Philip II

Great Wealth from Spanish colonies

Increased Wealth and Population = Inflation. This caused less food and fewer jobs. Wages stayed the same while the price of goods increased. Peasants suffered most.

Lesser nobles served in his bureaucracy and formed a strong military

Naval dominion in the Mediterranean after Turks were defeated in the Battle of Lepanto

Revolt in the Netherlands

The Netherlands was the richest area of Philip’s kingdom. The northern provinces were Calvinist and very independent. They resented foreign rule.

Philip’s half-sister, Margaret ruled the 17 provinces and she was assisted by Cardinal Granville. He had two goals: 1. To check Protestant gains 2. To unite the power of the princes under Philip

William of Nassau and the Prince of Egmont were members of the Dutch council of state and vowed to oppose Grenville’s moves.

When Grenville tried to organized the Calvinist church structure into a

Catholic hierarchy

The Dutch protested and Grenville was removed

Spanish Netherlands

United Netherlands

The CompromisePhilip tried to enforce the Council of Trent… Catholic rulings in a Calvinist land, the Dutch revolted under Louis of Nassau (remember him from France), William’s brother.

The Entire Country (not just the North) issued THE COMPROMISE to resist the Council of Trent and the Inquisition

Margaret dismissed the protesters as “beggars” and riots ensued. Louis called on French Huguenots for help against Spain…REBELLION

DUKE OF ALBA Because the Dutch nobles did not support the rebellion, Philip was able to send the Duke of Alba to stop the revolt.

Alba set up the Council of Blood to execute the rebels as heretics. Several thousand, including the count of Egmont died.

Next, Alba levied taxes to pay for the rebellion. The tenth-penny tax (ten-percent sales tax) met with opposition from merchants and was uncollectible in some areas.

Many, including William of Orange sought exile in other countries.

Resistance and Unification The movement for independence of the Netherlands from Spain united under William of Orange.

Orange was the Stadholder (governor) of Utrecht and found support in the other northern provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht, all of which were Calvinist

Orange used 2 tactics :

1. Asked the “Sea Beggars” for help. A collection of international pirates, they were anti-Spanish. They captured Brill, and other northern provinces, mixed with the natives, and spread rebellion

2. Opened the dikes and flooded their own land so the Spanish would have no resources

Pacification of Ghent

Spanish mercenaries, with no leader or pay, ransacked Antwerp, leaving 7,000 dead. The ten southern provinces united with the seven northern provinces in opposition. Their union was the Pacification of Ghent. They demanded the right to select their own religion.

Spanish Fury

Don Juan, Alba’s replacement and the victor at Lepanto ordered the removal of all Spanish troops from the Netherlands and handed the country over to William. Perpetual Edict

The Spanish don’t give up.

Pacification of Ghent was broken when Don Juan returned and won the support of the 10 southern provinces who feared the northern Calvinists.

The south became the Union of Arras and made peace with Spain. The north formed the Union of Utrecht

Philip mistakenly miscalculated Dutch nationalism and declared William of Orange an outlaw, offering a $25,000 reward for his capture.

This bonded the Union of Utrecht. William issued the APOLOGY in the Dutch Estates General denouncing Philip and refusing to obey his rule

The union looked to Alencon (Catherine d’ Medici’s son) as a symbolic ruler but when he tried to assert his power he was deposed and sent packing.

Spain did not recognize Dutch independence until 1609, Twelve Year Truce and full recognition did not come until the end of the Thirty Years War

Meanwhile, in Jolly old England…

Mary Tudor

Married Philip II of Spain, after his first wife died

She made Parliament repeal the statues that made England Protestant and reverted to Catholicism

(Remember, her mother was Catherine of Aragon - Spain)

Executed Top Protestant ministers and 282 followers

The Protestants who left in the wake of Mary’s executions were called “Marian Exiles” John Knox was one of these.

These exiles plotted their return to England and were exposed to more radical Protestant beliefs. They would have been better off if Mary had left them alone Bloody Mary

Elizabeth

I

Merged a centralized Episcopalian system with a broad Protestant doctrine and traditional Catholic Rituals = Anglican Church

Act of Supremacy - repealed all Mary’s Catholic laws and made Elizabeth the supreme ruler over the church and the state

Act of Uniformity - issued the Book of Common Prayer for all parishes

Thirty Nine Articles on Religion - made Protestantism the official religion of England

Religion

Catholics were now in the majority due to Mary. Radicals found support with Jesuits and the Spanish and wanted to replace Protestant Elizabeth with Catholic Mary of Scotland. Elizabeth allowed Catholics leeway, executing far less Catholics than Mary executed Protestants

Did she steer a middle course

Puritans tried to rid the Anglican Church of Catholic rituals and stop the Episcopal governing system. They worked within Parliament to adopt the Presbyterian system but Elizabeth had none of it, She was the leader.

The Congregationalists wanted neither the Episcopal nor the Presbyterian System.

They had an option…Leave England or Die (Conventicle Act)

RADICALS

WHAT HAPPENED WITH SPAIN?

Alba’s presence in Netherlands was perceived as using the area as a staging ground against England

Pope Pius V excommunicated Liz and that fueled resistance at home

The Sea Beggars were in the Netherlands and many of them were English

1

2 After Lepanto, England signed a defensive alliance with France

British Pirates were looting Spanish ships

After St. Barts, England was the only Protestant country left to defend Huguenots in the Netherlands and France.

Treaty of Nonsuch provided British soldiers and cavalry to the Dutch

English money went to support Henry IV claim to the French crown

AND

MARY STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTS

She was the wife of Francis II (a Guise) so she was French and Catholic in Protestant Scotland

John Knox watched her like a hawk

Forced to flee Scotland and take asylum in England with Elizabeth because her lover, Bothwell was suspected in the death of her Scottish husband

First plot against Elizabeth involved the Spanish

Second plot - Babington Plot - had proof that Mary was involved, seeking Spanish support to have Elizabeth removed from the throne

Mary was executed on Feb. 18th 1587

Philip ordered the Spanish Armada to set sail for England