Charles v accomplishments

Charles V became the most powerful monarch of his day, ruling over an empire that included what is now Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, parts of Italy and central Europe, and large areas in the Americas.

He spent much of his reign trying to reform the Roman Catholic Church and fighting the two greatest threats to its power: Islam and Protestantism.

Rise to Power. Charles's father was Archduke Philip I of Austria, son of Holy Roman Emperor* Maximilian I.

His mother, Joanna of Castile, was the daughter of Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. From his illustrious family, Charles inherited a large number of titles and lands—a legacy that would bring him both power and frustration during his reign.

Charles had little contact with his parents.

His father died when Charles was six, and his mother suffered from mental illness. The young prince grew up at the court in Brussels, then part of Burgundy, under the guidance o