Wars of Philip the Second
- Philip advanced Spanish Catholic power throughout the world by fighting many wars.
- The Netherlands, the richest part of Philips empire, had many riots from both Catholic and Protestant groups in the 1560, so largely protestant lands declared independance and became known as the Dutch Netherlands while the rest, mostly catholic provinces, remained part of the Spanish Empire.
- In the 1580s Philip sent an Armada to England to stop the English invasion, but on its way in the English Channel a storm blew and scattered the Armada.