stagnation+(a+period+of+no+action,+causing+decline+or+loss+of+power)

__ Stagnation __

The final decades of the 17th century saw utter decay and stagnation in Spain; while the rest of W estern Europe went through exciting changes in government and society — the Glorious Revolution in England and the reign of the Sun King in France — Spain remained adrift. The Spanish bureaucracy that had built up around the charismatic, industrious, and intelligent Charles the first and Philip the second demanded a strong and hardworking monarch; the weakness and lack of interest of Philip the third and the forth contributed to Spain's decay. Charles the second was mentally retarted (crazy) and impotent. He was therefore childless, and in his final will he left his throne to the Bourbon prince Philip of Anjou, rather than to a fellow Habsburg, albeit from Austria. This resulted in the War of the spanish succession.

( information from wikipedia) .