Answer:
While Spain plundered the New World, unrest plagued Europe. The Reformation threw England and France, the two European powers capable of contesting Spain, into turmoil. Long and expensive conflicts drained time, resources, and lives. Millions died from religious violence in France alone.
Two older empires are sometimes considered: the Asian part of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The Early Imperial Nations England, France, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
