1.4 The Dutch revolt (part 1)

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

H1 par 4 The Dutch revolt

Part 1

Planning

Introduction

Learning objectives

Explanation of the material

Learning objectives

What you will learn

In this paragraph, you'll learn,

• How the Dutch became dissatisfied with the politics of their rulers
• How the Dutch rebelled against their ruler

What do you already know about the Dutch Revolt?

The Netherlands 

The Netherlands consisted of 17 provinces (gewesten), each with its own duke or count.

- Between 1515 and 1543 it was  under the leadership of Charles V.

- As duke or count, Charles held the highest power, sovereignty, everywhere, but that did not mean he could decide everything freely

- He had to take the rights of his subjects into account.

Each province had its own rules, laws, and taxes, as well as its own government: The States.

In this, cities, nobility, and clergy from the province were represented.

The cities had a lot of independence with their city rights.

Charles V governed the Netherlands from Brussels, but he was also the Emperor of Germany and King of Spain, and often on the move to wage war.

For relations with the provinces, he appointed a high nobleman as his representative: the stadtholder.

State formation and centralisation 

Charles worked on state formation and centralization in the Netherlands.

He wanted to increase taxes for wars and palaces.

But who should pay the taxes?

All this led to an increase in dissatisfaction in the provinces and cities. 

Nobles and citizens did not want to give up their rights and prosperity.
They also wanted to keep their protestant religion. 

Philip II 

• In 1555 Charles V was succeeded  by his son Philip II.
•  Philip charged even higher taxes. 
• He also continued the persecution of the Protestants. 
• The ruthless way in which he did this was too much for many Dutch nobles.

The Revolt against Spain 

• In 1559, Philip II left for Spain.
• As soon as he left, the protests increased. 
• Philip was no longer able to trust his substitutes. For example, William of Orange, the stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht.
  Willem was in favour of freedom of religion and wanted to allow Protestantism .

Petition of the nobles 

• In 1566, hundreds of low nobles went to Brussels and asked Margaret to stop persecuting the Calvinists. 
• She promised to temporarily stop the persecutions. 
• The Calvinists now started holding hedge sermons: open air church services outside of the cities. 

The iconoclastic fury 1566

- During the hagenpreken, people were encouraged to destroy the relics

All over the Netherlands, Protestants stormed Catholic churches and destroyed all decorations

When Philip heard this, he was furious

He sent the feared Duke of Alba to the Netherlands

The Duke of Alba marched with a large army toward the Netherlands

He established a special court and sentenced hundreds of Calvinists to death

Alba wanted to make the Dutch obedient through terror (reign of fear): a government that frightens its subjects with violence

Council of Blood

Tens of thousands of people fled

William of Orange also fled to Germany

In Germany, he raised an army and, two years later in 1568, invaded the Low Countries

The war against Spain had now begun (Eighty Years' War / The Revolt)

Alba repelled William of Orange

He had to retreat to Germany

Alba thought he was unbeatable

But it didn’t stay that way...

Leerdoelen

In deze paragraaf leer je...

- Hoe de Nederlanders ontevreden werden over de politiek van hun vorsten

- Hoe de Nederlanders in opstand kwamen tegen hun vorst