The Dutch Revolt

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 2

Chapter 1.4: The Dutch Revolt 

Problems in the Low Countries

Question: What were the reasons for the Netherlands to revolt in the 16th century?

Two problems ...

• Read A: Unrest in the Low Countrys on pages 21 and 22, by yourself (6 minutes).
• Close your book.
• Discuss, amongst yourselves, what you have read (2 minutes).
  
• Answer the following questions, with your teammates.
  

The questions:

1. What were the main differences between Charles V and Philips II?
2. How was the power divided in the Netherlands during Charles V's reign?
3. How many provinces did the Low Countries consist of in 1550?
4. What was the title of the person who replaces Philip II as ruler of the Low Countries?
5.  The text mentions three reasons why the Dutch people were dissatisfied with the Spanish King. Name two of these reasons.
6. Explain the connection between the petition of the Dutch nobles and the field preachings of the Dutch protestants.
   

The answers ...

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. 17
4. Governor
5. They did not want centralised government, they hated the new taxes and they wanted their Roman Catholic king to stop killing protestants.
6. Because of the petition, the Spanish stopped killing protestants for a while. This caused more frequent field preachings.
   

Before the revolt

Charles V and Philip II wanted:

• a centralised government

• less involvement of Dutch nobles
• to bring an end to the Reformation in the Low Countries (Calvinism)
  

How the revolt started ...

• Dutch nobles offered a petition to the governor
• The inquisition stopped prosecuting heretics
• The Protestants started to meet publicly (field preachings)
• Anger amongst the people led to the iconoclastic riots
• Philip II was furious: he sent Alva!
  

War with Spain

Question: What happened during the first years of the Revolt?

Assignment: experts!

• Each CLIL-group will receive an event from this paragraph.

• The group will prepare a short presentation about the event, containing: the course of the event, the key players in the event, the significance for the Dutch Revolt.
  
• The events are: The battle at Heiligerlee, the capture of Den Briel, the siege of Haarlem, the Union of Utrecht, the murder of William of Orange, the fall of Antwerp.
  

Assignment: experts!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Make sure that:

• The presentation lasts approx. 3 minutes
• Every member of the group has a part to play (speaking, answering questions, etc ...)
• The presentation contains: the course of the event, the key players in the event, the significance for the Dutch Revolt.
• Presentations will take place during the next lesson (Monday).
  

The end of the Revolt

Question: how did the Netherlands become a country without a king?

Independence!

• During the first years of the Revolt , support for the rebellion grew steadily.
• In 1581, the rebels took the next step: The Act of Abjuration.
  

Act of Abjuration

The States General of the United Provinces of the Low Countries, to all whom it may concern, do by these Presents send greeting:

As it is apparent to all that a prince is constituted by God to be ruler of a people, to defend them from oppression and violence as the shepherd his sheep; and whereas God did not create the people slaves to their prince, to obey his commands, whether right or wrong, but rather the prince for the sake of the subjects (without which he could be no prince), to govern them according to equity, to love and support them as a father his children or a shepherd his flock, and even at the hazard of life to defend and preserve them. And when he does not behave thus, but, on the contrary, oppresses them, seeking opportunities to infringe their ancient customs and privileges, exacting from them slavish compliance, then he is no longer a prince, but a tyrant, and the subjects are to consider him in no other view. And particularly when this is done deliberately, unauthorized by the states, they may not only disallow his authority, but legally proceed to the choice of another prince for their defense. This is the only method left for subjects whose humble petitions and remonstrances could never soften their prince or dissuade him from his tyrannical proceedings; and this is what the law of nature dictates for the defense of liberty, which we ought to transmit to posterity, even at the hazard of our lives.

Act of Abjuration

• Who wrote this?
• What is the purpose of this document?
• Which argument(s) do they use?

The Republic

• Sit in your CLIL-groups
• Read: "Declaration of Independence" (2 min.)
  
• Discuss the manner in which the Dutch decided to manage their country (3 min.)
  
• Make a drawing/graphic of the new system of government. Make sure all the different groups/people in this system are mentioned and their tasks are explained.
  

The Republic won. Why?

There were three main reasons why the Dutch were able to defeat the Spanish:

• Trade and industry increased the wealth of the Republic.
• Spain was waging war all over the world.
• The Republic had strong allies.
  

Assignment: what is the birth year of the Netherlands?

Is it:

• 1566,
• 1568,
• 1579,
• 1581,
• 1587, or
• 1648?

Discuss ... and choose!