biography, but rather a study
of how decisions were made, and sometimes not made, in Philip's
government. Such a far-flung empire, even the European parts of which
were neither geographically nor linguistically united, did not lend
itself to a single "Grand Strategy"; therefore, of necessity, Philip's
policies tended to be reactions to crises. Still, all was pursued in
the perceived interests of the whole, united in the person of the
sovereign, none more so than the "Enterprise of England" which
culminated in the sailing of the Armada. It is the decision-making
surrounding this event that is analyzed most thoroughly, for the
excellent reason that it is so well documented on both sides. Although
Parker does not diminish Philip's failures - especially in the
Netherlands and England - he also acknowledges his successes -
especially in the Mediterranean, Italy, and France. In his thorough,
balanced presentation, Parker manages to simultaneously use modern
experience to critique Philip's leadership and analyze Philip's experiences
as a lesson for modern leaders, even as he illustrates how structural
and personal factors combine to make history.
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