The Grand Strategy of Philip II

Book Review

Reviews by "Old Duffer"

Geoffrey Parker for Yale

So here we have the mightiest king of a mighty realm, the first empire upon which the Sun never set, just how did he order matters in managing the various demands upon his imperium? Managing England's changes in administration, seeking to suppress the rise of the Godly in the Netherlands, weakening france, supporting his Austrian cousins, battling the Turk in the Mediterranean and the corsair in North Africa; all these were Philip's lot. Well in truth I do not think Professor Parker's latest book really answers the question in any ordered fashion.

That is not to say that you will not enjoy the book - just that this is more interesting anecdotes than a dissection of the administration. Furthermore the choice of the Armada and the Dutch Revolt (both of which Parker has written about to distraction) is unfortunate. How much more interesting if he had entered the lists against France or even, going mano-a-mano with Guilmartin, the Sublime Porte. But he didn't, so that's that.

Parker opens with the concept of the strategic culture - did such a thing exist? Charles V's advice to his son is considered as a model strategy. The King's habits of not delegating and believing God was on his side (with the result that he trusted the Almighty to manage the downside) are described together with the fiscal problems that beset the kingdom (and, it might be added, all its enemies). King Philip's habit of hopping about dealing with crises without ever finishing one off draws criticism, although you will permit me to observe that academics' views on how problems should be managed are suspect on the practical experience front. One makes war as one can not as one ought. The technical problems of control are covered in a chapter of re-hashed Braudel.

Having established how the beast functioned Parker then dwells on the formulation of policy using three case studies; the early Dutch revolt period 1555-77, the management of relations with the British Isles and the Armada. Parker is always provocative in picking key periods and asking how things might have been ordered differently. Should Alba have been more or less tyrannical, or was it just a matter of either working providing he was consistent? There follows four chapters on the Armada in which the planning, its failings and the end result are supported by lots of interesting detail. The section on Parma's navy is very interesting. There is a game to be had in planning such a campaign.

Overall not quite what the title implied but jolly good for all that.

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