Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Indies. More specifically the term was
applied to the eastern portion of the archi-
pelago known as the M
OLUCCAS
. In an even
more precise sense it was applied to the
islands of Ternate, Tidore, and Ambon, the
center for production of spices such as nut-
megs, cloves, and mace. These latter prod-
ucts were in tremendous demand among
Europeans from the 15th century onward
for enhancing the flavor of food and pre-
serving certain perishable products. Portu-
guese explorers reached the Spice Islands
in 1511-12 and established a trading
monopoly that was among the principal
causes of their country's wealth and influ-
ence during the subsequent century. Span-
ish attempts to seize control of the Spice
Islands were beaten off during the 1520s,
but the Dutch seized control of the region
from Portugal in the early 1600s and
retained mastery of the entire East Indies
until after World War II.
mented by a shrewd understanding of
logistical realities. Perceiving the fiscal lim-
itations that hampered Spain's imperial
ambitions, he persuaded the king to nego-
tiate the Twelve Years' Truce (1609-21) in
order to provide an opportunity for reorga-
nization and renewal.
The death of Philip III and the downfall
of the duke of L
ERMA
and Spinola's other
friends at court opened the way for his crit-
ics to intrigue against him, but his capture
of B
REDA
(1626) renewed his prestige and
gave him the personal support of P
HILIP
IV.
Spinola continued to win laurels in the War
of the Mantuan Succession and the early
stages of the Thirty Years' War. He was cre-
ated marqués de los Balbases and appointed
governor of the Spanish possessions in
northern Italy. Nevertheless, the persistent
jealousy of the new king's chief minister,
O
LIVARES
, continued to hamper his services
and lower his morale. Many contempo-
raries believed that his decline in health
and eventual death were the result of
harassment by enemies at the royal court.
Despite the vicious attacks of those who
denounced him as an “outsider,” Spinola
was described by most of the leading men
of the day as a person of the highest integ-
rity and deepest commitment to the inter-
ests of the Spanish ruling dynasty. After a
series of brilliant soldiers who had led the
T
ERCIOS
in a century of great achievements,
Spinola stands as the last outstanding gen-
eral of Habsburg Spain.
Spinola, Ambrogio (marqués de
los Balbases)
(1569-1630)
Spanish general
The most distinguished member of an Ital-
ian noble family who provided a number
of notable officers to the service of Spain,
Spinola placed his considerable personal
fortune at the disposal of P
HILIP
III, raising
several thousand troops at his own expense.
Appointed to relieve the difficult situation
in the Spanish Netherlands, Spinola
achieved a great victory at Ostend in 1604.
He continued to defeat the Dutch Republic
during the next several years, earning the
gratitude of the king and a number of titles
of honor. Spinola was a well-educated sol-
dier, whose grasp of strategy and tactics
and mastery of fortifications were comple-
Spinola, António Sebastião Ribeiro
de
(1910-1996)
Portuguese military leader and statesman
Member of an aristocratic family of Italian
descent, Spinola was a man of fundamen-
tally conservative views whose military
Search WWH ::
Custom Search