The Rise of the Stuarts
Western Civilization II Marshall High School Mr. Cline Unit Three JA * The History of Early Modern Europe
• The Netherlands Under the Habsburg Dynasty
• The 80 Years' War was the revolt of the Netherlands against the Spanish king.
• The Spanish Armada was the attempted invasion of England by this very same Spanish king. Although one conflict happened on Dutch soil and the other on the seas, they are intricately related to one another.
• To start out, let's grasp an understanding of the 80 Years' War.
• As already mentioned, this long conflict was the revolt of the Netherlands, also known as the Dutch, against Spain.
• During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Netherlands had slowly been absorbed into the Habsburg dynasty of Spain. By the 16th century, the Netherlands were an extremely prosperous and wealthy region within the Habsburg Empire.
• However, while the Netherlands were busy creating wealth, Spain was busy spending it on wars with France, Turkey and Germany. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• The Netherlands Under the Habsburg Dynasty
• Making matters worse, many of the countries Spain chose as enemies were trading partners with the Netherlands.
• Not only were the Netherlands forced to foot the bill for these wars, they were losing trading partners left and right.
• By the late 1560s, the Netherlands' aristocrats and merchants had had enough and were ready to tell King Phillip II of Spain to find someone else to fund his wars.
• Protestant Against Catholic
• Adding to all of this, Protestantism was gaining ground in the Netherlands. Although Catholicism was still the main religion of the Dutch people, Protestants were openly tolerated within the Netherlands.
• However, King Philip II of Spain was a staunch Catholic who felt it was his duty to squelch Protestants at every turn. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Protestant Against Catholic
• Eventually, Philip sent troops into the Netherlands to round up unruly Protestants who were practicing iconoclasm, or the destruction of Catholic religious images.
• With this invasion, the Netherlands' dislike of the Spanish turned into a full- blown fight for independence in the year 1568.
• To head this revolution, William of Orange, also known as William the Silent, emerged as the leader of the Dutch forces.
• By the early 1570s, the Spanish had suppressed much of the rebellion throughout the Netherlands but then pushed their luck by levying new taxes onto the Dutch.
• This new tax rekindled the fire of rebellion. In 1572, the rebels captured Brielle, giving them a foothold in the north and inspiring Protestants all over the region to once again take up arms.
• With William of Orange at the helm, the Netherlands continued gaining ground in the north. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Protestant Against Catholic
• The Dutch momentum was further helped by Spain's inability to pay their soldiers.
• When Spanish soldiers mutinied for pay in a violent scene known as the Spanish Fury, the Dutch began to smell victory.
• In 1576, the Pacification of Ghent was signed.
• This attempt at peace called for the retreat of the Spanish armies and religious tolerance from both sides. Of course, this didn't really bring about peace. Fighting continued for years, and as the war progressed, the Netherlands moved closer to independence.
• In 1581, the Oath of Abjuration was issued.
• In this the Netherlands declared their independence from Spain and formed the United Provinces of the Netherlands. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Protestant Against Catholic
• This bold move enraged the Spanish, who recaptured the city of Antwerp with gusto.
• Adding to their momentum, William of Orange was assassinated in 1584.
• With their leader dead, the Netherlands split into an independent north and a Spanish-controlled south.
• Reasons for the Spanish Armada
• And this leads us to the Spanish Armada. With the war going downhill for them, the Netherlands turned to the English for help.
• Up to this point England had been supporting the revolution, but from behind the scenes - never outwardly choosing sides.
• In 1585, Elizabeth I of England decided to openly get involved by sending the Earl of Leicester to lead several thousand English troops to aid the Netherlands in their fight against Spain. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Reasons for the Spanish Armada
• And this leads us to the Spanish Armada. With the war going downhill for them, the Netherlands turned to the English for help.
• Up to this point England had been supporting the revolution, but from behind the scenes - never outwardly choosing sides.
• In 1585, Elizabeth I of England decided to openly get involved by sending the Earl of Leicester to lead several thousand English troops to aid the Netherlands in their fight against Spain.
• Although Leicester proved to be a poor leader, his simple presence was enough to enrage Spain.
• In fairness to Spain, I should mention that Elizabeth had been a long- standing problem for King Phillip.
• To begin, Philip had been married to Elizabeth's sister, Queen Mary I. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Reasons for the Spanish Armada
• Working together, Mary and Phillip had persecuted English Protestants so severely that Mary was given the title 'Bloody Mary.'
• When Mary died without producing a child, Elizabeth ascended to the throne.
• After refusing Philip's offer of marriage, which would have kept Philip in the English limelight, Elizabeth sent Philip packing.
• She then added insult to injury by re-instituting Protestantism in England.
• As if all this wasn't enough, Elizabeth also sponsored many raids against Spanish ships.
• Using men like Sir Francis Drake, known as an English Sea Dog, England robbed Spain of a huge amount of silver and gold. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Reasons for the Spanish Armada
• While all of this was occurring, Philip was preparing to invade England and return it to Catholicism.
• However, even after England got involved in the Netherlands, he still hesitated.
• It wasn't until England executed the very Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots that Philip was ready to set his navy to sail against England.
• Acting on duty to protect all Catholics from Protestant England, he launched the ill-fated Spanish Armada in the year 1588.
• His goal was to invade England with ground troops and overthrow Elizabeth, the Protestant queen.
• Unfortunately for him, England was ready and waiting. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• The Spanish Defeat
• As the Armada reached the English Channel, it was attacked by an English force led by the Sea Dog Sir Francis Drake.
• Although Drake's forces didn't do much damage to the huge Spanish ships, they did succeed in making Spain waste time and ammunition.
• With this, and also some very bad weather, the Spanish were forced to break their military formation and make port for reinforcements.
• As they docked somewhere near modern-day Calais, Drake seized the opportunity to strike and strike hard.
• Under cover of darkness, Drake ordered several English ships to be set ablaze and drifted into the Spanish fleet.
• This caused the Armada to again break formation, but even more devastating, it sunk Spanish morale.
• The last blow to the Armada was the nasty weather for which England is famous. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• The Spanish Defeat
• With strong winds blowing, Spain was never able to synchronize their fleet.
• Since they couldn't mount a full-scale attack, all England needed to do was stay out of Spain's firing range while using their advanced ships to pick off the Spanish fleet one vessel at a time.
• The onset of a fierce storm dealt the final blow to the Armada. Most of the Spanish ships were sunk, and the remaining turned home, battle-worn and defeated.
• Having overspent on the Armada and in debt from years of war, Spain was bankrupt.
• Oddly, the King still held hopes of keeping the Netherlands as his own. However, by the 1600s it became clear that Spain would never succeed in regaining the northern territories of the Netherlands.
• Even with all the evidence pointing to their defeat, and I guess not learning from past experiences, Spain launched another armada in 1639! * The History of Early Modern Europe
• The Spanish Defeat
• This time the target was the Dutch north.
• Just like the first time, Spain suffered a decisive defeat.
• Finally, in 1648, the 80 Years' War came to an end.
• Mary, Queen of Scots
• Mary, Queen of Scots is either one of history's most tragically misunderstood women or one of its greatest villainesses. Either way, she was a huge thorn in the flesh of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
• Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart, was born in 1542 as the daughter of James V, King of Scotland.
• James died when Mary was still an infant, and thus her tumultuous rule began.
• At a very young age, Mary was betrothed to the heir of the French throne, Francis II. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Mary, Queen of Scots
• To make sure this marriage occurred, young Mary was sent to France to be raised and trained as the future Queen of France.
• Although she was the true Queen of Scotland, from this point on, the Scottish people would see her more as French than Scotch.
• It's also important to note that through all this, Mary was raised as a devout Catholic.
• Claim to England
• As if being the Queen of Scotland and the future Queen of France wasn't enough, Mary was also in the English line of succession.
• Now, this gets a bit confusing, so we'll go slowly through this part.
• Mary was the granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII of England. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Claim to England
• After the death of Henry VIII, his daughter, Mary I of England, eventually took the throne.
• This Mary, also a devout Catholic, persecuted Anglican Protestants, earning herself the nickname Bloody Mary.
• When Bloody Mary died without a male heir, Mary, Queen of Scots tried to assert her right to the English throne.
• Her right to the throne was strongly supported by the Catholics of England.
• However, instead of Mary, Queen of Scots, England recognized Henry VIII's other daughter, Elizabeth, as their new queen.
• This is where it gets really interesting. Elizabeth was Henry's daughter through his second wife, Anne Boleyn, whom he married after divorcing his first wife. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Claim to England
• In the eyes of many Catholics, his divorce and remarriage were completely invalid.
• Since these Catholics refused to recognize the marriage, they considered Elizabeth illegitimate and unworthy to wear the crown.
• They wanted to see the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, take the throne.
• Despite this Catholic desire, Elizabeth was awarded the throne, and Mary had to be content with only Scotland and France.
• Return to Scotland
• In 1560, Mary's husband, King Francis II of France, died.
• Since Mary had not produced an heir, the French crown passed to the king's brother. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Return to Scotland
• Mary now found herself kicked to the curb.
• No longer wearing the French crown, Catholic Mary returned to Scotland.
• Upon her arrival in Scotland, John Knox, a powerful Protestant, denounced Mary's right to rule.
• Perhaps to pacify the Scottish people, and maybe in an effort to get closer to the English throne, Mary married the nephew of King Henry VIII. (Yes, her cousin.)
• Mary outwardly despised her husband and when he suspiciously died, many suspected she had played a role in his demise.
• When she then married the chief suspect in her husband's death, whom she was most likely having an affair with prior to her husband’s death, the people of Scotland had had enough.
• Mary's crown was taken from her and given to her infant son James VI. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Return to Scotland
• Mary was forced to leave Scotland and fled to England in hopes that her cousin, Elizabeth I, would help her out.
• She reasoned, since Elizabeth was her cousin and a fellow queen, that she just might be sympathetic.
• Sadly, Mary couldn't have been more wrong. This move took her from the frying pan to the fire.
• Imprisoned in England
• Remember, Mary was from the royal bloodline of England.
• Since she was Catholic, she was also the perfect person to lead a rebellion against Anglican Elizabeth and her crown.
• This was a threat Elizabeth was not willing to tolerate. She had worked long and hard to create peace between her Catholic and Anglican subjects, and she was not willing to let anyone disturb it. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Imprisoned in England
• The 20-some-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots threatened this stability.
• Elizabeth wasn't about to let Catholic Mary come to town and upset the status quo.
• Almost as soon as Mary set foot on English soil she was placed under house arrest, being moved from castle to castle for almost 20 years.
• Fair or not, Elizabeth wasn't taking any chances.
• Now, Mary didn't do herself any favors while under house arrest.
• History tells us she often boasted to anyone who would listen that she could be the queen of England.
• Making matters worse, in the year 1570, the Pope sided with Mary by basically calling Elizabeth a pretend queen and a Protestant criminal.
• This caused some real heartburn for Elizabeth and her advisers. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Imprisoned in England
• However, since Mary hadn't officially challenged the throne, they couldn't get her on charges of treason.
• Also, if they sent Mary back to Scotland, the Scots would most likely kill her, and Elizabeth would be accused of selling out a fellow queen (an early feminist issue?)
• However, if Mary stayed she just might raise enough Catholic support to overthrow Elizabeth.
• Fortunately for Elizabeth, Mary would seal her own fate.
• Treason and Execution
• In the 1580s, the Catholic Anthony Babington devised a plot to free Mary and overthrow Elizabeth.
• History tells us that Babington secretly wrote to Mary telling her of his plans.
• Mary wrote back, conveying her support of his scheme. * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Treason and Execution
• Unfortunately for the two Catholic conspirators, their plans were found out, and Babington was quickly executed.
• Elizabeth's advisers, who always suspected Mary of this duplicity, now had a solid case against her.
• Mary was put on trial and found guilty of plotting to kill Elizabeth.
• Fearing Elizabeth may not have the stomach to execute a fellow queen, let alone her cousin, Elizabeth's advisers made sure Mary's execution happened fast.
• On February 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was executed for treason against the English throne.
• Dressed in scarlet, the queen was beheaded. Her last words were reported to be, 'Into thy hands, O Lord.' * The History of Early Modern Europe
• Effects of Mary's Death
• Ironically, Mary's death didn't spell the end to Elizabeth's Catholic problems. In fact, it made them worse.
• Upon hearing that England had dared to execute a queen, many European countries were outraged.
• This was especially true of Spain, which was ruled by the very Catholic Phillip II.
• In fact, many historians believe this was the final straw that caused Phillip to send his Armada to invade England in the year 1588.
• The story of Mary, Queen of Scots, does not end with her death though.
• During her lifetime, she was a thorn in the flesh of the English crown, and in her death, she was a rallying cry for Catholic Europe.
• When her cousin Elizabeth died with no heir, however, the closest related claimant to the throne was Mary’s son James, VI who would become James, I of England, and combine the crowns of Scotland and England.