The wealth and power that Charles and his predecessors accumulated contributed to the discord between the Hapsburgs and the other powerful rulers of Europe. Attempting to protect and expand his empire, Charles engaged in a number of wars that heavily drained the finances of Spain and caused great losses of life.
Charles was a religious king, and his military policy was based partly on the desire to spread Catholicism throughout Europe and to eliminate all other religions. His son, Philip II, felt even more strongly about the importance of a Catholic world. When he took the throne in 1556, he declared that he would prefer not to rule at all than to govern over heretics. This attitude caused him to fight impractical wars and lose valuable property, leading Spain into three successive bankruptcies before his reign ended in 1598. His successor, Philip III, lacked not only his father's religious zeal but also his leadership ability and moral integrity. His crowning added moral decay to Spain's growing list of problems.
Although Spain's decline after its golden age was gradual, it was perhaps best symbolized by the destruction in 1588 of the so-called "invincible" Spanish Armada by English ships.
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