The Dutch revolt and Eighty Years’ War [individual assignment]
The Dutch revolt and Eighty Years’ War [individual assignment]
The Netherlands achieved a central role in inter-European trade due to its geographic position and large merchant marine fleet. For example, it was the Netherlands that provided a connection between the raw material producers in the Baltic region and the rest of Europe. Increasingly, it was the city of Amsterdam (the capital of the Netherlands), rather than the Spanish-controlled city of Antwerp, that became the centre of commerce in northern Europe.
In the decades preceding the war, the Dutch became increasingly discontented with Habsburg rule. A major cause of this discontent was heavy taxation imposed on the population, while support and guidance from the government was hampered by the size of the Habsburg empire. At that time, the Seventeen Provinces were known in the Spanish empire as De landen van herwaarts and in French as Les pays de par deça - "those lands around there". The Dutch provinces were continually criticised for acting in economy, social and cultural public life without permission from the throne, while it was impractical for them to gain permission for actions, as requests sent to the throne would take at least four weeks for a response to return. The presence of Spanish troops under the command of the Duke of Alba, brought in to oversee order, further amplified this unrest.
Spain also attempted a policy of strict religious uniformity for the Catholic Church within its domains, and enforced it with the Inquisition. The Reformation meanwhile produced a number of Protestant denominations, which gained followers in the Seventeen Provinces. These included the Lutheran movement of Martin Luther, the Anabaptist movement of the Dutch reformer Menno Simons, and the Reformed teachings of John Calvin. This growth led to the 1566 Beeldenstorm, the "Iconoclastic Fury", in which many churches in northern Europe were stripped of their Catholic statuary and religious decoration.
On April 1, 1572, the Sea Beggars, Netherlandish Calvinist rebels and pirates, captured the port city of Brielle. This leads to a wave of uprisings in Holland and Zealand, leaving most of those provinces (with the exception of Amsterdam), under rebel control. In summer of 1572, the Sea Beggars capture the city Gorkum and put several Roman Catholic priests into a prison. Later, the Sea Beggars hang 19 previously imprisoned Roman Catholic priests at Brielle.
The Eighty Years' War (Dutch: Tachtigjarige Oorlog; Spanish: Guerra de los Ochenta Años) or Dutch War of Independence (1568–1648) was a revolt of the Seventeen Provinces of what are today the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as the French region of Hauts-de-France against the political and religious hegemony of Philip II of Spain, the sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands. After the initial stages, Philip II deployed his armies and regained control over most of the rebelling provinces.
Under the leadership of the exiled William the Silent (House of Orange), the northern provinces continued their resistance. They eventually were able to oust the Habsburg armies, and in 1581 they established the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.
For most of the 17th century, it was politically decentralized, with each of the seven provinces retaining extensive autonomy. Wealthy merchants dominated the provincial Estates, which retained powers far more extensive than those of national Estates General, particularly in the area of taxation. Executive power, such as it was, came from the noble House of Orange, whose family members had achieved prominence for leading the revolt against Spain. The male head of this family held the title of stadholder, an office with primarily a military function.
The war with Spain and its ally Portugal continued in other areas, although the heartland of the republic was no longer threatened; this included the beginnings of the Dutch Colonial Empire, which at the time were conceived as carrying overseas the war with Spain and, even more, with Portugal.
After a 12-year truce, hostilities broke out again around 1619, which can be said to coincide with the Thirty Years' War. An end was reached in 1648 with the Peace of Münster (a treaty part of the Peace of Westphalia), when the Dutch Republic was recognised as an independent country (though the fact of its being such was evident long before). The Peace of Münster was also the start of the Dutch Golden Age.
This “Golden Age” in the Netherlands produced a high standard of living, with wealth being more equally distributed than any other place in Europe. The Netherlands also stood out from the rest of Europe for its tolerant attitude toward religious minorities, with Jews fleeing from the Spanish Inquisition and Anabaptists as well as Catholics finding a place among the majority Calvinist population.
Questions for experts
1. What were the causes of Dutch revolt? In your opinion, what prevented the Spanish monarchy (Philip II Habsburg) from compromises with the discontent people and, thus, keeping its authority?
2. What were the main forces of revolt?
3. What were the main outcomes of the revolt?
4. Compared to (with) other revolutions, what were the distinct features of the Dutch revolt? (Before answering, read about other revolutions in the theme 10 section).