European conflict in the modern era and the Catalonia of the Hispanic monarchy

Abstract

The two centuries of the House of Habsburg’s reign were of vital importance for the evolution of Catalonia. From a metropolis under the Crown of Aragon to a frontier region of an empire with a universal scope. It was precisely the many different fronts and enemies against whom the monarchy had to battle that distorted the international presence of Catalonia and its influence on the decisions taken by the monarchy. The driving force behind the construction of a modern state was the international war and the pressure applied by the monarchy to obtain resources, and Catalonia was no exception to this double punishment. On the other hand, and depending on the different circumstances, it became a manufacturer of galleys, a logistical platform for the domination of Italy and a wall for the Hispanic monarchy. Despite all the difficulties, in the second half of the 17th century it was able to forge its own path in the international arena that clashed head-on with that of the new Bourbon dynasty, another of the factors that would lead to the War of the Succession.

Keywords: Early modern history, international politics, military revolution, history of the frontier.