ABSTRACT
The Habsburg Emperor Charles V (1550–1558) was one of the most powerful rulers in the world, his dominions extending from the Holy Roman Empire in central Europe to much of Italy and from the Netherlands to Spain and its overseas empire. Charles V spent much of his reign fighting costly wars against his French and Turkish enemies and unsuccessfully seeking to contain the rise of Protestantism in Germany. Exhausted by years of travel and campaigning across his disparate European dominions as well as his declining health, Charles decided to abdicate in 1555. He divided his empire between his brother Ferdinand (who acquired the Habsburgs’ Austrian lands and hold over the imperial title) and his son Philip (Philip II, who became ruler of Spain, large parts of Italy and the Netherlands).
