The Wreck of Catalonia : Civil War in the Fifteenth Century

## Abstract This book examines the fate that overtook the principality of Catalonia in the 15th century, reducing it from dominance within the state of Aragon to a marginal role in the Iberian power created by the union of Aragon and Castile. Part one studies the tensions destabilizing Catalonia: unrest among a peasantry resentful of outdated burdens; merchants and artisans struggling to wrest control of the towns from entrenched oligarchies; an aristocracy devoted to endless feuding; and a monarchy thrown into disarray by the extinction of the Catalan line and its replacement by a Castilian dynasty. In 1462, Catalonia degenerated into a civil war that lasted ten years. Part two seeks to explain how and why the king, Juan II, emerged victorious. The economic and military resources of the two camps, their tactics, and the lines along which Catalan society divided are examined. The book looks at the crucial part played by foreign powers in the conflict, who intervened on both sides until Juan turned the tables with his gamble on a Castilian crown for his heir, Fernando. The surrender of the insurgents in 1472 left Catalonia chaotic, devastated, and mired in many more years of war with France as Juan struggled to recover the territories he had surrendered in return for French aid. Catalonia was then helpless before Fernando, the Catholic King of Castile, who became ruler of Catalonia in 1479. The measures he imposed to restore order and subject the principality to the new ‘Spanish’ state are the theme of the final chapter. The events discussed have a continuing resonance in Spain today. This fascinating account examines the fate which overtook the principality of Catalonia in the fifteenth century, reducing it from dominance within the state of Aragon to a marginal role in the Iberian power created by the union of Aragon and Castile. It begins by studying the tensions destabilising Catalonia: unrest among a peasantry resentful of outdated burdens; merchants and artisans struggling to wrest control of the towns from entrenched oligarchies; an aristocracy devoted to endless feuding; and a monarchy thrown into disarray by the extinction of the Catalan line and its replacement by a Castilian dynasty. In 1462 , Catalonia degenerated into a civil war which lasted ten years. Part two seeks to explain how and why the king, Juan II, emerged victorious. The economic and military resources of the two camps, their tactics, and the lines along which Catalan society divided are examined. Alan Ryder look at the crucial part played by foreign powers in the conflict, who intervened on both sides until Juan turned the tables with his gamble on a Castilian crown for his heir, Fernando. The surrender of the insurgents in 1472 left Catalonia chaotic, devastated, and mired in many more years of war with France as Juan struggled to recover the territories he had rashly surrendered in return for French aid. Catalonia thus lay helpless before the might of Fernando, the Catholic King of Castile, when he became its ruler in 1479. The measures he imposed to restore order and subject the principality to the new 'Spanish' state are the theme of the final chapter. Contents......Page 10 PART I . THE COMING STORM......Page 12 1. A Fine, Well-Ordered Country......Page 14 2. Strains in the Fabric......Page 20 3. ‘A Widowed Land’......Page 28 4. A Clamorous Peasantry......Page 41 5. Turmoil in Barcelona: Busca and Biga......Page 51 6. A Peasantry Expectant......Page 62 7. Busca in Triumph and Disillusion......Page 66 8. The Violence of an Urban and Rural Aristocracy......Page 72 9. Catalonia Defiant......Page 83 10. Juan II, a Monarch Beset......Page 91 PART II . WAR, CIVIL AND FOREIGN......Page 118 11. The Drawing of Swords......Page 120 12. Catalonia at Bay: Enter Castile......Page 135 13. Diplomacy, or War by Other Means......Page 149 14. The Portuguese Saviour......Page 162 15. In Extremis, France......Page 186 16. The Castilian Marriage......Page 203 17. A Rebellion in Ruins......Page 221 18. The Lost Lands......Page 237 PART III . FERNANDO THE CATHOLIC......Page 262 19. The Monarch Triumphant......Page 264 Bibliography......Page 281 B......Page 289 C......Page 290 D......Page 291 F......Page 292 J......Page 293 M......Page 294 P......Page 295 S......Page 296 Z......Page 297 "This is the story of the disaster which befell Catalonia in the fifteenth century. It was a society already destablised by rural and urban conflict. There was unrest among a peasantry resentful of outdated burdens; merchants and artisans were struggling to wrest control of the towns from entrenched oligarchies, and the aristocracy devoted itself to endless feuding. Catalonia was driven into civil war by the intransigency of its oligarchies defending the status quo against an alien monarch resolved to bend them to his will." "How that blind, aged ruler overcame the patriotic fervour whipped up by his adversaries in ten years of fighting is a major theme of the book. The material devastation inflicted on Catalonia is also discussed, together with the long-lasting psychological humiliation brought about by its incorporation in the new Spanish state of Fernando and Isabel. For centuries Catalans have been struggling to undo that outcome."--BOOK JACKET This Title Examines The Fate Which Overtook The Principality Of Catalonia In The Fifteenth Century, Reducing It From The Dominant Power Within The State Of Aragon To A Marginal Role In The Iberian Power Created By The Union Of Aragon And Castile. Alan Ryder. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [270]-277) And Index.