Final answer:
Spanish power grew under Charles V through inheritance, marriage alliances, territorial conquests, and the church's influence. As Charles I and later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, he significantly extended Spain's influence across Europe and the New World. This expansion, however, eventually planted seeds for future colonial discontent and the desire for independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Spanish Power Grew Under Charles V
Spanish power experienced significant growth under Charles V due to a combination of inheritance, marriage, and conquest. Ascending to the throne as Charles I of Spain and later as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles inherited vast territories including Spain, Naples, Sicily, the Spanish colonies in the Americas, Austria, and South Germany. Marriage alliances fortified his reign and extended his influence further, with Spain marrying into the influential Austrian Hapsburgs. His control over the spice trade and a profoundly Catholic Spain with a mission to spread Christianity also played critical roles in the expansion of Spanish power.
Under his leadership, Spain solidified its dominance through the intensification of commerce, notably in substantial ports like Seville, Valencia, and Barcelona. Additionally, the church accrued significant landholdings and influence, further strengthening Spain's power base. Charles's rule saw not only territorial expansion, with Spain's empire extending to the Philippines and the Americas, but also a social restructuring aimed at upholding the Spanish social hierarchy and the propagation of Roman Catholicism in the New World. However, the concentration of wealth and power under Spanish control eventually stirred unrest and the colonists' desire for independence, which would later lead to challenges to Spanish authority.