In 1549, Charles V carved out Seventeen Provinces from the Holy Roman Empire, covering what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany. Charles made these lands the hereditary possession of the Habsburgs and transferred them to his son Philip II along with the Spanish crown. The situation in the Netherlands was difficult, aggravated by tax oppression, religious oppression and the constant interference of the Spaniards in the internal affairs of the country. The Netherlands existed on trade, including very prosperous territories such as Flanders, but the constant wars waged by the Holy Roman Empire and Spain required more and more money. The Dutch considered these expenses unnecessary and pointless, especially since military actions were sometimes directed against their trading partners.

Spanish King Philip II

Protestantism was also gaining momentum there, against which Catholic priests and the Spanish king fiercely fought. Freedom and tolerance were important to the trading power; the Dutch Protestants, with their modest way of life, aroused more sympathy among people than the luxury-loving Catholic priests. But Philip II considered it his duty to fight the Calvinists and encouraged the persecution of Protestants. The situation escalated until it resulted in an iconoclast uprising, which essentially began the Dutch bourgeois revolution. Calvinists robbed Catholic churches, destroyed statues and images of their saints throughout the country. The actions of the iconoclasts divided the nobles into two camps. Philip lost control of the situation in the Netherlands and sent an army there led by the Duke of Alba to settle everything. Alba decided to capture the respectable citizens of the country and execute them, and confiscate their property in favor of the treasury. The dissatisfaction of the nobility had been growing for a long time, many of them were not from a noble family, but had earned their fortune through trade, everyone wanted more freedom in matters of self-government, but Philip pursued a policy of increasing the authority of the central government. As a result, part of the nobility opposed the crown. The Orange princes Ludwig and Wilhelm not only did not intend to give up their lives on Alba’s orders, but also started a war against him. Due to the fact that Spain was embroiled in a conflict against Ottoman Empire, she could not direct the full power of the army against the rebels. However, the crown increased the number of executions, introduced new taxes, and production and trade stopped in the country.

William I of Orange

With his policies, Alba only strengthened anti-Spanish sentiment. Hundreds of thousands of people fled the country, and more and more Protestants took part in the uprisings. Majority major cities expressed their loyalty to the rebels. William of Orange led the uprising and gained increasing influence in the northern provinces. Dutch society was increasingly divided. Militant Calvinists wanted to continue the fight against the Catholic Philip and convert all citizens to their faith. The Catholic minority in the southern provinces wanted to remain loyal to the crown. William of Orange became a central figure for the unification of these groups. As a result, he chose the side of the Protestants and adopted Calvinism.

The Spaniards were unable to break the resistance, even though Alba was recalled and Philip appointed a new governor designed to turn the tide. In addition, Spain declared bankruptcy and did not pay wages to the mercenaries; the Spaniards in a rage plundered and destroyed the inhabitants of Antwerp. This only inflamed the rage in the chests of the rebels. The southern (Catholic) and northern (Protestant) provinces entered into an agreement under which they proclaimed religious tolerance and unification of forces in the fight against the Spanish mercenaries. This event went down in history as the Peace of Ghent. This was an attempt to find a compromise in the positions of the revolutionary northern bourgeoisie and the southern Catholic nobility. The goal was to maintain the unity of the Netherlands while maintaining Philip's power, subject to concessions on his part.

Union of Utrecht

However, the union did not last long. The commander Alessandro Farnese managed to reconcile the nobility of the South with Spanish rule and destroy their alliance with the northerners. On January 6, 1579, a treaty was signed in Arras, according to which the king’s power over the Walloon provinces was restored, and Catholicism was recognized as the only religion. In response, the provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Groningen and Geldern united on January 23. The Union of Utrecht was formed, which was subsequently joined by other lands. Thus, a split actually occurred in the Seventeen Provinces and civil war broke out. Irreconcilable differences concerned economics, religion and culture. William of Orange did not immediately sign the Union of Utrecht; he hesitated. But after the collapse of the state and the impossibility of uniting the north and south became obvious, he signed an agreement. A new northern state was formed - the Republic of the United Provinces, and Prince William of Orange was nominated as its head.

William of Orange signs the Treaty of Utrecht

Philip II declared him an outlaw and placed a monetary reward on the head of the Prince of Orange. The States General adopted the Act of Abdication and withdrew from the jurisdiction of the Spanish crown. The struggle against Spanish power continued and dragged on for almost 80 years.

Somehow it became clear after the Treaty of Ghent, in which almost all the Dutch provinces pledged to stand for each other with their lives and property and expel the Spaniards and other foreigners with their supporters from these provinces, these Spaniards, led by Don Juan of Austria and their other leaders and commanders , used all means and constantly made attempts to bring the said provinces as a whole and in parts to subjection, tyrannical rule and slavery, not so much by arms as by intrigue, to divide these provinces and dismember them, to bring to naught and rupture the alliance concluded by the above-mentioned agreement for the perfect death and devastation of the above-mentioned lands and provinces. (...) As a result, the inhabitants of the principality of Geldern and the county of Zutfsn and the inhabitants of the provinces and lands of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Friesland between the rivers Ems and Vanvers considered it prudent to enter into an alliance with each other in a special and closer manner, not in order to separate from general alliance concluded by the Gsnt Agreement, but in order to strengthen it and protect themselves from any difficulties that may arise in it as a result of any intrigues, encroachments or violence of enemies, in order to know how and in what manner they should behave in such circumstances and have the ability to defend against hostile forces. Although the general union and the Ghent pacification remain in force, but in order to declare the separation of the said provinces and separate lands, the following points and articles were established and approved by the authorized deputies of these provinces, and in any case they wish to thus secede from the Holy Roman Empire. The said provinces will be united and bound by an alliance with each other and all together and will always help each other in every way and manner, as if they constituted one province; They will never have the right to secede, allow secession, or transfer into someone else's possession by will, exchange, sale, peace treaty, marriage contract, or in any other way. All this, however, without prejudice to any of the individual provinces, fiefs and their inhabitants, as well as to their special and private privileges, liberties, benefits, laws, statutes, good old customs, customs and all other there was no right, in which they [the provinces] not only will not cause each other any harm, obstacle or hindrance, but rather will help, support and strengthen in this with all fair and possible means and even, if necessary, with life and property, and also to defend in any way and anywhere against anyone and everyone who wishes to encroach on them or take possession of them. It goes without saying that if any of the above-mentioned provinces, fiefs or cities belonging to the union has or will have in relation to other provinces any question relating to private and special privileges, liberties, benefits, laws, statutes, good old kutyums, customs and other rights, then such issues will be resolved by ordinary justice, an arbitration court or a friendly agreement. It is also [decreed] that the said provinces, according to the agreement and league concluded, will have to help each other with life, property and blood against any violence that anyone can inflict (...) under the banner and pretext catholic religion, to introduce and confirm it by force of arms (...) or regarding a real union and confederation; or for any other reason or reason, both in the case when these violence and attacks will be applied and committed in relation to individual provinces, states, cities and lands dependent on them, and in relation to them in general. It is also [decreed] that without the general unanimous council and consent of the said provinces, no agreement will be concluded, no peace treaty will be entered into, no war will be started, no taxes and taxes will be withdrawn relating to the entire union; but other matters pertaining to the confederation, or matters depending upon these matters, shall be regulated, debated, and decided by a majority vote of the provinces composing that confederation; these votes will be cast or collected in the manner usually observed in the general assembly of the states, but subject to the general council of the allies. It is forever decreed that if the provinces are unable to come to an understanding with each other in matters relating to the existence of the state, peace, war or tax, then any difference of opinion will be transferred and presented to the future stadtholders of the said provinces, who will come to an agreement or decide the matter fairly . It is decreed that the said provinces will have to agree with each other regarding the coinage, that is, regarding the circulation of money, which, according to the regulations, will be done at once, and one province will not be able to change the coin without the consent of the others. In regard to religion, the people of Holland and Zealand will hold their own; the remaining provinces of the union will be governed by the articles of the religious peace already worked out by Archduke Matthew, the governor and chief military commander of all these lands, and by his council with the consent of the Estates General; regarding this, they will establish in general and in particular all the rules that they consider conducive to the good and justice of the provinces and lands and of all clergy and secular persons, without any obstacles, so that every person is free in his religion and that no one tolerates any misfortunes due to their religion, according to the Treaty of Ghent. Published in: Reader on the History of the Middle Ages/Ed. N.P. Gratsiansky and S.D. Skazkin. T. IIG M., 1950. P. 242-246.

On January 23, 1579, in Utrecht (a city and community in the center of the Netherlands), representatives of the northern Dutch provinces concluded a military-political alliance (union) directed against Spanish rule. The Union of Utrecht marked the beginning of the creation of an independent state in the north of the country - the Republic of the United Provinces (Holland).

During the Dutch Revolution of the 16th century, the southern provinces of the country concluded the Union of Arras at the very beginning of 1579, aimed at preserving the power of the Spanish king Philip II of Habsburg. In response, the five northern provinces (later joined by two more provinces) sent their representatives to Utrecht, where a union against Spanish rule was concluded on January 23. Civil war became a reality in the Netherlands.

The articles of the Union of Utrech provided for a federal political structure Netherlands, creation general army, a unified monetary system, maintaining a common foreign policy. It is noteworthy that at first the power of the Spanish king was not formally rejected - nominally he remained the head of state. The Union of Utrecht laid the foundations of the Republic of the United Provinces. Many cities in Flanders and Brabant joined the union.

From the text of the document it follows that it was more military in nature than political. In view of the systematic attacks by Spanish troops on Dutch cities and settlements, representatives of many provinces decided to unite into a military bloc to jointly confront the threat. They did not leave aside issues of an economic and religious nature, the regulation of which was directly stated in the articles of the agreement.

The signing of the Union of Arras and Utrecht led to the country being divided into two opposing camps. In May 1579, the Utrecht Agreement was signed by the stadtholder of Holland and Zealand, William I of Orange, who became the leader of the northern provinces. For this, Philip II, by his decree, outlawed him, calling him the main enemy, rebel and villain. In response, the States General of the northern provinces issued the Act of Abdication, which forever left the jurisdiction of the Spanish Crown.

Realizing that internal resources for military struggle are not enough, the Prince of Orange turns to France and England for help. Considering William I of Orange to be the inspirer and culprit of the uprising in the northern provinces, Philip II sets a reward of 25 thousand gold ecus for his murder. Subsequently, the assassin made a successful attempt on the Prince of Orange on July 10, 1584.

However, the murder of Wilhelm could not stop the process of creating a new state that had already begun. The offensive against the northern provinces of Spanish troops under the command of Alessandra Farnese continued for some time. However, it was stopped thanks to outstanding commander- Moritz of Orange.

Union of Utrecht

a military-political union of first five and then seven provinces (Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Geldern, Overijssel, Friesland, Groningen) of the Northern Netherlands, concluded on January 23, 1579 in Utrecht against Spain, which was trying to restore dominance in the Netherlands, which was actually lost during the Dutch bourgeois war revolutions of the 16th century (See Dutch bourgeois revolution of the 16th century) , and against the internal feudal-Catholic reaction (in response to the conclusion of the counter-revolutionary Union of Arras (See Union of Arras) by the southern provinces). Articles U. u. provided for the joint conduct of a revolutionary war, the indissolubility of the union, the conduct of a common foreign policy, the creation of a common army, and a single monetary system. Without formally announcing the deposition of the Spanish king, W. at the same time, it did not leave room for really effective royal power. Provided for a federal political structure. Conclusion U. u. laid the foundation for the independent state existence of the Republic of the United Provinces (many cities of Flanders and Brabant also joined the U., but in the 80s of the 16th century they were conquered by Spanish troops).

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Formed a union of the seven historical northern provinces of the Netherlands. Concluded in 1579 in Utrecht during the Dutch Revolution, it was directed against Spain and internal feudal Catholic reaction. Laid the foundations of the Republic of the United Provinces... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

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