Reconquista

Many people do not know much about Spain's history. However, like a lot of European countries that had to go through finding a nationality and trying to keep it from other countries. At one point in Spain’s history find their self-identity and take back their country from foreign invaders. Here I am going to be discussing about what was the Reconquista, what Spain was able to gain from this and what were the outcomes of the Reconquista. First we would have to look at the first challenge from Spain and that was it suffered from an identity crisis (Rodriguez-Salgado, 235). Spain was divided into Iberian states and the largest of them was Castile was one of them and it was the largest out of the states and was unified with Aragon (Rodriguez-Salgado,

This meant that they would kick out the Jews and put Hispano-Muslims under certain restrictions (Rodriguez-Salgado, 235). Even though Muslims were imported in the past to help with “the working force in Spain and to extend an agricultural frontier” (Burns, 23). When Charles V came into power in 1516 of Castilian-Aragonese state, and Philip II became the ruler of Portugal, that Charles V began shaping a certain Spanish identity (Rodriguez-Salgado, 235). That there must be loyalty to the monarchy above all else and also having loyalty to the Catholic Church, which lead into every Spaniard wanting to find “fame and glory for his nation” (Rodriguez-Salgado, 235). Even though this did help with the unification process for Spain, it posed a problem for the Muslims that were still living in Spain at the time. This lead to the pressure with the people to trying to get along with the Muslims that still lived in Spain with the restrictions that were still placed on

It was the conflict between two religions, mainly Catholicism and Islam. At first the Spanish and Portuguese wanted to expand over into Northern Africa (Rodriguez-Salgado, 240). However, this lead into a Muslim invasion and the rebellion of the Hispano-Muslims (Rodriguez-Salgado, 240). Thus resulting into a holy war for Spain. It wasn’t the first time Spain has gone to war for religious purposes, but it was the one that was on their homeland. However, when there are times of crisis it can either bring people together or drive them apart and for Spain it brought them closer together. Spain mainly came together due to that fact they were trying to get their homeland back from the Hispano-Muslims. “Conquest was not only just under such circumstances, it was Spain’s duty, and would benefit the vanquished who would be brought once again within the aegis of a civilised world” (Rodriguez-Salgado, 243 and