The Age of Charles V and the Supremacy of the House of Habsburg

The Age of Charles V and the Supremacy of the House of Habsburg covers the period and reign of one of the most powerful monarchs in the history of the world, Charles V. He was the heir of three of Europe’s leading houses, the House of Habsburg, the House of Valois-Burgundy, and the House of Trastamara. His rule covered extensive territory in Europe and the Spanish colonies in the Americas and Asia. 

Much of his reign was concerned with the Italian Wars against France and to defeating the alliance of the French and the Ottoman Empire. He was vigorously opposed to the Protestant Reformation and was instrumental in the terror of the Counter-Reformation. Charles also oversaw the Spanish colonization of the Americas. His rule as Emperor was one of the seminal reigns of war-torn Europe, and critical for a complete understanding of the leaders who shaped the modern world.