1.3 Start of the Dutch Revolt

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The start of the Dutch Revolt

paragraph 1.3

Today

• Recap
• Explanation 2.3
• Work on your assignment 

Can you give two reasons why the Dutch people were angry at Philip II?

Describe what happened during the Iconoclastic Fury

Learning goals 

At the end of this lesson you can:

• You can explain why William of Orange and the Sea beggars were important for the start of the Dutch revolt. 
• You can explain how the people of The Netherlands rebelled against the Spanish. 
• You can explain how the Netherlands split into the Nothern and Southern Netherlands 

The start of the revolt

• After the Iconoclastic Fury, Philip II sent the Duke of Alva to the Republic. 

• His objective was to punish Protestants, especially the ones who had taken part in the Iconoclastic Fury.

• Bloedraad (Council of Blood).

The start of the revolt

• The Spanish treatment of Protestants was too harsh.
• The taxes were too high and th harvest failed
• 1566: Iconoclastic fury 
• 1567: Blood council by Alva
• 1568: Consequence: the Dutch started to revolt, led
   by William of Orange.

             → the revolters were called Sea Beggars
             (watergeuzen)

The start of the Revolt

• The Dutch had one advantage: they did not use mercenaries 
• Also, the Dutch knew the area they fought on way better. They attacked by small, strategic attacks, such as drowing a city and Spanish soldiers.
• At first the Dutch were unsuccesful, however that changed in 1572.
• The sea beggers took Den Briel

Besieged and murdered

Choosing Orange/the Uprising was dangerous for the cities

Cities were besieged for months and when a city surrendered, people were often massacred, such as in Naarden andHaarlem (1572-1573).

All residents of Naarden were murdered. The city was then set on fire.

Flooding the land 

When the Spanish laid siege to Leiden in 1573, they nearly starved the city to the point of giving up. However, the Geuzen were able to get food inside in 1574, so the resistance would Last Long enough for William's men to arrive. 

The Geuzen broke the siege by breaching the dikes and flooding the area. This has been a favourite military tactic of the Dutch for centuries. This tactic stopped Spanish advances and in cases like Leiden, it turned the city into an island, making it impossible for the Spanish land army to maintain the siege.

top: schoolposter from 1969 depicting the liberation of Leiden.

right: every year on the 3rd of October in Leiden people celebrate the liberation, which they call "Het Leids ontzet". On this day they eat herring and white bread, like in 1574.

Pacification van Gent

The Spanish have too little money to pay their troops

1576: Spanish fury, the Spanish soldiers go plundering

reaction:

1576: Pacification of Ghent, peace treaty between all provinces

> together drive out the Spanish troops

> no religious persecutions, 

The Pacification of Ghent does not work

De Pacificatie results in 

Union of Utrecht

In 1579, the provinces that were against Philip
decided to form an alliance: the Union
of Utrecht.

They had a common army and decided
that Philip would no longer be their king in 1581.

The act of abjuration. 

Tijdbalk 80 jarige oorlog (de opstand)

Consequences Union of Utrecht

• 1584: William of Orange was declared outlawed
• 1585: The fall of Antwerp: the most important city of the Low Countries was conquered by the Spanish Army.

The Netherlands now existed of the Northern (protestant) Netherlands and the Southern (catholic) Netherlands. 

How does the war end?

The northern provinces no longer recognised Philip II as their king.

They were convinced that they still needed a new king

By 1588 the provinces gave up the attempts to find a new ruler. 

The new republic was not a unitary state but a confederation of seven provinces.

     The Eighty Years' War ended in 1648 with the Peace of Munster.

Why was 1572 a significant year?

1. Because the Spanish sacked Antwerp
2. Because it was the first victory for the Dutch
3. Because it was four years after the start of the Revolt
4. Because mr. Zwiggelaar said so

Who led the Dutch armies against the Spanish?

1. The Duke of Alva
2. Philip II
3. Charles V
4. William of Orange

What part of the Netherlands made up the Union of Utrecht?

1. The northern part
2. The southern part

And in what year?

1. In 1579
2. In 1581
3. In 1584

Who was assassinated in 1584?

1. Philip II
2. William of Orange
3. Charles V
4. Martin Luther