Catalonia within the Spanish Monarchy: from the Catholic Kings to the War of the Spanish Succession

Catalonia maintained broad autonomy for 200 years after the unification of Castile and Aragon at the end of the 15th centu-ry. It was determined both by historical background and by the political situation on the Iberian Peninsula. Ever since joining the Crown of Aragon in the 12th century, Catalonia had self-government, which was guaranteed after the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Fernando of Aragon. Their and their successors’ attempts to unify the subject lands were not con-sistent, since there was no urgent need for the centralization. Castile and its colonies provided sufficient resources for for-eign policy. After the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War, these resources were no longer enough, and the Spanish monarchs began to pursue a more active centralization policy. Catalonia responded with an uprising, which led to its transition under the French rule. After ten years of struggle, Philip IV managed to win back almost the entire rebellious region. Despite the treason, the Spanish monarchy decided to maintain Catalan privileges in order to ensure the loyalty of the region in the face of the ongoing confrontation with France.