2.3 The Dutch Revolt

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• Leerjaar 2

Paragraph 2.3 The Dutch Revolt

Recap paragraph 2.2 (handout)

Homework (handout)

Watch part 2 of the video

Explanation

Assignments

Why was Alva so much hated?

What made the tide turn for William of Orange?

Capturing cities

- Victory in Den Briel 1572

- Some cities joined the side of William of Orange (the Revolt)

- Effect: cities such as Alkmaar and Leiden are besieged

Capturing cities

• 1572 --> The watergeuzen capture Den Briel.
• Because of this more and more cities dare to side with the rebels.

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.

Spanish fury 

• Sieging a city could take weeks
• Filips II was unable to pay mercenaries 
• 1576: Spanish mercenaries raided & burned Antwerp

“Santiago! España! A sangre, a carne, a fuego, a sacco!”

Drie dagen lang werd de stad geplunderd, arm noch rijk werd gespaard, kleine huizen en stadskastelen werden leeggehaald

Eyewitnesses claim the spanish shouted:

Saint Jacob! Spain! Murder, rape, burn, loot!

Pacification of Ghent

1576

• - Pacification of Ghent: all 17 provinces wanted to get rid of the Spanish soldiers
• End of centralisation
• They didn't agree on religion

Assignment

Exercise 2

Union of Utrecht/Atrecht

This unity of the Low Countries was short-lived.

  In 1579 Alexander of Parma persuaded several southern provinces to agree to uphold Catholicism and reconcile with King Philip II. They formed the Union of Atrecht.

The same year, the provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Gelre and Utrecht made an alliance in their struggle against Spain. They signed the Union of Utrecht, a treaty that was primarily a military defence agreement.

Assignment

Do exercise 6 and 7

Act of abjuration 1581

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

- In 1581 they declared that they no longer signed the Spanish king as monarch.

-The power in the Republic rested with each the provices

The States General: foreign affairs and military operation.

Assignments

Exercise 9 and 10

Answer the following questions

1. What was the start of the Dutch Revolt?
   
2. What was the first success of the Dutch Revolt?
3. What was the nature of the war in the Low Countries? Use the example of Leiden to explain.
4. How did the Low Countries break with Spain? Use in your answer: ‘ Union of Utrecht’ , ‘Act of Abjuration’ and ‘Dutch Republic’ (Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden)
   
5. What was the consequence of the Act of Abjuration for William of Orange?
   

Testweek

2.1-2.4

Practical assignment William of Orange in Apprentice