The Dutch, led by Maurice of Nassau, the son of William the Silent and perhaps the greatest strategist of his time, had succeeded in taking a number of border cities since 1590, including the fortress of Breda.
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In the "année de Corbie", 1636, Spanish forces advanced as far south as Amiens and Corbie, threatening Paris and quite nearly ending the war on their terms.
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The war with the Netherlands was renewed in 1621 with Spinola taking the fortress of Breda in 1625.
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France was stricken for the next thirty years by civil war and unrest (see French Wars of Religion) and was unable to effectively compete with Spain and the Habsburgs in the European power struggle.
Despite having constant financial difficulties due to an extravagant lifestyle and many failed political projects his reign saw the kingdoms of Spain, Bohemia and Hungary gained for the House of Habsburg, not by waging war but through advantageous marriage arrangements which were funded with the help of Jakob Fugger.
In April 1630, he arrived on the ship Neptunus in Pernambuco, after Hendrick Cornelisz Loncq had taken Olinda in February and Recife in March from the Portuguese (who between 1580 and 1640 were governed by Habsburg Spain, with which Holland was at war).
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Charles was extremely discontented at the loss of Spain, and as a result, he mimicked the staid Spanish Habsburg court ceremonial, adopting the dress of a Spanish monarch, which, according to British historian Edward Crankshaw, consisted of "a black doublet and hose, black shoes and scarlet stockings".
In 1537, when the Europa regina was introduced, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Habsburg had united the lands of the Habsburg's in his hands, including his country of origin, Spain.
Juan Bautista de Acevedo y Muñoz (1555–1608) was Bishop of Valladolid from 1601 to 1606 and Grand Inquisitor of Spain from 1603 to 1608.
Privately, Maria ran her house according the old Habsburgian spirit but her tenure in office saw many changes in Spain with the rise of the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century.
Corsu's expertise became most important as France tried to gain the advantage over Habsburg Spain by occupying the strategically located Corsica (also striking the Republic of Genoa, Spain's ally and overlord of the island).
Originally from Burgos in Habsburg Spain, Salamanca in 1524 for his services had received the County of Ortenburg in the Imperial Duchy of Carinthia.