In this episode, we seek to understand how systems of trade, the Columbian Exchange, and the theory of mercantilism combined to create absolute monarchs in Europe. This is the first episode in our series about the Age of Absolutism. Listen to find out how Charles V, Phillip II, and the Spanish Armada affected the Spanish Empire and learn about the factors that began to weaken the empire as the Spanish faced incredible adversity. As Lord Acton stated, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."