Summary History Memo 2TTO Chapter 1.2-1.4

History summary 1.2, 1.3, 1.4

1.2 Basic info NL in 16th century
 The Netherlands was not a country: part of the seventeen provinces of the Spanish king.
 Each province had their own rules, laws and stadholder. Later, the stadholder became the army
general.
 Sometimes, the king appointed a governor to rule the country for him.

1.2 Charles V
Around 1550 NL had 17 provinces, all with their own rules and taxes. Emperor Charles V rules Spain (8
colonies), part of Italy and the Netherlands. He needed money for war he wants more taxeshe
wants a central government in NL in one place, with the same rules and taxes everywhere.

The Dutch are unhappy about his, and even more because he only hires Spanish people.

1.2 1555: King Philip II
Son of Charles V, became king in 1555: also wanted a central government. He appointed a governor to
rule for him. Also, provinces had a stadholder, for Zeeland, Utrecht and Holland this was William of
Orange. In short, people are unhappy:

1. Dutch nobles did not want a central government.
2. Fixed taxes for everyone were high.
3. The Spanish king was Roman Catholic.

1.2 Iconoclasm
In 1566: Dutch nobles beg the governor Margeretha of Parma in a petition to stop the persecutions of
the protestantspersecutions stopprotestants preach more freely in fields = field preaching.
Protestants became so angry that they went to a monastery, stole their gold and destroyed the Catholic
statues = the beginning of Iconoclasm. This spread quickly through Brabant and Holland. The Catholic
Spanish king Philip II was furious.

1.2 The Duke of Alva
o Philip II sends the Duke of Alva to the NL to sort out the problems and become governor instead
of Margeretha of Parma

His goods:

1. Punish the perpetrators (daders) of the iconoclasm  he starts the Council of Troubles, called
the council of blood because they kill many protestants.
2. Make sure that every Dutch person becomes Catholic.