How come a country that controlled this much territory ended up being pushed around as if it was nothing?

How come a country that controlled this much territory ended up being pushed around as if it was nothing?

What caused the decline of spain?

Kek
Wrong pic

Spain ruined itself. First it fucked it's own economy by importing so much gold and silver that inflation went out of control, then it fucked itself militarily by waging a series of ruinous wars in Europe, finally it fucked it'sown navy by picking a pointless fight with England and sending it's fleet all the way round Britain during winter (storm season). By the time of the Spanish-American war, Spain was already a paper tiger, but that marked the final end of it's international sway.

Spain was always shit.
They just were lucky to be in a good spot to exploit the resources of the new world.
When other, superiour countries caught on with colonialization, Spains fall was only a matter of time

I haven't read much about spanish history. Was their military ever among the best in europe?

Nice it works for both but more so for Spain

Spain is playing the long game hoping their colonies turn out like the USA except with all the resources of South America.

So far that looks unlikely tho

Spain was a precocious runt

Is there really much of a relationship between Latin America and Spain? Is it anything like that between the UK and its former colonies?

Cant say I know for sure desu. Just an outside observer. They do however both have a affinity for dictatorships though, among other things.

UK and its former colonies seem to have a sort of a shared political culture for personal freedom in the same way.

>desu

the fuck

Interesting. There's a warmth in the UK-Commonwealth-American relationships that translates into direct geopolitical policy, "kith and kin" and all that. I'm curious to learn if it's true for the Spaniards.

Curious as well. If a Spaniard or Latino could chime in on the Spain/Portugal colonial relationships that would be good info

Yes. Spain was the sole military superpower in western Europe around the 1500s. Their peak power generally coincides with the reign of Rodrigo Borgia, a Spaniard/Catalan, as pope.

Grantham was a nice touch.

Every Latino has in their heart of hearts a deeply generically ingrained desire to drop so many nukes on Iberia that Gibraltar becomes an island.

The only reason we don't do this is because our former colonial masters will literally grant us noble titles and tax-free status if we ever want to go back. With such a humiliating compensation, how could we ever kick the dog more than it has already kicked itself? Would you kick a dog? Yes? You're a sick bastard.

>"hahaha spain is such shit lmao it's always been shit"
>forgetting that Spain once ruled almost the entire earth

There are those ibero-american conferences every 4 years of something with the King of Spain and all spic heads of state. But it´s not like the Commonwealth where the queen is still head of the state of former colonies.

it was the biggest naval power in the 18th century, until Trafalgar

>what caused the decline of Spain
The spanish

More like
>the most powerful empire of the time also happened to include spain

Turns out their masterplan to breed a race of super rulers just created super-retards instead.