HOME | DD

Description

The Second War of Religion- 1567-68
Catholic Leaders; Duke Anne de Montmorency- Constable of France and Henry, Duke of Guise.
Protestant Leaders; Prince Louis de Condé and Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.

The implementation of the Edict of Amboise, which ended the First War and had granted the Protestant Huguenots a significant amount of religious freedom, was slow. A number of changes were made to it, reducing the rights granted.
After the end of the First War Charles IX went to Rouen, where in August 1563 he was declared to be of age. In 1565 Catherine met with the Duke of Alva and Philip II's queen at Bayonne, close to the Spanish border, rumours soon spread that Catherine and Philip had agreed to massacre every heretic in France and Spain.
The rumours produced panic when, in 1567 the Duke of Alva led a Spanish army along the "Spanish Road", a land route connecting Philip's Italian and Burgundian lands. Alva's task was to put down the Dutch Revolt, Calvinist riots which had started the previous year, but many believed he was about to invade France in support of hard-line Catholic, Henry, the new Duke of Guise.
Charles IX hired 6,000 Swiss mercenaries to guard the border against any possible Spanish move but, the Huguenots feared they were to take part in a plot against them.

To counter this the Huguenots planned the "surprise of Meaux", an attempt to seize the young King, remove the Guises from his council, and secure the Huguenot position. The plan, launched in September 1567, came close to success but Charles escaped to Paris. Condé followed and, at the start of October, camped at Saint Denis, to the north of the city. This allowed the city's food supplies to be restricted, but peace negotiations were unsuccessful. In November the Royal army of about 16,000 men, under Constable Montmorency, advanced to attack Condé's 3,500 strong Huguenot force.
In the Battle of Saint Denis, Condé charged the larger army, disrupting Montmorency's plans. Montmorency was killed in the battle, but the Huguenot army was too small to take advantage of its success, even after being re-inforced to 6,000 men the next day, and both sides withdrew.

The Huguenot, François de la Noue captured Orléans. La Rochelle, an important later Huguenot stronghold, was taken in February 1568. Auxerre, Vienne, Valence, Nimes, Montpelier and Montaubon were also taken. The Huguenot Army of the Viscounts marching from Dauphine to Orleans, defeated the Governor of Auvergne at the village of Cognac in January 1568. After Orleans this army was called to take part in Condé's planned siege of Chartres which began in February 1568. This was short-lived as negotiations began again, and this time, were successful.
The Second War was ended by the Edict of Longjumeau in March 1568, which renewed the terms of the Edict of Amboise.

The Eighty Years' War or Dutch War of Independence 1568–1648
Background

In October 1555 Philip II took over as sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands, a personal union of seventeen provinces with little in common beyond their sovereign and a constitutional framework assembled during the preceding reigns that divided power between city governments, local nobility, provincial States, royal stadtholders, the States General of the Netherlands, and the central government, usually via a Regent, assisted by the Councils of State, Finances and the Privy Council. Philip began the process of centralizing these provinces.
The Dutch nobility wanted to regain power and privileges lost in favor of Phillip II but other factors meant this developed into discontent against his absolutist regime. Religious resistance was awoken after the imposition of an ecclesiastical hierarchy in all Spanish territories, this established resistance in the Dutch provinces, which had embraced the Reformation.
The Reformation had produced a number of Protestant denominations, with followers in the Seventeen Provinces, including Lutheran, Anabaptist and Calvinist sects. Phillip pursued a policy of strict Catholic uniformity, enforced by the Inquisition. Heresy, a capital offence, was prosecuted by the Inquisition. Over 1,300 people were executed for this between 1523 and 1566 but by the end of Charles' reign enforcement had become lax. Philip was a fervent enemy of the Protestant movements and insisted on rigorous enforcement, causing widespread unrest.
Additionally there was increasing discontent over heavy taxation and lack of local support and guidance from the distant government. The provinces were often criticised for acting without permission but it was impractical for them to gain permission for actions, requests would take at least four weeks to get a response.
Spanish troops, commanded by the Duke of Alba, brought in to oversee order, further amplified this unrest.

In 1559 Philip appointed half-sister Margaret of Parma as Regent. She governed, initially, in co-operation with nobles like William, Prince of Orange, Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn, and Lamoral, Count of Egmont.
Philip started a wide-ranging organisational reform of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands in 1559. The reform was unpopular with the old church hierarchy, new dioceses were to be financed by the transfer of a number of rich abbeys. Opposition against the new governmental structures was led by William of Orange.
The centralized system of government was intent on weakening the autonomy of the Low Countries. These policies alienated not only the hardcore protestants, many of whom chose emigration over having to renounce their belief. Emden became a haven for Dutch protestant emigres. They also alienated the Dutch nobility, which saw it's position threatened.

Nobles persuaded Margaret to ask for a moderation of the actions against heresy but, Philip delayed his response. In the interval opposition to his religious policies gained more support. Philip finally rejected the request in October 1565. Members of the lesser nobility presented a petition for Philip that sought the abolition of the Inquisition. This Compromise of Nobles was supported by about 400 nobles, both Catholic and Protestant, and was presented to Margaret in April 1566. Impressed by the support for the compromise, she suspended the actions, awaiting Philip's final ruling.
The petition failed. The petitioners were nicknamed Geuzen or "beggars", a name the Dutch rebels would bear with honour.

In March 1567 in the Battle of Oosterweel the Calvinists were defeated and rebels executed. In April, Margaret reported that order had been restored, however, by the time this reached Philip in Madrid the Duke of Alba had already been dispatched with an army to restore order. Alba took over command and Margaret resigned in protest.

Description

The Second War of Religion- 1567-68
Catholic Leaders; Duke Anne de Montmorency- Constable of France and Henry, Duke of Guise.
Protestant Leaders; Prince Louis de Condé and Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.

The implementation of the Edict of Amboise, which ended the First War and had granted the Protestant Huguenots a significant amount of religious freedom, was slow. A number of changes were made to it, reducing the rights granted.
After the end of the First War Charles IX went to Rouen, where in August 1563 he was declared to be of age. In 1565 Catherine met with the Duke of Alva and Philip II's queen at Bayonne, close to the Spanish border, rumours soon spread that Catherine and Philip had agreed to massacre every heretic in France and Spain.
The rumours produced panic when, in 1567 the Duke of Alva led a Spanish army along the "Spanish Road", a land route connecting Philip's Italian and Burgundian lands. Alva's task was to put down the Dutch Revolt, Calvinist riots which had started the previous year, but many believed he was about to invade France in support of hard-line Catholic, Henry, the new Duke of Guise.
Charles IX hired 6,000 Swiss mercenaries to guard the border against any possible Spanish move but, the Huguenots feared they were to take part in a plot against them.

To counter this the Huguenots planned the "surprise of Meaux", an attempt to seize the young King, remove the Guises from his council, and secure the Huguenot position. The plan, launched in September 1567, came close to success but Charles escaped to Paris. Condé followed and, at the start of October, camped at Saint Denis, to the north of the city. This allowed the city's food supplies to be restricted, but peace negotiations were unsuccessful. In November the Royal army of about 16,000 men, under Constable Montmorency, advanced to attack Condé's 3,500 strong Huguenot force.
In the Battle of Saint Denis, Condé charged the larger army, disrupting Montmorency's plans. Montmorency was killed in the battle, but the Huguenot army was too small to take advantage of its success, even after being re-inforced to 6,000 men the next day, and both sides withdrew.

The Huguenot, François de la Noue captured Orléans. La Rochelle, an important later Huguenot stronghold, was taken in February 1568. Auxerre, Vienne, Valence, Nimes, Montpelier and Montaubon were also taken. The Huguenot Army of the Viscounts marching from Dauphine to Orleans, defeated the Governor of Auvergne at the village of Cognac in January 1568. After Orleans this army was called to take part in Condé's planned siege of Chartres which began in February 1568. This was short-lived as negotiations began again, and this time, were successful.
The Second War was ended by the Edict of Longjumeau in March 1568, which renewed the terms of the Edict of Amboise.

The Eighty Years' War or Dutch War of Independence 1568–1648
Background

In October 1555 Philip II took over as sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands, a personal union of seventeen provinces with little in common beyond their sovereign and a constitutional framework assembled during the preceding reigns that divided power between city governments, local nobility, provincial States, royal stadtholders, the States General of the Netherlands, and the central government, usually via a Regent, assisted by the Councils of State, Finances and the Privy Council. Philip began the process of centralizing these provinces.
The Dutch nobility wanted to regain power and privileges lost in favor of Phillip II but other factors meant this developed into discontent against his absolutist regime. Religious resistance was awoken after the imposition of an ecclesiastical hierarchy in all Spanish territories, this established resistance in the Dutch provinces, which had embraced the Reformation.
The Reformation had produced a number of Protestant denominations, with followers in the Seventeen Provinces, including Lutheran, Anabaptist and Calvinist sects. Phillip pursued a policy of strict Catholic uniformity, enforced by the Inquisition. Heresy, a capital offence, was prosecuted by the Inquisition. Over 1,300 people were executed for this between 1523 and 1566 but by the end of Charles' reign enforcement had become lax. Philip was a fervent enemy of the Protestant movements and insisted on rigorous enforcement, causing widespread unrest.
Additionally there was increasing discontent over heavy taxation and lack of local support and guidance from the distant government. The provinces were often criticised for acting without permission but it was impractical for them to gain permission for actions, requests would take at least four weeks to get a response.
Spanish troops, commanded by the Duke of Alba, brought in to oversee order, further amplified this unrest.

In 1559 Philip appointed half-sister Margaret of Parma as Regent. She governed, initially, in co-operation with nobles like William, Prince of Orange, Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn, and Lamoral, Count of Egmont.
Philip started a wide-ranging organisational reform of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands in 1559. The reform was unpopular with the old church hierarchy, new dioceses were to be financed by the transfer of a number of rich abbeys. Opposition against the new governmental structures was led by William of Orange.
The centralized system of government was intent on weakening the autonomy of the Low Countries. These policies alienated not only the hardcore protestants, many of whom chose emigration over having to renounce their belief. Emden became a haven for Dutch protestant emigres. They also alienated the Dutch nobility, which saw it's position threatened.

Nobles persuaded Margaret to ask for a moderation of the actions against heresy but, Philip delayed his response. In the interval opposition to his religious policies gained more support. Philip finally rejected the request in October 1565. Members of the lesser nobility presented a petition for Philip that sought the abolition of the Inquisition. This Compromise of Nobles was supported by about 400 nobles, both Catholic and Protestant, and was presented to Margaret in April 1566. Impressed by the support for the compromise, she suspended the actions, awaiting Philip's final ruling.
The petition failed. The petitioners were nicknamed Geuzen or "beggars", a name the Dutch rebels would bear with honour.

In March 1567 in the Battle of Oosterweel the Calvinists were defeated and rebels executed. In April, Margaret reported that order had been restored, however, by the time this reached Philip in Madrid the Duke of Alba had already been dispatched with an army to restore order. Alba took over command and Margaret resigned in protest.