How were Charles v and Philip ll alike and different in their goals of ensuring absolute power and strengthening catholicism?

Answer 1

There are a number of differences between the two monarchs. Analysing the differrent characters of Philip II and his father alone will show that Charles V was a more outgoing type and had a gift for languages and cameraderie. This made him more of a 'populist' ruler than his son. Philip II was perhaps more intellectually adept and was gifted in the fields of mathematics, art appreciation, history and architecture.

When it comes to analysing how each ruler governed the empire, Philip II was more of a desk-bound monarch who took a more centralised approach to governance. He would spend nine hours a day at his desk reading and commenting on reports and listening to advice. A British spy remarked 'Does Philip ever cease to work'. Philip was not loved by his people in an emotional sense but he was certainly respected by his people and gained a reputation for being a just and benevolent ruler. Philip's reputation has been tainted by something called 'The Black Legend', which is an image of Philip and Spain as cruel and calculating with ambitions of world dominance. One should always be careful where they get their sources on Philip (and wikianswers is not an advisable one to use). You should certainly be doing your own reading on the subject if you want a 'good' answer.

Charles V brought the consolidation of Hapsburg power in Spain, after the groundwork had been laid out by Ferdinand And Isabella. He is consequently often scene as the first king of a unified Spain. Charles was certainly more willing to defend his territories when it came to dealing with the Ottoman empire (Philip had to be pushed into Lepanto in 1571). Charles made something of a reputation for himself in the battlefield and certainly gave his son something to live up to.

The short answer is Philip was an administrative king, while Charles was populist king (if you want to oversimplify it).

Answer 2

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