Supporting the Armadas. Sweden as Spain’s Naval Subcontractor (1571-1598) (original) (raw)

2021, The Spanish Armada of 1588 and the English Counter Armada of 1589: Naval conflict between Spain and England 1580-1607 ||| La Armada española de 1588 y la Contra Armada inglesa de 1589: El conflicto naval entre España e Inglaterra 1580-1607

The Reformation has often been seen as a force which diminished the North-South connections. Even though it certainly was a new obstacle, relations not only continued but reached unprecedented levels. When Johan III became the new King of Sweden in 1568, as part of his foreign policy, he approached the Catholic powers of Southern Europe and among other things, he proposed formalizing an alliance with Philip H. This episode has been little studied and consequently, it has never been given the importance it really deserves, especially if we consider the great impact it had at political, military and commercial levels. This article uses little known sources mainly preserved in Simancas and contributes to the improvement our knowledge about the relations existing between the Baltic and the Mediterranean in times of the counter-reformation. As we demonstrate, the huge Spanish naval projects and necessities reached to the outskirts of the continent, stretching as far as Sweden and even to the remote tar-burning villages of Finland. ------ A menudo la Reforma se ha visto como una fuerza que deterioró las conexiones Norte- Sur. Aunque ciertamente resultó un nuevo obstáculo, las relaciones no solo se mantuvieron, sino que alcanzaron niveles sin precedentes. Cuando Johan III se convirtió en el nuevo rey de Suecia en 1568, como parte de su política exterior, se acercó a los poderes católicos del sur de Europa y, entre otras cosas, propuso formalizar una alianza con Felipe II. Este episodio ha sido poco estudiado y consecuentemente, nunca se le ha dado la importancia que realmente merece, especialmente si consideramos el gran impacto que tuvo a nivel político, militar y comercial. Este artículo emplea fuentes poco conocidas principalmente preservadas en Simancas y contribuye a mejorar nuestro conocimiento acerca del Báltico y el Mediterráneo en tiempos de la Contrarreforma. Como demostramos, los enormes proyectos y necesidades navales españolas llegaron hasta la periferia del continente, alcanzado a Suecia e incluso hasta las remotas aldeas productoras de alquitrán de Finlandia.