Dutch Revolt
1568-1648 (80 years)
Summary
Spain was a wealthy, powerful country that became bankrupt due to spending on war and limits by alliance pacts during the previous century. This limited Spain’s power when the Dutch Colony revolted against Spanish rule in a series of on and off wars. After King Charles V died, his son Philip II took over in 1556. The Dutch greatly disliked him and viewed him as a foreigner unfit to rule the colony because he was born in Spain and felt like he only cared about Spain and not the colonies. Protestant ideas(especially Calvinism) had taken root in the Netherlands causing rebels to revolt against Catholic Spain for independence. Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba was appointed governor to the Dutch territory, and ordered the execution of thousands of rebels. This led to even more revolts and radical Protestants stormed church buildings, destroying them. William the Silent was a powerful landowner who refused to submit to the Duke, so to avoid arrest he fled to Saxony and vowed for revenge. He became one of the icons of the rebellion, and the Dutch rebels followed him, staging raids and turning the rebellion into a war. The northern provinces eventually won back several lands up until 1571, when the Spanish sent more troops over there, successfully suppressing them and the Duke introduced a new tax. This angered many, so many cities declared they would help the rebels. Toledo was replaced by Farnese as Duke because Farnese couldn’t control the revolts, and the Southern States signed the Union of Atrecht (loyal to Spanish King). In response, William the Silent unified the Northern States. In 1581 the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was established and immediately after that, the Spanish sent armies back to try and recapture the United Provinces. The Netherlands were now officially split, the north was independence while the south stayed under Spanish control. The United Provinces sought help from France and England, and after about a decade of fighting a truce was signed, however it only lasted 12 years because Spain attacked. All of this ended with the Treaty of Münster between the Netherlands and the Spanish. This was a part of the Treaty of Westphalia that ended the 30 years war.
Causes
Root Causes:
Tensions over economic issues
Taxed without any representation, King Philip II needed money after fighting wars with other countries. The Dutch were wealthy, so he turned to them and taxed them heavily. There was also the presence of Spanish troops brought in to oversee order.
King Philip II didn’t consult the people before making decisions regarding the Dutch, and seemingly made decisions that benefited only the Spanish.
Dutch provinces were known as “those lands around there”, largely ignored by Philip II
Religious issues
Protestantism had reached the Netherlands, and many adopted the popular Calvinist ideas.
Spain tried to control and stop Protestantism and only allowed Catholicism. No religious tolerance.
Direct Cause:
- Radical Calvinists destroyed churches, causing King Philip II to send troops over
Course
1568-1572: Initial Stages
August 15, 1566; a small incident outside the Antwerp cathedral started a massive iconoclastic movement by the Calvinists
1567; Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, marched into Brussels at the head of ten thousand troops.
June 5, 1568; counts of Egmont and Horne decapitated on the Grand Place in Brussels
1568; William I of Orange tried to drive the highly unpopular Duke of Alba from Brussels
April 23, 1568; Battle of Rheindahlen, unofficial start of the Eighty Years’ War
May 23, 1568; Battle of Heiligerlee, regarded as the beginning of the war
1571; Battle of Lepanto, Spanish sends more troops to Netherlands in order to suppress the rebellion
1572-1585: Resurgence
April 1, 1572; capture of Brielle by the Sea Beggars, rebels gain foothold in North, sparking rebellion in the Low Countries
1573; Alba replaced by Luis de Requesens and a new policy of moderation
1575; Spain declares bankruptcy, unable to pay soldiers, who mutinied
November 1576; “Spanish Fury,” soldiers sacked Antwerp at the cost of around eight thousand lives
November 8, 1576; Pacification of Ghent signed, stipulated a retreat of the Spanish army and religious tolerance from both sides
January 6, 1579; Southern States signed the Union of Atrecht, expressing loyalty to the Spanish king
January 23, 1579; WIlliam unites the northern states of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and the province of Groningen in the Union of Utrecht. Southern cities like Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, and Antwerp joined the Union.
1581; Oath of Abjuration issued, in which the Netherlands proclaim independence from the king of Spain and formed the United Provinces of the Netherlands
July 10, 1584; William I assassinated by a supported of Philip II
1584-1585; siege and fall of Antwerp
1585-1609: De facto independence of the north
1585; under the Treaty of Nonsuch, Elizabeth I sent Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, to take the rule as lord-regent
1587; Maurice of Orange appointed as Captain-General of Dutch army at the age of 20
1595; Henry IV declares war against Spain
1598; Philip ceded the Netherlands to Archduke Albert of Austria and his wife Isabella
1600; final campaign to control the Southern provinces coast region launched despite Maurice’s advice against it
1609-1621: Twelve Years’ Truce
1609; start of the Twelve Years’ Truce
1617; “Sharp Resolution” allowed cities to take measures against the Gomarists
1619; Van Oldenbarnevelt accused of treason, arrested, and executed
1621-1648: Final Stages
1622; Spanish attack on Bergen op Zoom repelled
1625; Maurice dies while the Spanish laid siege to the city of Breda. Spanish commander Ambrosio Spinola succeeds in conquering the city of Breda
1632; Frederick Henry captures Venlo, Roermond, and Maastricht during the “March along the Meuse”
1628; Dutch capture of the larger part of the Spanish treasure fleet by Piet Pieterszoon Hein
1639; Spain sends a second armada bound for Flanders, carrying 20,000 troops to assist in a last large scale attempt to defeat the northern “rebels.”
1639; Battle of the Downs, armada is defeated by Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp
Marked end of Spain as the dominant sea power
January 30, 1648; war ends with the Treaty of Münster between Spain and the Netherlands
Key Figures
King Philip II of Spain
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
(1556-1558) Appointed governor of the Dutch colonies by King Philip II. He executed thousands of rebels and arrested William the Silent. He was later replaced by Alessandro Farnese when he couldn't manage the Dutch revolts. Known as the Iron Duke.
William I, Prince of Orange (a.k.a. William the Silent)
Outcome
Main Significance
Primary Source
http://www1.umassd.edu/euro/resources/dutchrep/14.pdf
Above is a primary source document known as the Treaty of Münster, which was also part of the Peace of Westphalia. This document brought the Dutch Revolt, also known as the Eighty Years’ War, to an end. It played a huge part in the independence of the Netherlands and non-interference regarding the internal affairs of sovereign states in international laws.