The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad

Overview

Join a seasoned expert on Spain and witness the dazzling history of Spanish culture and its unique role in the West.

Course No. 8286

Spain has played a unique and essential role in Western civilization. To understand the unfolding of Spain’s epic history is to come to terms with one of the West’s great cultures and its enduring impact on the world stage.

In these 24 accessible lectures, Professor Salisbury presents a broad panorama of Spanish history, covering the centuries from the first prehistoric settlement of the peninsula to Spain’s 20th-century civil war.

Course Content

Ancient Foundations

• From Stones to Bronze: Prehistoric Spain (31 min)
  • Explore the origins of human settlement and the spiritual life of early hunter-gatherers.

2. Celtic, Phoenician, and Greek Colonists (29 min)
   • Trace the influence of these immigrant groups on Spanish culture.

3. Rome Conquers the Iberian Peninsula (30 min)
   • Study the Punic Wars and Rome’s engineering and economic impact.

• Christianity Comes to Hispania (32 min)
  • Witness early Christian communities and Spain’s role in church orthodoxy.

5. Barbarian Tribes Divide the Peninsula (30 min)
   • Examine Germanic and Iranian groups that reshaped Spain post-Rome.

• The Visigoths Unite Spain (29 min)
  • Learn about Visigothic society, legal codes, and scholars like Isidore of Seville.

Islamic Spain and Reconquista

7. Islam: The New Religion (30 min)
   • Delve into Islam’s founding and its rapid spread into Spain.

8. Conflict within Islam (31 min)
   • Explore divisions between Muslim Spain and the Caliphate in Baghdad.

9. The Moors and the Glory of al-Andalus (31 min)
   • Relive Córdoba’s golden age of art, science, and architecture.

10. The Christian Reconquista (28 min)
    • Chart the centuries-long Christian reclamation of Spain.

11. Medieval Spanish Culture (30 min)
    • Discover Alfonso the Wise’s court and Spain’s artistic fusion.

12. The Sephardim: Iberian Judaism (29 min)
    • Trace Jewish life under Roman, Visigothic, and Muslim rule.

• Gypsy Influences on Spain (31 min)
  • Study the origins and cultural impact of Spanish gypsies.

Empire and Golden Age

• The Growth of Catholic Religious Passion (31 min)
  • Grasp Spain’s role in the Counter-Reformation and Inquisition.

15. Columbus and the New World (30 min)
    • Follow Columbus’s voyages and the Columbian Exchange.

16. Conquistadors and Missionaries (28 min)
    • Witness Cortés’s and Pizarro’s conquests and missionary efforts.

• The Spanish Main: Trade Convoys and Piracy (30 min)
  • Learn about silver mining, haciendas, and the golden age of piracy.

18. The Golden Age of the Spanish Habsburgs (30 min)
    • Explore Philip II’s reign and Spain’s artistic zenith.

19. Religious Wars on Muslims and Protestants (30 min)
    • Study the battles of Lepanto, the Armada, and the Thirty Years’ War.

Modern Spain

20. The 18th-Century Bourbon Kings of Spain (32 min)
    • Examine Carlos III’s reforms and Napoleon’s influence.

21. Spain Loses Its Empire (31 min)
    • Trace the independence of Spain’s colonies and nationalist backlash.

22. 20th-Century Spanish Modernism (30 min)
    • Discover Picasso, Gaudí, and the fall of the monarchy.

• The Spanish Civil War and Franco’s Reign (29 min)
  • Analyze the war’s causes and Franco’s authoritarian regime.

24. Modern Spain: Still on a Crossroad (34 min)
    • Reflect on Spain’s monarchy, secularism, and future challenges.