History of Spain

Earliest known inhabitants of Spain?

Iberians, entered from the south.

Significant Iberian artifact?

"The Lady of Elche."

Celtiberians - how formed?

Celts (from north) and Iberians - intermarriage.

Phoenicians - key contributions?

Writing, coinage, metalworking.

Phoenicians - important trading center founded?

Cádiz.

Greeks - agricultural practices introduced to Spain?

Grapevines, olive trees.

Carthaginians - event demonstrating Celtiberian heroism?

Siege of Saguntum (nine-month battle).

Carthaginians - prominent leader?

Hannibal.

Romans defeat Carthaginians: when, in what war?

206 BC, Punic Wars.

Roman rule - foundational aspects of Spanish culture?

Language (Latin to Spanish), legal systems, public infrastructure (roads, bridges, aqueducts).

Romans - major local resistance leader and event?

Leader Viriathus, Siege of Numantia (over 15 months).

Visigoths enter Spain: when?

5th century, post-Roman rule.

Visigoths - impact on governance?

Established governance (Roman culture persisted for centuries).

Moorish invasion of Spain: when?

711 AD.

Moorish invasion: last Visigothic king defeated and battle?

Roderic, Battle of Guadalete.

Reconquista initiated by whom, and at what battle/when?

Pelayo, Battle of Covadonga (718 AD).

Reconquista duration?

Nearly eight centuries.

Reconquista conclusion: when?

1492.\n\n

Key cultural impacts of Moorish presence in Spain?

Luxurious architecture; agricultural techniques (waterwheel); Córdoba center for math, science, medicine; Alfonso X's center of learning (Jews, Christians, Muslims).

El Cid Campeador: who was he, other name, title meaning?

Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, national hero (11th century); title 'El Cid' ('lord' in Arabic).

El Cid's notable achievements, immortalized in what, when composed?

Capture of Valencia (1094); 'Poem of the Cid' (around 1140).

Unification of Christian Spain: what event?

Marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon (1469).

Reconquista completed: when and with what conquest?

1492, Conquest of Granada.

Christopher Columbus's voyage: launch date, patron?

August 3, 1492; Isabella.

Columbus's discovery: when landed, where, significance?

October 12, 1492, San Salvador; established Spanish Empire.

Gonzalo de Córdoba: known as, contribution?

'Great Captain'; expanded Spanish territories in Italy.

Spanish Empire under Charles V (1516-1556): extent?

Across Europe and Americas: Germany, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, vast American territories; era of exploration/conquest.

Philip II's reign (1556-1598): two significant naval events?

Battle of Lepanto (against Turks); destruction of Spanish Armada by England (1588), signaling decline.

Philip III's government: accelerating Spain's decline?

Poor governance, military defeats, territorial losses, naval power transferred to England.

Philip IV's leadership: characteristics and impact?

Weak leadership, corruption, misery, economic downfall (wars, emigration, expulsion of Jews/Moriscos).

Habsburg dynasty in Spain: conclusion when, with whose death?

1700, Charles II's death.

Charles III: when ascended, reputation?

1759; active, patriotic Bourbon king.

Charles III: notable achievements?

Nationalized education, established postal services.

War of Independence in Spain: cause, initial event?

Weak Charles IV, Napoleonic invasion (1808), Joseph Bonaparte king; Citizen revolt (May 2, 1808).

War of Independence: duration?

1808-1814.

Ferdinand VII's return as king: consequence?

Reactionary, suppressed liberal ideas; loss of nearly all Spanish colonies in Americas.

Civil war after Ferdinand VII's death: participants, key conflicts?

Carlists (Don Carlos supporters) vs. constitutionalists (Isabella II backers); First and Second Carlist Wars (liberals won 1876).

First Republic: established when, fate?

1873, quick fall.

Second Republic: declared when, duration?

1931, lasted five years (internal strife).

Second Republic: downfall's ultimate cause?

Failed cohesion, sparked Spanish Civil War (1936).

Spanish Civil War: victor?

General Francisco Franco.

Franco's government and its duration?

Dictatorship, until his death in 1975.

Spain's current form of government?

Constitutional monarchy.

Romance languages in Spain, from Vulgar Latin?

Galician (related to Portuguese), Castilian (official Spanish), Catalan.

Basque language: unique characteristic?

Undetermined origins, not Romance.

Castilian: significant linguistic influences?

Arabic (approx. 1000 words, often 'al' prefix, ex: 'alcalde,' 'álgebra'); minimal Visigothic (military terms, ex: 'guardia,' 'espía').

Who was the major local resistance leader against Roman rule during the Siege of Numantia?

Viriathus.

When was the 'Poem of the Cid' composed?

Around 1140.

What significant event happened in 1469 involving Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon?

Their marriage, which unified Christian Spain.

When did Christopher Columbus launch his first voyage to the Americas?

August 3, 1492.

Who was the monarch during the peak expansion of the Spanish Empire (1516-1556)?

Charles V.

What year did Charles III ascend to the Spanish throne?

1759.

When did the Spanish Civil War begin?

1936.