Rule of Phillip II
Phillip II of Spain inherited the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) in 1555 from his father, Charles V, who opted for early retirement to a monastery. Phillip, a staunch Catholic, tried to ban Protestantism from all of his holdings. Phillip was a harsh ruler who stepped up the Inquisition, which had been brought in with Charles V. Phillip, had nothing in common with his Dutch subjects. He refused to learn Dutch, preventing him from effectively communicating with the common people. Nor would the Spanish king learn French, which alienated him from the Dutch nobility. Over the next thirty years, Philip gradually reduced the rights of the people of the Low Countries. Used to self government and little royal oversight, the Dutch did not take kindly to enforced restrictions on their religion and personal freedoms. Philip also raised taxes to pay for foreign wars.
Regent Rule of Margaret of Parma
Phillip resided in Spain and left the governence of the Low Countries to his illegitimate half sister, Margaret of Parma (also called Margaret of Austria), who ruled as Governor General from 1559 - 1567. With little influence or power, Margaret was unsuccessful in keeping Protestantism at bay. While the southern portion of the Low Countries (Belgium) remained Catholic, the northern portion (Holland) embraced Calvinism. With no real military backing, there was little Margaret could do.
In April 1566 riots broke out among Calvinists in the Netherlands. Hundreds of nobles marched through the city of Brussels to Margaret’s home to protest religious persecution of Calvinists. Without Spanish military aid, Margaret was forced to call upon German mercenaries to put down the revolt. More religious uprisings followed in 1567 and Margaret dealt with them through mass executions.
The Rise of William the Silent
Out of the Protestant riots emerged a strong leader, William of Nassau, Prince of Orange. He was nicknamed “William the Silent” because of his skill at hiding his thoughts. He could effortlessly chat with political rivals, all the while plotting against them. William the Silent gave the protestant revolts a sense of purpose, with goals that included independence from Spain and religious toleration. In the summer of 1566 Iconoclasts destroyed many statues and sacred images throughout the Low Countries. There was a mass exile of Protestants from the Low Countries, among them William the Silent.
Meanwhile, Margaret of Parma was replaced as governor general by the Duke of Alva. The Duke was a brutal ruler, executing 8000 people in an effort to break the Protestant leadership. Instead of breaking the Protestant resolve, the duke’s actions only served to strengthen it. William the Silent raised armies in France and Germany and attacked Spanish shipping, liberating coastal towns from Spanish rule. He worked his way inland, carry the idea of independence with him.
Pacification of Ghent
In November 1576 all the Low Country provinces (except Luxembourg) pledged to work together to defeat Spain. William the Silent returned to Brussels as a victorious leader. However, not everyone was happy with the new leadership. Catholics, centered in Walloon, Flanders and Brabant banded together against William. The northern provinces formed the Union of Utrecht and pledged to continue to fight for independence. In 1584 William the Silent was assassinated by a Catholic fanatic, but his leadership had been strong enough to keep the Northern provinces united in their fight for freedom.
Spain Concedes Defeat
By 1609 Spain, whose power was greatly weakened by wars with France and England, agreed to a truce with the Netherlands. While the official peace would not come until 1648, the Netherlands had finally gained its long sought after independence. While the Netherlands began what would be known as the Dutch Golden Age, the Spanish Empire began a slow decline into obscurity.
Sources:
Burns, Ralph, Lerner, Meacham. World Civilizations, Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1982.
Jackson, Guida M. Women Who Ruled. New York: Barnes & Nobel Books. 1990.
Rachlis, Eugene. The Low Countries. New York: Time Life Books. 1963.
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