The+Dutch+War+of+Independence

This was a war between the Spanish Netherlands and Spain to gain their independance from the larger country. The revolt led to the end of Spain being a major European power. Leading the Spanish front was Philip II, while the Dutch front was lead by the exiled William the Silent. From the friction with the Habsburg rule, the Dutch began a revolution seeking out their freedom. The House of Habsburg was the Kingdom of Austria at the time, and the most important royal house. The discontent was mostly brought on by the heavy tax that was imposed on the population, along with the presence of Spanish troops watching over the public.

When Philip inherited the region from his father, he placed many new laws and restraints there. Unlike his father Charles V, who was more liberal-minded, Philip II was more of an enemy to the Protestant movements. Philip believed he had to fight the Protestants and eventually sent troops to round up every Protestant. This lead to the Netherland version of the Inquisition, killing over 1,300 people. From this point on Philip II increased the religious policies, creating tension from the citizens and the Dutch nobles.

During this time, tensions were high in both Spain and the Netherlands, as the military in the region restricted trade causing financial strain. To ease the conditions, a ceasefire was called making the end of the Dutch Revolt and the beginning of the 12 Years’ Truce. While trying to make the peace permanent, there were two major issues that could not be resolved: religious freedom and trade routes. In Spain’s final attempt to reconquer the North, they were stopped by the Dutch navy. Then once again the was broken, and the war began. At the end of the war Spain sent an armada carrying 20,000 soldiers, but they were decisively defeated by the Dutch forces. Along with having major consequences in the war, this defeat also marked the end of Spain being a major naval power.

While Charles V was in power, he split the Dutch colonies into seventeen provinces that were completely separate from France and the Holy Roman Empire. After these provinces were united, they obtained wealth from art. While Southern Netherlands lost economic significance, the Dutch republic transformed into a world power.