The Netherlands Flashcards
1
Q
Defining the start of the revolt (events of …..)
A
- After Alva arrives in 1567 he starts his reign of terror marking the beginning of the complete breakdown of the relationship between the Dutch and the Spanish
The events of the spring of 1572 mark the beginning of the war
- Many of the 60,000 exiled Dutch united into four armies marching under the name of Orange
- In the North these armies were successful
- The Sea Beggars took over the towns of Brill and Flushing
- Orange became Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht
2
Q
Religion was an origin of the revolt
A
Ultimately the Calvinism of many Dutch and the Catholicism of the Habsburgs was incompatible
Long term
- Philip’s attempts to reorganise the Dutch church in 1561 by establishing new Bishoprics and setting plans for a Dutch inquisition lead to opposition from the Dutch nobles leading to Granvelle’s expulsion 1563
- The Compromise of the Nobility 1566 where 400 grandees pressured to remove placards is a later example dissatisfaction
Short term
- By 1566 there were 300 weekly Calvinist meetings
- After the The iconoclastic fury in 1566, an expression of Calvinist opposition, Alva came implementing the 1561 reforms and stamping out Calvinism
- This was the main reason for many of the 12,000 Dutch to be arrested, 1,000 to be executed and 60,000 to be exiled
3
Q
Religion was not an origin of revolt
A
- Many of those who revolted against Philip were Catholic, predominantly living in the south, only breaking from the more Calvinist north in 1579 with the Union of Arras
- Even in the 1560s the three leaders of the opposition nobles, Egmont, Hornes and Orange were not devout protestants
- The revolt was caused by the oppression of Alva it was the 60,000 in exile who marched in 1672 which led to the start of the revolt, this can better be described as an expression of autonomy.
- The disagreement the power play between whether the Habsburgs can implement religious reform on the Dutch or whether it is under the control the Estates Generals
4
Q
Finance was an origin of revolt
A
Finance caused much suffering
Long term
- 1556 - Philip called for a 1% tax on estates and 2% tax on movable goods which was outright refused, demonstrating opposition to tax implementation
Short term
- One of Alva’s most repressive acts was the tenth penny tax introduced in 1569, coupled with poor harvests this caused the suffering which inspired many to join the revolt in 1572
5
Q
Finance was not an origin of revolt
A
- Could be argued that the Netherlands had always been used as the treasurer of the Habsburg lands although this is not so convincing when faced with the repression of Alva
- There is certainly evidence of this being a result of a fight over autonomy, in 1556 it certainly was. However the repression of Alva was certainly on a purely financial level, the Dutch just being victims
6
Q
Rights to autonomy as an origin of the revolt
A
Long term
- Under Charles the Grandees had enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy
- Planned reforms to the Church in 1561 threatened this autonomy, the Church especially was the most powerful political unit, having an influence over the laity that no other political tool could
- Planning to leave 3,000 troops in the Netherlands in 1559 was greatly opposed by States Generals and was scrapped having soured relations
Short term
- The killing of prominent and popular nobles Egmont and Horne in 1568 and the arresting of 12,000 Dutch by the Council of Blood without the cooperation of the States General was seen as against Dutch privilege of autonomy
- Threatening the Dutch status as an intellectual capital of Europe, Alva’s reformation of the Dutch universities in the late 1560s and early 70s and the religious placards threatened this status
- Alva’s complete domination of the Dutch with the Council of Blood trampled over their right to autonomy, igniting revolt
7
Q
Overall argument with causes of the Dutch Revolt
A
- Religion was an increasing issue throughout the period
- Finance supplied much grievance to ignite the war
- However the rights of autonomy are at the heart of the reasons for the outbreak of the Dutch Revolt
8
Q
William of Orange key events
A
- After leading the opposition nobles in the 1560s he fled Alva in 1567
- In 1568 he failed to dislodge Alva with an army from Germany
- In 1572 he returned to the Netherlands with the armies of exiles to join the Sea Beggars, at this point he was the natural leader of the rebellion following the deaths of Hornes and Egmont in 1568
- Between 1572-1573 he lead the revolt against Alva being stadthoder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht, his biggest victories were at Alkmaar 1573 and Leiden 1574
- In 1584 he was eventually assassinated
9
Q
William of Orange character
A
- William was an unlikely father of the Dutch people, many have argued his rule to be inconsequential
- He greatest attributes can be seen as his ability to keep the united movement between difference provinces, without which the revolt certainly would have failed
- He equally kept the revolt a highly political one, winning the support of germanic states in 1568, the English and the French in 1572
- Most importantly he was the figure head and later the martyr that the revolt needed to inspire its continuation
10
Q
The Revolt 1572-1574
A
- 1572 many of the 60,000 exiles formed four armies and marched against Alva
- Sea Beggars took Brill and Flushing
- Orange named statholder of Holland Zeeland and Utrecht
- In the sieges of 1572-3 Alva’s men commit many massacres most importantly Haarlem
- Notable victories at Alkmaar 1573 and Leiden 1574
- Alva leaves, Requesense arrives in 1573
- The General Pardon 1574 which ends the Council of Troubles and Tenth Penny Tax end this period of the revolt (certainly not ending the revolt)
11
Q
Massacres of 1576
A
- 1576 Requesense dies and in the unease before Don John the unpaid troops mutiny
- This is caused by Philip’s bankruptcy in 1575
- 52,000 of 60,000 Spanish troops mutiny leading to the 7 day pillage of Antwerp which killed 7,000 Dutch and is known as the greatest atrocities of the revolt
12
Q
The Pacification of Ghent
A
- 1576
- Unifies all 17 provinces behind the cause of expelling the Spanish
- The union was an uneasy one with the mostly Catholic south feared the more radical Calvinist north not so much because of religion as of its social implications.
13
Q
Calvinist radicalism post Ghent
A
- The Calvinist uprisings in the south in 1577 and 1578 fuelled these fears, the Council of Eighteen ruling Brussels after effectively a revolution in 1577
14
Q
Failed regencies and the breaking of the Union
A
- The Estates Generals sought a regent firstly Archduke Matthias in 1577 then the Duke of Alencon in 1578, this was backed by Orange to keep unity but both were ultimately failures
- In 1579 the union broke into the Union of Utrecht of the north and the Union of Arras in the south, this brought back Catholicism and the rule of Philip
- 1581 the Union of Utrecht finally denounces Philip
15
Q
Maurice of Nassau
A
- Son of William of Orange he is named Stadtholder of Holland in 1585, a year after his father’s assassination
- Unlike his father he was a highly able military commander
- In 1590 he captured Breda, in 1591, Zutphen and Deventer
- His military resurgence, capitalising on Parma’s absence was a key factor in rekindling the revolt which Parma had near snuffed out
