Robert WadeJPII HS AP European History

 Ruled by Philip II through his father HRE Charles I when he abdicated  Unlike his father, who had been raised in the region, Philip never cared for the people  Determined to maintain control ruling from Madrid, left in 1559 never to return  Determined to get rid of Calvinism, primarily found in the northern “Dutch” portion  He ruled the region through various regents

 Major centers were  Antwerp  Bruges  Amsterdam  Ghent

 Widespread among merchants, financiers, and working classes.  Calvinists were prepared to resist political authority

 Introduced the Inquisition  Raised taxes to pay for Philip’s wars  Provokes resistance  Iconoclasts rampage, destroying Catholic Churches

 The Council of Blood  Executed Count of Egmont and 1500 others  10% tax on all transactions

 Captured Brill in 1572  Leiden cuts the dikes 1574  The Spanish Fury: sack of Antwerp 1576

 Union of Brussels united 21 provinces

 Used skill and diplomacy to retake cities  Union of Arras to unite southern provinces  Catholic landed aristocracy dominated the south

 Union of Utrecht declares independence of the northern 7 provinces  Calvinist population and a commercial aristocracy

 War disrupted England’s crucial woolens trade  Fall of Antwerp caused Elizabeth to send support to prevent a Catholic victory

 Defeat marks the beginning of Spanish decline and English growth