History 2403E Lecture 26: Dutch Golden Age – Part 2
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
March 27, 2018
Dutch Golden Age – Part 2
- Philip II (Spain)
o Problems related to Philip II and how he governed the Netherlands
o After 1559 Philip never goes back to the low countries
o See’s spain as the epiphany of western Europe – Spanish greatness and growth
o Wants peace, stability and taxation
o Protestant faith spreading in the Netherlands
▪ Significant, vocal and powerful
▪ The Calvinists are successful – spread among middle-class merchants
▪ An issue for Philip: concerned that cities (Antwerp) will shift over – an
economic threat and danger
• The primary destination for goods that Spain exported
• Major export for textile and woods
▪ Response – tries to impose tridentine Catholicism on these territories
• Sent Jesuits, tried to establish inquisitions, reorganized region’s
religious structure (appoints people)
• National catholic church, under the control of kings, not the pope
o Seriously irritates the Dutch nobles
▪ Have a long history of being able to govern themselves on a day to day
basis
• Were left alone
▪ Religious toleration to elsewhere in continental Europe
• Imposition of Catholicism angers them
▪ Wants things to maintain the status quo
o Calvinism also spreads to the aristocrats
▪ The lower to mid-levels found it appealing
▪ Goes back to political theory – right of resistance is vested in the people
• Express resistance through the work of the western magistrates –
appeal for repress
▪ Gather together on William, Prince of Orange
- William, Prince of Orange
o Appealing to Philip to change his mind
▪ Existing relationship is okay but innovations in religious and politics are
unwanted
o Philip exceedingly catholic and Spanish – had no patience for the Dutch’s request
o 1566 – a group of lesser Dutch nobles approach the king
▪ Want to stop the persecution of protestants in the Netherlands
▪ Philip denies the quest
▪ Mornet – use prayerful peace and submission (have to endure)
▪ In the summer, Dutch protestants upset at the inquisition rose up against
catholic churches and clergy
• Iconoclasm – an expression of discontent
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- Margaret of Parma
o Tasked with managing the low countries in the name of Philip
o Difficulty: Philip left her with no real power or army
o Hard to maintain peace and religious policies in this environment
o Agrees to negotiate with protestant leaders and makes a number of concessions to
the Dutch mobility
▪ A means to maintain peace
o Philip’s reaction: sees it as betrayal and fires her
o In her place is the Duke of Alba – takes over governorship of low countries
- Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba
o Told to crush the Dutch
o Established the council of troubles
▪ A court to try protestants involved in iconoclasm riots of summer 1566
▪ 12,00 are tried, 1,000 executed
o Increased levels of taxation
o These choices caused an escalation of conflict into an actual war
- Leader of Dutch forces is William of Orange
▪ Comparable to Henry IV of France
▪ Switched religious alliances in a number of points
▪ Catholic, to Lutherism to Calvinism – about circumstances, not on
theological ideas
• Based on necessity
o Not a good general, also in debts
o Chosen to be leader because he was charismatic (overlap with Henry)
▪ Able to interact in meaningful way with the nobility and common people
o Very brave
▪ People expected leaders and nobility to be brave warriors
o Never tries to cease the situation for his own personal gain and ends
▪ People trusted him
o Philip puts out a hit for his death
o A war of sieges and naval battles
- Sea Beggars
o Dutch naval
o Want to cut off Spanish supply lines
o Spanish forced to re-supply overland – had to travel the Spanish road
- Spanish Road
o Travelling through southern France, northern-Italian territories and head upwards
▪ Have to convince the French they are not there to fight
▪ Expensive, dangerous and time consuming
▪ Unable to supply troops
o Dutch fighting – hold up in the cities, break the dykes and waited out the Spanish
▪ Used natural landscape to defend themselves
▪ Spanish forced to fight a long siege battle
o Spanish had troubles with paying their armies
▪ Mercenary army
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
In the summer, dutch protestants upset at the inquisition rose up against catholic churches and clergy. Sea beggars: dutch naval, want to cut off spanish supply lines, spanish forced to re-supply overland had to travel the spanish road. Alexander farnese, duke of parma: philip"s most capable and able general shows up, many military victories for spain in the southern provinces, margaret"s son, successful policy: reached out to catholic leaders and attacked their sensibility. Incentive: promise of return of status quo, as existed before hostilities came out. Union of arras (1578: formalized in 1579, 10 southern provinces return to spanish rule. Walloon provinces the 10 southern provinces: forms belgium in the modern day, results: massive migration of calvinists from 10 southern provinces and moved north, those who left were those who had transferable wealth and skills. Union of utrecht: northern provinces, formed in 1579, independence becomes the goal of the struggle between spain.
