Bernal Diazs Misconstructions of the Reasons for Spanish Victory. In Bernal Diaz del Castillos The History of the Conquest of New Spain (Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espaa in Spanish), Diaz recounts the 16th century

Bernal Diaz's Misconstructions of the Reasons for Spanish Victory In Bernal Diaz del Castillo's The History of the Conquest of New Spain (Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España in Spanish), Diaz recounts the 16th century Spanish campaign in Mexico. Diaz and his fellow conquistadors, led by Hernan Cortes, aimed to bring the Aztec empire under Spanish control and expected to find gold along the way. Diaz's account is valuable because it is by far the most comprehensive record of the Spanish conquest. Diaz tells his history from the perspective of the common soldier, which contrasts with the other major documentation of the campaign, letters written by Cortes. Predictably, Diaz's account puts emphasis on Spanish bravery and fighting skill. Diaz had a vested interest in promoting the valor of the rank and file at the expense of Cortes and even their Indian allies. In this paper, I argue that Diaz's story is biased towards the Spanish soldiers, incorrectly highlighting intangibles as the reason for victory. Diaz's rhetoric makes it clear that the Spaniards are never the villain. For example, in recounting a battle between the Spaniards and Tlaxcalans, Diaz writes that after the Indians wounded Spanish horses, his comrades were "obliged to kill five of the Indians" 1, as if they really regretted doing so. In many different situations, Diaz emphasizes that the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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To what extent was Elizabeth I able to create a positive image throughout her reign?

To what extent was Elizabeth I able to create a positive image throughout her reign? Elizabeth I is most famous for her image as the Virgin Queen and Gloriana. Until recently historians have almost always seen Elizabeth as an amalgamation of these two images, and have scarcely questioned whether or not they were just illusions, or reality. The question of how well Elizabeth I lived up to her image, and how well she maintained it throughout her reign, especially in later years, has now become a topic that historians have a wide range of theories and answers about, that don't necessarily correspond. The assumption is that Elizabeth I created her own image, but there is debate over whether or not she did so. She strengthened it with her speeches and actions, but to a degree it was forced upon her at the beginning of her reign, and councillors advised her what direction to take a lot of the time. Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 having being called a bastard, and "daughter of a whore" from the age of three. Catholics believed her illegitimate and Mary Queen of Scots the rightful heir, whilst her gender presented a great problem in Tudor patriarchal society. As a woman she was now associated with the largely disastrous reign of her sister Mary I, which didn't add to people's acceptance of female rulers. Although devout catholics would always see her as an illegitimate

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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To what extent had Elizabeth secured and established her reign by 1560?

To what extent had Elizabeth Secured and established her Reign by 1560? In 1558, at the age of 25, Elizabeth came to power. She was seen by many as the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII, who thought that Mary Queen of Scots, the Daughter of Elizabeth's Aunt, was the rightful heir. Elizabeth was keen, therefore to establish and secure her reign quickly, a feat which the Spanish Ambassador, The Count of Feria, thought she achieved as early as 1558 describing her as "Incomparably more feared than her sister and gives her orders and has her way as absolutely as her father". The majority of the population of England, however, were Catholic, when Elizabeth became Queen and it was quite obvious that, given her Protestant education, and the great respect she had for her father, that religious change was inevitable, but Elizabeth knew that this could cause domestic and foreign problems. In Europe, France and Spain were the two main powers, both of which were Catholic. When Elizabeth ascended the throne England was an ally of Spain in a war against France, which had lost them Calais, it's last possession on the continent. Elizabeth was also wary because of France's large influence in Scotland. Any change that Elizabeth made concerning the religion of the country could have a major impact on England's involvement in foreign affairs. Elizabeth was also uncertain what kind of

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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HISTORIA DE LA LENGUA INGLESA

INTRODUCCIÓN A LA HISTORIA DE LA LENGUA INGLESA *?Periodización en la H.L.I. Blake editó en 1996 un manual que establecía elementos nuevos en la historia de la lengua, y establece así su periodización: Old English (OE): el inglés antiguo es el primer periodo tradicional de la lengua y abarca desde el S.V al S.XI. No comienza antes porque no existía el idioma inglés, cuando se emplea el término inglés se hace referencia a una lengua germánica. Sin embargo en UK había poblados celtas en donde surge el término británico, fueron invadidos por los germánicos y es ahí cuando se empieza a hablar del inglés. No se puede estudiar el inglés antes del S.V, a pesar de que la población sí estaba. En el S.V llegan tribus occidentales de origen germánico, se habla de tres tribus, de las cuales dos son importantes: los anglos y los sajones. Y es de la combinación de estas palabras de donde procede el término anglosajón. Cuando llegan las tribus, y una vez pasado cierto tiempo, la lengua deja de parecerse a sus raíces occidentales para convertirse en lengua autóctona. Las lenguas insulares se mantienen aunque con ligeras diferencias. En el periodo anglosajón hay varios reinos, 4 centrales; pero en el S.IX otra población acude para asentarse: los vikingos. A diferencia de los germanos, éstos se portan mejor y no pretenden saquear el pueblo sino

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Difficulties faced by catholics during hte reign of Elizabeth the first

Queens in conflict Religions in conflict Elizabeth I &Mary, queen of Scotts Coursework assignment Describe the difficulties Faced by Catholics in England during the Reign of Elizabeth I Throughout the reign of Elizabeth the first, many Catholics suffered. This was because they were told by their protestant Queen that they were to either convert into a protestant or stay as a catholic and face the consequences like being fined and being sent to prison. The aim of this essay is to discuss the difficulties faced by the Catholics for the duration of Elizabeth the first's reign. Firstly, I will be talking about the reformation and Elizabeth's church settlement. The reformation was the religious movement in the 16th century, that had for its objects the reform of the Roman Catholic Church and that lead to the Protestant churches. This caused many arguments between the Catholics and Protestants. Therefore, there was a compromise that was made by Elizabeth to settle the argument, which was caused by the two different religions in England. Most people in England were reasonable about the protestant religion, but there were still some people who believed in the Old Catholic ways. Not many people wanted to fight about it, because for many years, they had to worship in one way and then that way was changed to another. Elizabeth did not have

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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What factors allowed Elizabeth to avoid war with Spain for so long?

EI-E6-What factors allowed Elizabeth to avoid war with Spain for so long? The Netherlands revolt is key in the decision for Spain to attack England, if they had control over the Netherlands then invasion of England would be much more easy. This is why the decisions of Elizabeth to support rebels in the Netherlands and stop Spain gaining full control over the Netherlands is the primary reason for the delay in the attempted invasion from Spain. Circumstances such as Spain's bankruptcy were also very influential, and also attacks made by privateers especially Drake's attack on the port Cadiz. The geographic importance of the Netherlands to attack England from was immensely important to Elizabeth and her council. To avoid war with Spain, the Netherlands had to keep fighting to at least achieve semi-independence so that a Spanish army was not looming over the English Channel. However initially Elizabeth could not openly intervene, as the risk of loosing a Spanish ally was too dangerous i.e. England could not survive as being enemy to both France and Spain the two leading Catholic powers. Therefore Elizabeth had to aid the Netherlands without openly going to war with Spain. For example she employed German mercenaries led by John Casimir. This desperate attempt to stop Spain gaining full control over the Netherlands did not work but it is an example of how Elizabeth was prepared

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Which was the greater threat to Elizabeth's Church, Puritans or Catholics?

Nadim Haji 13.4 22/02/04 History Essay - Mr White Which was the greater threat to Elizabeth's Church, Puritans or Catholics? From the beginning of her reign Elizabeth made her mark as the new ruler of England. However if it was not foreign invasion or an internal plot she feared, then it was being a single woman in a mans world, and amidst all this Elizabeth sought acceptance from her people. Now along with all of this Elizabeth had to juggle the impending danger of various religious groups threatening not only her but also the entire kingdom, and not to mention its potential for a civil war. Elizabeth saw religion as 'the ground on which all other matters ought to take root...' and this meant that she took it very seriously, and an attack or threat to her church was also one on her. Both Puritans and Catholics surrounded Elizabeth wherever she went, and few were public about the views, which made the threat an even bigger danger as it could not be met head on. The Puritans, who were considered the great threat to Elizabeth's uniformity, existed largely in the House of Commons. They predominantly had a disliking for the Settlement and being in parliament was the ideal place to express their 'views'. This was certainly the way the Puritans in parliament were wanting things to go, because it meant that they would now be able to attempt to influence and reform the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Queen Elizabeth 1st on Religion.

Queen Elizabeth 1st on Religion. This document is a first hand document : it's actually a letter sent by Queen Elisabeth to some English bishops. Thus, it reflects her intention in matter of religious policy at the beginning of the her reign in 1558. Indeed, she inherited the situation left by her half-sister Mary : she had to make an short-term choice, either to stay in a Catholic Nation, or to restore Supremacy, in other words, follow or not Mary's policies. In 1559, several bishops of the Church of England asked Elisabeth for a meeting : they wanted to Continue Mary's pro catholic policies, and claimed Henry the 8th had been quarrelled with the Pope because of the influence of heretics. Her answer "as to your entreaty for us to listen to you we wave it" (line 1) is the proof that she is not about to renounce Supremacy, or create a Catholic Nation under direct control of Rome domination. This letter is then the basis of her policy followed intensely throughout her forty-five year long reign. This document is basically composed of two distinct paragraphs, one dealing with a remote period in English history, namely the very introduction of Christianity in England, and the other one dealing with a much more recent period, i.e. the break with Rome allegiance, and Henry 8, Edward 6, and Mary's respective reigns. * * * The Queen in her letter is addressing the bishops, and

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Assess the motives and impact of Elizabeth's intervention in Scotland between 1559-1560.

Assess the motives and impact of Elizabeth's intervention in Scotland between 1559-1560. Elizabeth was by no means the first monarch to have problems with Scotland but her intervention differed from other cases namely because of the involvement of France in Scottish affairs. This brought into play a unique set of motives for intervening, the biggest one being a fear of French power north of the border spilling over, and eventually overtaking England. This fear was culminated by other factors such as Mary Queen of Scots being the next heir to the English throne and allied to the French by marriage, and an alliance forming between Spain and France (the joining of two Catholic nations, possibly against Protestant ones). It was in this light that English ministers sought to persuade their reluctance mistress to support Protestant rebels in Scotland in an effort to remove French troops. When she did, secretly at first and then more openly later on, it was heralded as a great success. The impact Scottish intervention was far reaching within England, as it affected not only Elizabeth, but also her ministers (especially Cecil), and her national policy. It also had profound effects for France and Scotland as well. The official motives for intervention in Scotland were set out to Elizabeth by Cecil in order to show the grave danger to her crown and to her country. Cecil started off

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Was Mary Queen of Scots a problem for Elizabeth I?

Was Mary Queen of Scots a problem for Elizabeth I? When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558 few national or international figures expected her reign to last much longer than a few years. None expected it to last as long as it did. Arguably Elizabeth I's greatest achievement was controlling and consolidating her power in England as well as she did. No greater threat to her control over England was Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. First as Dauphine of France then as Queen of Scotland and most importantly as a threat to the English throne up to her execution in 1587. The first threat towards Elizabeth I from Mary Stuart was from her thrown in France. Mary had been born into one of the most powerful families in France, the Guise, who effectively controlled the French army and were very close to the king and queen of France and Mary married the king of France's son Francis, later Francis II. The first threat towards Elizabeth I came from Mary Stuart when her father in-law, the king of France claimed the throne of Scotland for her and had troops positioned in Scotland. William Cecil spoke of the situation as "the king of France being both bestride the realm like a colossus with one foot in Calais and one in Scotland". Elizabeth was threatened by this move, however focus was taken of the situation when in April 1559 the king of France, Henri II died. In 1560 Mary Stuart's

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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