William IV 1317-1345, Count 1337-1345
William III was succeeded by his son, William IV., who was the ally of his
brother-in-law, Edward III of England in his French wars. He was fond of adventure,
and in 1343 made a journey to the Holy Land in disguise, and on his way took
part in an expedition of the knights of the Teutonic Order against the infidel
Wends and Lithuanians.
He was killed in battle against the Frisians in 1345. He left no children,
and the question as to the succession now brought on Holland a period of violent
civil commotions. His inheritance was claimed by his eldest sister, the empress
Margarethh I de Hollant, as well as by
Philippa of Hainault, or in other words, by Edward
III of England.
Son of William III, Count Willem II of Hainault; married
1336 with Jeanne of Valois, daughter of John III of Brabant.
Margareth I of Avesnes 1311-1356, Countess 1345-1349
On 26 February 1324, in Köln, she married Ludwig IV of Bavaria.
Margareth I of Avesnes (1311 - June 23, 1356), was Countess of Hainault and
Countess of Holland (as Margareth I) from 1345 to 1356. Margareth was the daughter
of William III of Hainault and Holland (1286-1337) and his wife, Jeanne of Valois
(1294-1342), and succeeded her brother following his death in battle.
Margareth came in person and was duly recognized as Countess in Holland,
Zeeland and Hainault; but returned to her husband after appointing her second
son (the eldest, Louis, renounced his rights) Duke William of Bavaria, as Stadtholder
in her place. William was but sixteen, and disorder and confusion soon reigned
in the land. The sudden death of the emperor in 1347 added to the difficulties
of his position. In 1349 Margareth was induced to resign her sovereignty, and
the Stadtholder became Count under the title of William V
| Rule time |
Count / Countess |
Born-Died |
House |
| 1299 - 1304 |
John II of Avesnes |
1247 - 1304 |
Holland-Avesnes |
| 1304 - 1337 |
William III "the Good" of
Avesnes |
1285 - 1337 |
Holland-Avesnes |
| 1337 - 1345 |
William IV of Avesnes |
1318 - 1345 |
Holland-Avesnes |
| 1345 - 1349 |
Margareth I of Avesnes
|
1311 - 1356 |
Holland-Avesnes |
The Cods and Hooks struggles 1347 - 1494
This was the time of the formation of the famous parties in Holland :
The Cods, known as Kabeljauws
The Cods consisted of the Burgher party Bavaria and were the supporters of
William V (possibly the name was derived from the light blue, scaly looking
Bavarian coat of arms). The centre of the Cods was Dordrecht.
and
The Hooks, known as Hoeken
The Hooks consisted of the disaffected nobles, who wanted to catch and devour
the fat burgher fish and were the supporters of Margareth I.
In 1350 such was the disorder in the land that Margareth I, at the request
of the nobles, came to Holland to take into her own hands the reins of government.
The struggle between the nobles (Hooks) and the cities ( Cods) broke out into
civil war.
Edward III. came to Margareth's aid, winning a sea-fight at Veere in I351;
a few weeks later the Hooks and their English allies were defeated by William
and the Cods at Dordrecht overthrow which ruined Margareth's cause. Edward III
of England shortly afterwards changed sides, and the Countess saw herself compelled
(1354) to come to an understanding with her son, he being recognized as Count
of Holland and Zeeland, she of Hainault. Margareth I died two years later (1356).
Counts of Hainault - Bavaria 1349 - 1433
William V 1329-1389, Duke 1349-1389
Duke William of Bavaria was the eldest son, Louis, of
Margareth I.
William V, who had married Matilda of Lancaster, was now in possession of
the entire Holland-Hainault inheritance (July 1356). His tenure of power was,
however, very brief. Before the close of 1357 he showed such marked signs of
insanity that his wife, with his own consent and the support of both parties,
invited Duke Albert of Bavaria, younger brother of William Bavaria V, to be
regent, with the title of Ruward (1358). William lived in confinement for 31
years.
Son of Margareth II and King Louis IV of Germany; Count
William III of Hainault and Duke William I of Bavaria, married1352 with Mathilde,
daughter of Count Henry of Lancaster), due to insanity he was replaced by his
brother Albrecht of Bavaria in 1358.
Albert of Bavaria 1336-1404, Ruwaard 1358-1389,
Count 1389-1404
Despite outbreaks from time to time of the Hook and Cods troubles, he was
able to make his authority respected, and to help forward in many ways the social
progress of the Country. The influence of the towns was steadily on the increase,
and their government began to fall into the hands of the burgher patrician class,
who formed the Cod party. Opposed to them were the nobility and the lower classes,
forming the Hook party.
In Albert's latter years a fresh outbreak of civil war (1392-1395) was caused
by the Counts espousing the side of the Cods, while the Hooks had the support
of his eldest son, William. Albert was afterwards reconciled to his son, who
succeeded him as William VI. in 1404.
Albert died in 1404, having ruled the land well and wisely for 46 years,
first as Ruward, then as Count.
William VI 1345-1417, Count 1404-1417
On his accession to power William upheld the Hooks, and secured their ascendancy.
His reign was much troubled with civil discords, but he was a brave soldier,
and was generally successful in his enterprises. He died in 1417, leaving an
only child, a daughter, Jacqueline (or Jacoba), who had in her early youth been
married to John, heir to the throne of France. At a gathering held at
The Hague (August 15, 1416) the nobles and representatives of the cities of
Holland and Zeeland had promised at Williams request to support his daughters
claims to the succession. But John of France died (April 1417), and William
VI about a month later, leaving the widowed Jacqueline at 17 years of age face
to face with a difficult situation.
Son of Albrecht of Bavaria, married with Margretha
of Burgundy (1374-1441) the daughter of Philips "the Bold", William VI was also
Count of Hainault and Duke Willem II of Bavaria; he ruled from 1389 also as
Count of Hainault, He suceeded his father in 1404 as Count of Holland; He overthrew
Jan van Arkel.
Jacoba of Bavaria 1401-1436, Duchess 1417-1433
Jacoba of Bavaria (Jacoba of Bavaria)
Jacoba or Jacqueline of Wittelsbach (1401-1436) was Countess of Hainault
and Holland from 1417 to 1432. She was the only daughter of William VI, Count
of Hainault and Holland. Jacqueline was the last ruler of independent Hainault
and Holland. Following her death, the estates were incorporated in the control
of the Duchy of Burgundy.
As a child Jacqueline was married to John of Valois, Duke of Touraine and second
son of Charles VI of France, who on the death of his elder brother Louis became
dauphin. John of Touraine died in April 1417, and two months afterwards Jacqueline
lost her father.
She was at first welcomed as the new successor in Holland and Zeeland, but
found her claims opposed by her uncle, John of Bavaria, Bishop of Liege, supported
by the Cods (Kabeljauws). She had the support of the Hook faction in Holland.
In 1418, her uncle and guardian John the Fearless, duke of Burgundy, organized
her marriage to her cousin John IV, Duke of Brabant. They resided (1418-1420)
in Castle "Huis te Merwede" at Dordrecht * but were attacked and driven out the
Castle by the burghers of Dordrecht (Cods). (By excavations at the spot were
found many black arrows fired at the Castle).
* Commemorative stone originally from the in 1870
demolished Spui gate at the Westside of Dordrecht, since 1974 placed on the
wall at the riverside of the Groothoofds gate at Dordrecht. The text reads
as follows :
In 1418 this city was besieged here by lofty
powerful Duke Jan van Brabant but by the hand of God driven back roughly.
Soli Deo Gloria
By the mediation of John "the Fearless", a treaty of partition was concluded
in 1419 between Jacqueline and John of Bavaria (Bishop of Liege); but it was
merely a truce, and the contest between uncle and niece soon began again and
continued with varying success.
In 1420 Jacqueline fled to England. There declaring that her marriage with John
IV of Brabant was illegal she married with Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (son
of Henry IV of England) in 1422. Two years later Jacqueline and Humphrey, invaded
Holland, where she was now opposed by her former husband, John IV of Brabant,
after he had poisoned John of Bavaria.
In 1425 Humphrey deserted his wife, who found herself obliged to seek refuge
with her cousin, Philip III Duke of Burgundy, the latter Philips I "the Good",
to whom she had to submit, and she was imprisoned in the castle of Ghent. John
Iv of Brabant now mortgaged the two Counties of Holland and Zeeland to Philip
I, who assumed their protectorate. Jacqueline, however, escaped from prison
in disguise, and for three years struggled gallantly to maintain herself in
Holland against the united efforts of Philip of Burgundy and John IV of Brabant,
and met at first with success.
The death of John of Brabant (April 1427) freed the Countess from her quondam
husband; but nevertheless Pope Martin V pronounced Jacqueline's marriage with
Humphrey illegal, and Philip I "the Good ", putting out his full strength, and
broke down all opposition. By a treaty, made in July 1428, Jacqueline was left
nominally Countess, but Philip I was to administer the government of Holland,
Zeeland and Hainault, and was declared heir in case Jacqueline should die without
children.
Two years later (1430) Philip I "the Good" mortgaged Holland and Zeeland
to the Borselen family, of which Francis, lord of Borselen, was the head. Jacqueline
now made her last effort. In 1432 she secretly married Francis of Borselen,
and endeavored to foment a rising in Holland against the Burgundian rule.
Francis of Borselen
Philip I "the Good" invaded the Country, however, and threw Borselen into
prison. Only on condition that Jacqueline abdicated her estates in his favor
would he allow her liberty and recognize her marriage with Borselen. She submitted
in April 1432, retained her title of duchess in Bavaria, and lived on her husband's
estates in retirement. Jacqueline died in Teilingen Castle in 1436 due to tuberculoses,
and since she had no children, Philip "the Good" of Burgundy inherited Hainault
and Holland.
Every one from whom she might have expected help betrayed her in turn, her
second husband John IV of Brabant, her third husband Humphrey of Gloucester,
her cousin Philip "the Good" of Burgundy, all behaved shamefully to her.
Her romantic and sad life has rendered the courageous and accomplished Jacqueline
the most picturesque figure in the whole history of Holland. She struggled long
against her powerful kinsfolk, nor did she know happiness till near the end
of her life, when she abandoned the unequal strife, and found repose with Francis
of Borselen, Ruward of Holland, her fourth husband.
| Rule time |
Count / Countess |
Born-Died |
House |
| 1349 - 1389 |
Willem V of Bavaria |
1329 - 1389 |
Holland-Bavaria |
| 1389 - 1404 |
Albert of Bavaria |
1336 - 1404 |
Holland-Bavaria |
| 1404 - 1417 |
Willem VI of Bavaria |
1345 - 1417 |
Holland-Bavaria |
| 1417 - 1433 |
Jacoba of Bavaria |
1401 - 1433 |
Holland-Bavaria |
Dukes of Burgundy 1433 - 1482
Philps I "the Good" 1396-1467, Duke 1433-1467
Philip "the Good"
His father was John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (1371-1419)
Philip "the Good", duke of Burgundy, craftily seized; and thereby in 1433
the Duchess Jacoba of Bavaria was compelled to cede her rights over the Counties
of Holland and Hainault. Consequently at her death in 1436, as she left no accession
children, Philip succeeded to the full and undisputed of the possession of her
lands.
He had already acquired by inheritance, purchase or force almost all the
other Lowland states; and now, with the extinction of the Dynasty of the Bavarian
line of Counts, Holland ceased to have an independent existence and became an
outlying province of the growing Burgundian power. During the years that followed
the accession to the sovereignty of Duke Philip "the Good", Holland plays but
an insignificant part.
It was governed by a Stadtholder, and but small respect was shown for its
chartered rights and privileges. The quarrels between the Hook and Cod factions
still continued, but the outbreaks of civil strife were quickly repressed by
the strong hand of Philip. Holland during this time contented Flourish herself
with growing material prosperity. Her log state herring fishery, rendered more
valuable by the curing of process discovered or introduced by Benkelszoon, Holland.
brought her increasing wealth, and her fishermen were already laying the foundations
of her future maritime greatness. It was in the days of Duke Philip that Lorenz
Koster of Haarlem contributed his share to the discovery of printing.
He succeeded his father as Duke of Nurgundy in 1419, in 1430 Brabant and
Limburg, in 1433 Holland and Hainault, in 1435 Auxerre and Maçon and in
1451 Luxemburg. He was married with Isabella of Portugal (1397-1471, daughter
of King John I of Portugal.
He appointed Stadtholders as representatives
of all Provinces and founded the "Staten Generaal" in Brussels He can be
seen as the preparer of the later states Belgium and The Netherlands.
Charles I "the Bold" 1433-1467, Duke 1467-1477
Charles I "the Bold"
He was married with Isabella of Bourbon and had only one child, Mary "the
Rich" (1458-1482)
During the reign of Charles the Bold (1467-1477) the Hollanders, like the
other subjects of that warlike prince, suffered much from the burden of taxation.
An outbreak at Hoorn was by Charles sternly repressed.
The Hollanders were much aggrieved by the establishment of a high court of
justice for the entire Netherlands at Mechlin (1474). This was regarded as a
serious breach of their privileges.
Mary "the Rich" 1457-1482, Duchess 1477-1482
Mary "the Rich"
The succession of Mary of Burgundy led to the grant Burgundy to Holland as
to the other provinces of the Netherlands of the Great Privilege of March 1477,
which restored the most important of their ancient rights and liberties. A high
court of justice was established for Holland, Zeeland and Friesland, and the
use of the native language was made official. The Hook and Cod troubles again
disturbed the Country. Hook uprisings took place at Leiden and Dordrecht and
had to be repressed by armed force.
She was the only daughter of Charles I "the Bold" and Isabella of Bourbon,
she married 19 August 1477 with Emperor Maximilliaan I of Germany. Because she
was female she lost Burgundy to France. Together with her husband Maximilliaan
I they declared themselves Duchess and Duke of Holland by declaration called
"the Great Privilage"
By the sudden death of the Duchess Mary in 1482 her possessions, including
the County of Holland, passed to her infant son, Philip, under the guardianship
of his father Maximilian I of Germany. Thus the Burgundian dynasty was succeeded
by that of the Habsburgs.
| Rule time |
Count / Countess |
Born-Died |
House |
| 1433 - 1467 |
Philips I "the Good" |
1396 - 1467 |
Burgundy |
| 1467 - 1477 |
Charles I "the Bold" |
1433 - 1477 |
Burgundy |
| 1477 - 1482 |
Mary "the Rich" |
1457 - 1482 |
Burgundy |
Dukes of Habsburgs 1482 - 1581
Maximilliaan I 1459-1519, Duke 1482-1494
click the image to enlarge
Maximilian I of Habsburg (22 March 1459 - 12 January 1519) was Holy Roman
Emperor. Maximilian was born in Vienna as the son of the Emperor Frederick
III and Eleanor of Portugal. He married (1477-1482) the heiress of Burgundy,
Mary "the Rich", the only daughter of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy.
Through this marriage, Maximilian obtained the Netherlands and the Free
County of Burgundy following Charles's death, though France took Burgundy
proper.
Elected king of the Romans in 1486 at the initiative of his father, he
became Holy Roman Emperor upon his father's death in 1493. The following
year brought French intervention in Italy, inaugurating the prolonged
Italian Wars. He joined the Holy League to Counter the French. Maximilian is
possibly best known for leading the 1495 Reichstag at Worms which concluded
on the Reichsreform (Imperial Reform), reshaping much of the constitution of
the Holy Roman Empire.
In order to reduce the growing pressures on the Empire brought about by
treaties between the rulers of France, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, and Russia,
as well as to secure Bohemia and Hungary for the Habsburgs, Maximilian I met
with the Jagiellonian kings Ladislaus II of Hungary and Bohemia and
Sigismund I of Poland at Vienna in 1515. The marriages arranged there
brought Habsburg kingship over Hungary and Bohemia a decade later.
Maximilian died in Wels, Upper Austria, and was succeeded as Emperor by his
grandson Charles V, his son Philip I "the Handsome" of Castile having died in
1506.
During the regency of Maximilian the turbulence of the hooks caused much
strife and unrest in Holland. Their leaders, Francis of Brederode and John of
Naaldwijk, seized Rotterdam and other places. Their overthrow finally ended
the strife between Hooks and Cods. The Bread and Cheese War, an uprising of
the peasants in North Holland caused by famine, is a proof of the misery caused
by civil discords and oppressive taxation. In 1494, Maximilian having been elected
emperor, Philip was declared of age.
Philips II "the Handsome" 1478-1506, Duke 1494-1506
Philip I (22 July 1478 - 25 September 1506), sometimes called Philip
the Handsome was king of Castile, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian
I, and husband of Joanna of Castile (the Mad) 1479-1555, daughter of Ferdinand
II of Aragon (1452-1516) and Isabella of Castile (1451-1504), was the
founder of the Habsburg dynasty in Spain as King Philips I of
Spain.
Born at Bruges (Brugge) Flanders, today's Belgium. In 1482 he succeeded to the Burgundian
possessions of his mother Mary "the Rich" of Burgundy, daughter of Charles I the Bold,
under the guardianship of his father. In 1496 he married Joanna of Castile. The
marriage was one of a set of family alliances with Austria and Portugal
designed to strengthen Spain against France. The death of John, the only son
of Ferdinand and Isabella, opened the succession to the Spanish Crown to
Joanna.
In 1502 she and her husband received the homage of the cortes of Castile and
of Aragon as heirs.
Philip returned to Flanders before the close of the
year. His life with Joanna was rendered extremely unhappy by his infidelity
and by her jealousy, which, working on a neurotic temperament, precipitated
her insanity. The princess gave way to paroxysms of rage, in which she was
guilty of acts of atrocious violence. Before her mother's death, in 1504,
she was unquestionably quite insane, and husband and wife lived apart.
When Isabella died, Ferdinand II endeavored to lay hands on the regency of
Castile, but the nobles, who disliked and feared him, forced him to
withdraw. Philip was summoned to Spain, where he was recognized as king. He
landed, with his wife, at La Coruńa on 28 April 1506, accompanied by a body
of German mercenaries. Father and son-in-law had interviews at Remesal, near
Pueblo de Senabria, and at Renedo, the only result of which was an indecent
family quarrel, in which Ferdinand II of Aragon professed to defend the interests of his
daughter, Joanna of Castile, who he said was imprisoned by her husband.
A civil war would probably have broken out between them; but Philip, who had
only been in Spain long enough to prove his incapacity, died suddenly at
Burgos, apparently of typhoid fever, on 25 September 1506. His wife Joanna
of Castile (the Maid) refused
for long to allow his body to be buried or to part from it. Philip was the
father of the Roman Emperors Charles V (1500 - 1559) and Ferdinand I (1503 -
1564).
His assumption of the government was greeted with joy in Holland, and in
his reign the province enjoyed its fisheries benefited from the commercial treaty
concluded with England.
Maximilliaan I 1459-1519, Duke 1506-1515
See the story above
Second time, Guardian for his grandson Charles II. His daughter Margaretha
of Austria was actually the Duchess of Holland until 1515.
Charles II 1500-1558, Emperor Charles V 1515-1555
click the image to enlarge
Charles V, 1500–1558, Holy Roman emperor (1519–1558) and, as Charles I,
king of Spain (1516–1556); son of Philip I and
Joanna of Castile, grandson of Ferdinand II of Aragón, Isabella of Castile,
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and Mary of Burgundy. Charles V belongs to the general history of
the Netherlands.
Charles was born in Ghent and brought up in the Low Countries until 1517,
where he was tutored by Adrian of Utrecht, later Pope Adrian VI. In 1506, on
the death of his father, Charles inherited the Low Countries and
Franche-Comté. After the death of his grandfather Ferdinand in 1516, Charles
became joint-king of Castile with his mother Joanna of Castile (who was
insane), and also inherited Aragon, Navarre, Granada, Naples, Sicily,
Sardinia, and Spanish America. Upon arriving to Castile, he had to fight the
Castilian War of the Communities against the cities and petty nobles who
disliked his appointment of Flemings for Castilian offices. He eventually
won and from then on Castilian Cortes were keen on conceding him the vast
resources needed for the numerous wars he waged in Europe. After the death
of his other grandfather, Maximilian I, in 1519, he inherited Habsburg lands
in Austria and was elected Holy Roman Emperor on June 28, 1519.
He married the Infant Isabella in 1526, sister of John III of Portugal,
who had shortly before married Catherine, Charles's sister. Charles V
initiated many wars with France during his reign, first fighting against
them in Northern Italy in 1521. Later in the Italian Wars, in 1527, his
troops sacked Rome, causing Charles some embarrassment but enabling him to
keep the Pope from annulling the marriage of Henry VIII of England and
Catherine of Aragon, who was his aunt.
As Holy Roman Emperor, he called Martin Luther to the Diet of Worms in
1521, promising him safe conduct if he would appear. He outlawed Luther and
his followers in that same year but was tied up with other concerns and
unable to try to stamp out Protestantism.
He had been fighting with the Ottoman Empire and its sultan, Suleiman the
Magnificent, for a number of years. The expeditions of the Ottoman force
along the Mediterranean coast posed a threat to Hapsburg lands and the peace
of Western Europe. In 1535 Charles won an important victory at Tunis, but in
1536 Francis I of France allied himself with Suleiman against Charles. While
Francis was persuaded to sign a peace treaty in 1538, he again allied
himself with the Ottomans in 1542. In 1543 Charles allied himself with Henry
VIII and forced Francis to sign the Truce of Crepy-en-Laonnois. Charles
later signed a humiliating treaty with the Ottomans, to gain him some
respite from the huge expenses of their war.
In 1548 he made the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands (Low
Countries) an entity separate from both the Empire and from France (the
"Pragmatic Sanction of 1548").
In 1556 Charles abdicated his various positions, giving his personal
empire to his son, Philip II of Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire to his
brother, Ferdinand. Charles retired to the monastery of Yuste (Extremadura,
Spain) and is thought to have had a nervous breakdown. In the last two
decades of his life he suffered from gout. He died in 1558.
Philips III 1527-1598, Duke 1555-1581
click the image to enlarge
Philip ascended the Spanish throne on the abdication of his father, Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V, who had previously made
over to him Naples and Sicily, the Low Countries, Franche-Comté, and the
duchy of Milan. His first wife, Maria of Portugal, died giving birth to the
unfortunate Don Carlos (1545–1568), and in 1554 Philip married Queen Mary I
of England. Continuing his father's war with France, he drew England into
the conflict in 1557. In the same year Spain won the major victory of
St.-Quentin, but in 1558 England lost Calais to France. After Mary's death
(1558), Philip offered his hand to her sister, Elizabeth I of England, but
he was refused. In 1559 the war with France was brought to an end by the
Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis, which was sealed by Philip's marriage to
Elizabeth of Valois.
Revolt in the Lowlands
On the abdication of Charles II, his son Philip II. of Spain became Duke Philip
III, of Holland, the ruler whose arbitrary rule in church and state brought
about the revolt of the Lowlands.
Due to the introduction of early democracy by
Philip II "de Schone" in 1457 the Counts
lost more and more power to the Stadtholders of the Cities and Provinces in
the Lowlands. The weaker the power of the Counts the stronger the power of the
Cities grew. That was the introduction to the 80 years war for total Independence
against the King of Spain Philips II. The King of Spain was at that time officially
still Count of Holland, Philips III, and ruled over this whole area. He got
the title because of marriages in the past and so he inherited it.
The second half of Philip's reign was dominated by the revolt of the
Lowlands. Philip appointed (1567) the duque de Alba to replace his
half-sister, Margaret of Parma, as governor, but when Alba's harsh methods
failed to quell the revolt, Philip supported the more conciliatory tactics
of Alba's successors, Luis de Zúńiga y Requesens, John of Austria, and
Alessandro Farnese, duke of Parma, who managed to reconquer the Southern
Lowlands (approximately present-day Belgium). English support of the Dutch
rebels and their persistent attacks on Spanish shipping led Philip to plan
the invasion of England in 1588. However, the “Invincible Armada” was
ignominiously defeated. The Dutch also received support from the French
Protestants, and Philip intervened (1590) in the French Wars of Religion to
aid the Catholic League against the Protestant Henry of Navarre (Henry IV).
He claimed the French throne for his daughter Isabella but was finally
forced (1598) to recognize Henry.
The only major military success of Philip's later reign was the conquest
of Portugal, to which he had a claim as the son of Isabella of Portugal,
daughter of Manuel I. When King Henry of Portugal died (1580) without issue,
Alba overran the Country, and Philip was recognized as king by the
Portuguese Cortes.
He was succeeded by Philip III, his son by his fourth wife, Anne of
Austria.
First Struggles with Spain
His appointment of William, prince of Orange, as Stadtholder of Holland
and Zealand in 1558 was destined to have momentous results to the future of those
provinces in the Northern Lowlands. William ably served Philip II of Spain as a diplomat, particularly in the
making of the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559), but Philip's encroachments
on the liberties of the Lowlands and the introduction of the Spanish Inquisition
by Cardinal Granvelle led William to turn against the king. In 1563, with the
help of Counts Egmont and Hoorne, he succeeded in obtaining the removal of Granvelle,
but under the regency of Margaret of Parma disorders grew in the Lowlands.
King Philips II of Spain was a Roman Catholic, but the people in the
North rather became Protestants. That was a reason to go to war, other
reasons were disputes over tax and the fact that some cities wanted to break
free from Spain. The response of the Spanish forces was very harsh. They
massacred whole towns such as Mechelen in Flanders, Zutphen in Overijssel,
Naarden and Haarlem in Holland. The more blood on their hands, the more
cities wanted to brake away.
Finally in 1568 a number of Northern Provinces (Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht,
Guelders, Overijssel, Friesland and Groningen) revolted against King Philips
II. The reason for this uproar was the restriction of freedom of religion and
the absolutism of Philips II. The revolt was led by Prince William of Orange.
The cities in the Northern Lowlands still had much power (Dordrecht, Leiden,
Gouda, Haarlem and others) and they did not really care about the King in the far away
Spain either.
This act was the beginning of the 80 years war and later the Dutch independence.
History of Holland in a glance from 900 - 1568
| Year |
What happened |
|
|
| 916 |
The House of Holland founded, Dirk I first Count of
Frisia-Holland. |
| 970 |
Count Dirk II founds the Abbey of Egmont. |
| 993 |
Count Dirk III (Hierosolymithas) first Count of the
House of Holland. |
| 1015 |
Dirk III build Castle "Huis te Merwede" and
founds Dortrecht (Dordrecht) |
| 1015 |
Count Dirk IV born at Dortrecht. |
| 1017 |
Count Floris I born at Dortrecht. |
| 1018 |
Dirk III attacked by Bishop Adebolt III of Utrecht
with the help of Roman Emperor Hendrik II and the traders of Tiel. |
| 1019 |
Countess Luitgard born at Dortrecht |
| 1021 |
Countess Bertrade born at Dortrecht |
| 1023 |
Countess Swanhilde born at Dortrecht |
| 1044 |
Countess Adeleid born at Dortrecht |
| 1049 |
Count Dirk IV killed by the second attack of
Dortrecht. |
| 1052 |
Count Dirk V born at Dortrecht |
| 1054 |
Countess Bertha born at Dortrecht |
| 1085 |
Count Floris II "the Fat" born at Dortrecht |
| 1096 |
Beginning of the Crusades, Godfried van Bouillon first
leader. |
| 1110 |
Castle "Huis te Merwede" for the first time nearly
destroyed. |
| 1180 |
A great flood caused immense devastation and helped
to form the Zuiderzee |
| 1200 |
Dortrecht (Dordrecht) gets City-rights. |
| 1202 |
Count Dirk VII (Theodore) lost Dortrecht and
Geertruidenberg to Duke Henry I of Brabant during a battle at
Dortrecht. |
| 1213 |
Count William I liberate Geertruidenberg and give
City-rights to the city |
| 1217 |
Count William I takes part of the fourth Crusade
(1217-1219) |
| 1220 |
Count William I liberate Dortrecht (Dordrecht) and
give civic privileges and "Stapelrecht" (right to store goods)
to the city. |
| 1234 |
Count Floris IV murdered in 1234-1235 at a
tournament at Corbie in Picardy |
| c.1250 |
Count William II founded the Hall of Castle (Ridderzaal) in
The Hague |
| 1254 |
Count Floris V born at The Hague. |
| 1295 |
English wool trade for a short period in Dortrecht (Dordrecht)
and also during the 100 years war between Great Britain and France (1337-1437). |
| 1299 |
End of the House of Holland, beginning of the House
of Hainault. |
| 1343 |
First city-pact, several cities declare to help each
other when necessary. |
| 1344 |
Dordtrecht gets "Maasrecht" (complete rights to store
goods) |
| 1348 |
Margaretha takes the leadership of Holland, Zeeland
en Hainault but Holland refuse to obey her. |
| 1349 |
Margaretha hand over her leadership of Holland and Zeeland
to Willem V.
The "Hoekse and Kabeljauwse quarrels starts.
Kabeljauwen: some nobles, most cities, at the side of Willem V.
Hoeken (haken): most nobles, some cities, at the side of Margaretha. |
| 1350 |
Willem V (Holland) takes the side of the Kabeljauwen.
Struggles between Willem V en his mother Margaretha. |
| 1351 |
Willem V (Holland) is victorious and defeat his mother
Margaretha. |
| 1354 |
Peace between Willem V and Margaretha.
Willem V Count of Holland and Zeeland, Margaretha holds Hainault. |
| 1356 |
Margaretha †. Hainault also to Willem V.
King of France: Jan de Goede, his son Philips (de Stoute). |
| 1357 |
The Hanze days: Hanze cities united against Brugge and
Flanders. |
| 1362 |
Big floods and rain-storms at the North Sea coasts. |
| 1366 |
De Munt of Holland founded in Dordrecht. |
| 1375 |
First coins (Wilhelminagulden (Florin, Guilder) stamped
in Dordrecht. |
| 1417 |
Willem VI †. Jacoba of Bavaria rules as Countess in
Holland, Zeeland and Hainault. Again Hoekse and Kabeljauwse quarrels,
The Hoeken with Jacoba of Bavaria as their leader, free Gorkum.
Willem van Arkel (son of Jan), leads the Kabeljauwen, † by the fight
for Gorkum. |
| 1418 |
Jacoba of Bavaria and John IV, Duke of Brabant
resided (1418-1420) in the rebuild Castle "Huis te Merwede" at Dordrecht
but were attacked and driven out the Castle by the burghers of
Dordrecht (Cods, Kabeljauwen) |
| 1421 |
St. Elizabeth's flood. The Dordrechtse polder flooded
and The Biesbosch was born because the dikes were badly maintained due
to the Hoekse en Kabeljauwse quarrels. |
| 1428 |
Jacoba and Philips makes peace.
Philips rules in Holland, Zeeland and Hainault, Jacoba is Countess
in name. |
| 1432 |
End of the house Bavaria and begin of the house of
Burgundy |
| 1433 |
Jacoba abdicates from all her rights.
Philips I "the Good" become Count of Holland, Zeeland and Hainault. |
| 1436 |
Jacoba of Bavaria †. |
| 1442 |
Trade-war between Dordrecht and Gelre. (1442-1445) |
| 1457 |
Great fire in the center of Dordrecht, most wooden buildings
at the Voorstraat harbor and parts of the Big Church destroyed.
|
| 1464 |
Representetives of all States of The Bourgondian Empire
comes for the first time toghether at Brugge to ask Philips II "the
Bad" for money.
This is the first council of the Staten-Generaal (States-General) of
the Lownlands. |
| 1474 |
The Hollanders were much aggrieved by the establishment of a high court of
justice for the entire Netherlands at Mechlin (Mechelen) by Duke Philips II
"the Bad". This was regarded as a
serious breach of their privileges. |
| 1482 |
The sudden death of Duchess Mary "the Rich" ended
the house of Burgundy and the beginning of the house of Habsburg
with Duke Maximilliaan I.. |
| 1494 |
Philips II "the Handsome" become adult and takes the government
of the Lowlands. He don't accept the Great Privilege. He became the
first ruler of The United Lowlands. |
| 1500 |
Charles II born (son of Philips II and Joanna of
Castile). |
| 1515 |
Charles II emperor as Charles V |
| 1527 |
Philips III born (son of Charles V and Isabella of
Castile) |
| 1555 |
Philips III Duke of the Lowlands and as Philips II
King of Spain |
| 1558 |
William I of Orange Stadtholder of the Lowlands |
| 1568 |
Begin of the eighty years war between the Lowlands
and Spain |
Next Holland 1568 - 1672
Sources :
Mr. drs. Dirk van Duijvenbode in Dutch,
Count
Floris V in Dutch,
The Royal Genealogy
site in English,
Internet Medieval Sourcebook
in English,
Genealogy of Holland
in English, Women in Leadership in English,
Historische sprokkelingen in Dutch,
Wikipedia the free
encyclopedia in English, The
Worldwide web encyclopedia in English,
The Info please
encyclopedia in English,
The
history of The Hague in Dutch, English and German,
Het volk van Nederland
in Dutch,
The
1911 edition encyclopedia in English,
The House of Orange and
Dutch history in Dutch,
The
Dutch Republic in English,
Geschiedenis in
hoofdlijnen in Dutch,
