Launch of the Olivares Reforms (1621)

Timeline

1. 1621Royal Palace of Madrid · MadridIn 1621 the young monarch Philip IV elevated Olivares to chief minister and favorite, granting him nearly unchecked administrative power and replacing the conservative governing model of the Duke of Lerma's era.
2. 1624–1626Castile · CastileOlivares proposed the Union of Arms plan, requiring kingdoms such as Aragon, Valencia, and Catalonia to raise troops in proportion to population and share military costs, breaking the constitutional tradition whereby each kingdom was responsible only for its own internal affairs, and provoking strong resistance from local estates.
3. 1621–1630Kingdom of Spain · SpainIn the 1620s Olivares implemented policies such as cutting court expenditure, selling offices, raising indirect taxes, and forced loans to fill the fiscal gaps of the Thirty Years' War and the Dutch and Italian fronts, increasing the burden on urban and rural populations.