‘the elephant overcome by ants’

‘little swordfish pricking at the bellies of the whale’

Why did the Spanish fail to crush theDutch revolt?

Dutch Leadership

Economic growthand

trading

Role ofCalvinism

Failure ofSpanish

Leadership

Foreign Intervention

Money, troops,Mutinies and

massacresOther Factors e.g. geography of Netherlands

Historians Views

• J.L. Motley – morality tale – Dutch represented forces of democracy, liberty and Protestantism, triumphed over forces of tyranny and Catholicism.

• Peter Geyl – Dutch success – great surprise against greatest power on earth.

• Peter Geyl – Alva most responsible for Spanish failure

• Wedgewood – stressed early failings and unheroic character of Dutch leader WOO, who’s compatriots nonetheless went on to triumph at Spain’s expense.

Overview Points

• Spanish control was always precarious• Revolt contained nobility, merchant elites and

large number of fortified towns• Motivated by deep hostility to Spain• Following PoG encompassed all provinces• Most urbanised area of Europe – war

therefore became series of slow sieges against fiercely independent towns and cities

Overview Points• Elites were well educated and at the centre of new ideas

– Erasmus (Dutch)• Logistical difficulties – distance from home – food,

weapons and pay.• Difficult terrain• Lack of pitched battles• Civilian population hostile to Spain• Dutch aided and abetted by Spanish enemies• Dutch revolt only part of Spain’s military and financial

commitments• Difficulties of a large empire – e.g. would lose Portugal in

1640

Why did the Spanish fail to crush theDutch revolt?

Dutch Leadership

Economic growthand

trading

Role ofCalvinism

Failure ofSpanish

Leadership

Foreign Intervention

Money, troops,Mutinies and

massacresOther Factors e.g. geography of Netherlands

Failure of Leadership

• View point of Protestant historians• MOP – weak and feeble• Granvelle – insensitive and high handed• Reliant on decisions from Philip• Granvelle an unpopular appointment• MOP relaxing heresy laws after CoN lead to

increased Calvinist preaching resulting in Iconoclastic fury 1566.

• Alva sent – Philip unhappy with MoP flexibile approach.

Failure of Leadership• Alva • Geyl – the man who did more than anyone else to prevent Spanish victory• Council of troubles / execution of Egmont and Hornes • Tenth Penny – 10% sales tax – by passed States General• Antagonised ruling classes – opposition universal• Sieges – Haarlem – 2000 executed• Provided Propaganda gift ‘ all market places are blaze with fires in which

the simple people are burnt alive, all the canals are filled with dead corpses’

• Did defeat WOO in 1568• Alva 1573 sacked• Philip must take some responsibly

Failure of Leadership• Don Luis de Requesens 1573-1576• Moderate• General pardon and Tenth penny abolished• 1575 Philip bankrupt and would make no

religious concessions• 1576 Death – Spanish Fury at Antwerp –

leading to States General signing Pacification of Ghent – alliance against Spain.

Failure of Leadership• Don John 1576-1578• Lack of money and instruction from Philip• Tore up Perpetual Edict of 1577 (Truce removing

Spanish troops)• Drove States General back to Holland and Zeeland• Confirmed Dutch suspicions• Reckless action – it was only a matter of time for

differences between hard-line provinces of Holland and Zeeland would have spilt Low Countries

Failure of Leadership• Duke of Parma 1578-92• Great diplomat, strategist and military genius• Divided rebels into 3 groups – Union of Arras – 3

most southerly states wanted Spanish protection against French, Union of Utrecht hard-line 6 Northern provinces - safeguard religious liberty. States General – remaining middle states

• Reconquests 1578-89 – successes for DOP• Other considerations- P2 ordered attentions against

France / England • Died 1592 • Failure of leadership – Philip not DoP

Post 1592

• Confused leadership – Mansfelt and Count of Fuentes

• 1599 – Isabella and Archduke Albert appointed regent by Philip III

• Stalemate• Bankrupt 1607• Twelve Year Truce 1609

Philip

• Appointments• Strategy• Other commitments• Did not visit – a little personal monarch

needed• Lack of religious toleration

Why did the Spanish fail to crush theDutch revolt?

Dutch Leadership

Economic growthAnd

trading

Role ofCalvinism

Failure ofSpanish

Leadership

Foreign Intervention

Money, troops,Mutinies and

massacres

Other Factors

MoP

Granvelle

Philip

Alva

Requesens

Don John

DoP

Indirect rather than Direct

Turks

France

England

Foreign Intervention

• The Turks• France• England

Foreign Intervention• Direct and indirect. Direct little impact.• Unable to deal with Dutch in isolation.• Ottoman Threat• Under estimated Dutch 1560-1570• Lack of funds due to Turk’s• Ill fated expedition in Tripoli and Djerba• Fleet destroyed and attempts to rebuild 1561/62• 1565 blockage of Malta• Forced into conciliatory measures – e.g. Granvelle removed.

Grandees control of States Council – moderate heresy laws leading to 1566 Iconoclastic fury

• Later financial drain – Spanish Fury 1576 – PoG – slow and serious revolt

Foreign Intervention• France• In French interests to keep revolt going• 1572 French army of 6000 sent – easily defeated• Left Spanish fearful of French invasion• Alva forced to move troops from Holland and Zeeland –

allowed Sea Beggars at Brielle• 1581 WOO and States General offered Sovereignty to Duke of

Anjou – younger brother of Henry II.• Anjou invaded, defeated but relieved pressure on rebels in

North• Anjou’s death in 1584 made Protestant Henry of Navarre heir.

Philip turned towards France with DoP.

Foreign Intervention• England• Limited involvement• 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch• 4000 troops, 400 cavalry, financial assistance and

Earl of Leicester sent as governor general.• Limited – however Spanish convinced England main

cause of continuing Dutch resistance.• Reconquest of provinces deferred for Armada 1588• Armada defeat expensive – financially and

psychologically • Latter attempts in 1596, 1597 and 1601.

Why did the Spanish fail to crush theDutch revolt?

Dutch Leadership

Economic growthAnd

trading

Role ofCalvinism

Failure ofSpanish

Leadership

Foreign Intervention

Money, troops,Mutinies and

massacresOther Factorse.g. Geography of Netherlands

MoP

Granvelle

Philip

Alva

Requesens

Don John

DoP

Indirect rather than Direct

Turks

France

England

Chronology

1566-1568 1566 – Iconoclastic Fury 1567 Alva sent to Netherlands 1568 failure of Williams uprising 1572-1576 1572 2nd Dutch revolt 1576-1609 1576 Pacification of Ghent following Spanish Fury 1579 Union of Arras – Southern Provinces return to Spanish

fold, Union of Utrecht alliance of Northern/rebel provinces 1584 Assassination of WWO 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch 1588 Armada 1596 Southern Provinces granted to ‘atchdukes’ Albert and

Isabella 1609 Truce of Antwerp

Why did the Spanish fail to crush theDutch revolt?

Dutch Leadership

Economic growth

and trading

Role ofCalvinism

Failure ofSpanish

Leadership

Foreign Intervention

Money, troops,Mutinies and

massacresOther FactorsGeographyNature of

the fighting

Nature of the fighting

• War of sieges• Many towns especially along the coast fortified under Charles• Long and drawn out• Spanish had no war fleet• Dutch therefore still able to trade/supplies etc

Problems of supply

• ‘northern outpost’ of Monarquia• Geoffrey Parker – cost before men even

started fighting• Failed sea expeditions – 1572• Creation of ‘Spanish road’ longer but less risk

than sea

Geography

• Geyl ‘ the bog of Europe’• Difficult terrain which could flooded and

defended• Geyl – great rivers provided a barrier to

Spanish• Zeeland a series of islands

Dutch Leadership WOO Motley ‘ a guiding star’ Rallying point Influential in POG Tried to bring in foreign intervention – Anjou, Turks,

Leicester Kept cause ‘a float’ Martyr following his assassination YET Little military success Seen as a populist / too tolerant Changed religion Catholic-Lutheran-calvinist

Dutch Leadership

• MOO or Maurice of Nassau• Guerrilla type warfare after 1584• Yet most success due to Spanish weaknesses

e.g. Parma in France and lack of Spanish finances

Economic Growth and Trading

• Northern provinces strong economically• New colonies and increase in trade• However high taxation• Dutch people suffered• Holland province paid for 70% war in 1597• Compared to Spanish commitments and

financial problems.

Role of Calvinism

• Spark – iconoclastic Fury 1566• Determination/motivation/resistance for

some in the Northern provinces• However should not be exaggerated • Divided some provinces key to end of 1576

POG• Only 10% pop were Calvinist