As the heir to the Spanish Empire of his father Charles V, Philip II came into this world with some rather big shoes to fill. Eventually, Philip would prove himself in his own right even though he turned out to be a much different ruler than his father. He won a life or death struggle against a resurgent Ottoman Empire, he consolidated Spanish dominion in the Americas, and he fought to maintain Spanish holdings in Europe. He also used a ruthless Spanish Inquisition in order to keep his subjects in line with his own version of the Catholic faith. Even now, the legacy of this powerful ruler is being sorted out. As such, some are beginning to change their long hardened views of the monarch, and new aspects of his dynamic and complicated life are starting to come forth. Read for yourself the life, the legacy, and the unbridled achievement of this colossal potentate—King Philip II of Spain.
