In the 16th century, at the height of the Spanish Empire’s power, its rivals launched an unprecedented information campaign known as the “Black Legend” (Leyenda Negra). This was a deliberate strategy to discredit Spain, portraying it as a nation of fanatics marked by exceptional cruelty and an insatiable thirst for power. Through pamphlets, engravings, and distorted chronicles, Europe for centuries was presented with the image of a dark, intolerant, and aggressive power.
The main tool of this campaign was one of humanity’s greatest inventions — the printing press. Amid religious wars, the Reformation, and the scramble for colonies that shaped Europe’s political landscape, print became a powerful weapon. The chief opponents of Catholic Spain were the Protestant England and the Netherlands, along with certain political factions in France. Their goal was not only military, but also ideological weakening of the hegemon. Print propaganda made it possible to create the image of a common enemy, mobilizing public opinion against it.
Anti-Spanish propaganda spread widely throughout Europe. In England, during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), texts portraying Spaniards as racially “dark,” corrupt, and bloodthirsty fanatics were mass-produced. This not only justified London’s foreign policy but also strengthened Protestant identity at home, legitimizing the persecution of Catholics. In the Netherlands, which was fighting for independence from the Spanish Crown, engravings depicting atrocities committed by Spanish soldiers were created. One of the most famous examples was the image of the Duke of Alba, literally shown devouring infants.
The sack of Antwerp in 1576, called by its critics the “Spanish Fury” (Furia Española), became a symbol of Spanish cruelty. The event, in which thousands of townspeople were killed, was presented as proof of the barbaric nature of Spanish rule. To support their claims, propagandists actively used and manipulated the works of Spanish authors. For example, the book by priest Bartolomé de las Casas, “Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias,” condemning violence in the American colonies, was taken out of context and used as indisputable evidence of the entire nation’s cruelty.
Spain tried to respond to this campaign by creating its own “White Legend,” in which the English were portrayed as misguided Catholics who had become victims of their own rulers. However, these efforts were less successful. As a result, the “Black Legend” not only damaged the country’s international reputation but also seeped into the consciousness of Spaniards themselves, giving rise to an inferiority complex—the echoes of which, according to some researchers, are still felt today.
Modern historians call for a critical analysis of past events. They emphasize that the “Black Legend” was a tool of political struggle. Like any other empire, the Spanish Empire made mistakes and committed crimes, but its image was deliberately demonized. At the same time, its opponents—the very creators of this myth—were themselves far from the ideals of humanism they claimed to espouse.
