England & the Spanish Netherlands (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Zoe WadeExpertise
History
Why did the Netherlands Create a Political and Religious Rivalry Between Spain and England? - Summary and Timeline
The reign of Elizabeth’s half-sister, Mary I, had reduced the royal treasury .Mary’s husband, Philip II of Spain, fought and lost a costly war with France. The conflict between Spain and France did have some benefits. Both countries had different reasons to pursue an alliance with England:
By 1570, it became clear that England could not maintain a positive relationship with Spain. Spain’s treatment of the protestant Dutch worsened. Elizabeth hesitated in supporting the Dutch Protestants. She relied upon money rather than an armed force to fight against Spain. Elizabeth used Spain’s old enemy, France, to fight on her behalf. Overall, Elizabeth’s limited intervention in the Netherlands paved the way for the breakdown of Anglo-Spanish relations. Elizabeth’s government believed her hesitance allowed Spain to strengthen their hold over the Netherlands. Her reluctance to use force also destroyed any trust the Dutch had in England. Philip II believed England wanted to destroy Spain’s power. This meant war between the two nations became increasingly likely. |
What Did Spain Do to the Netherlands in 1567?
As discussed in ‘Protestantism Across Europe, 1562-69’, Spain was severely punishing the Dutch Protestants
Spain was leading a counter-reformation campaign against Protestantism
Spain saw the Dutch Protestants as a threat to its rule in the Netherlands
The Dutch Revolt in 1566 proved that both Dutch Catholics and Protestants wanted to rid the Netherlands of Spanish control
In 1567, Spain sent the Duke of Alba to the Netherlands to regain control of the region
Alba established the 'Council of Troubles'
The Council condemned many thousands of Protestants to death
The events in the Netherlands alarmed many English Protestants
If Spain treated Protestants in this manner, English Protestants worried about what could happen to them. Spain could declare war against all Protestantism
Elizabeth’s privy council pressured her to protect the Dutch rebels
What Did Elizabeth Do About the Netherlands?
What options did Elizabeth have when dealing with the Netherlands?
Elizabeth and her advisers considered multiple solutions to the ‘problem’ of the Spanish Netherlands
Consequences of Possible Solutions to the Problem of the Spanish Netherlands
Option | Positive consequences | Negative consequences |
Raise an army in England and fight the Spanish | Europe would see England as a strong Protestant power. The presence of English soldiers would make the Dutch rebels feel supported | In the 1570s, Spain had a much stronger economy and army than England. If Elizabeth supported rebels attacking an anointed monarch, she may encourage English Catholics to depose her |
Do nothing to help the Dutch rebels | England would protect its own finances and soldiers. Elizabeth could maintain an acceptable relationship with Spain. She would avoid making the pope angry | Elizabeth would lose the support of her government. English Protestants would feel let down by their monarch. Elizabeth’s reputation as a Protestant monarch would worsen amongst European Protestants |
Send money to the Dutch rebels | The Dutch rebels would have some English support. They could use the money to buy weapons or mercenaries to fight for their cause | Many Protestants in England felt that giving money to the rebels was not enough. Spain had much more wealth than England. Money would not make the Dutch rebels strong enough to win against Spain |
Persuade France to fight against Spain in the Netherlands | France would become the leading power in Europe if they defeated Spain. England would gain a strong ally in France without having to fight Spain | France was a Catholic country. They may object to protecting Protestantism. If France defeated Spain, they could take the Netherlands for their empire |
What option did Elizabeth choose?
Elizabeth chose a non-aggressive strategy to deal with Spain’s control of the Netherlands
England was weaker than Spain
A war with Spain might cause a Civil War between English Catholics and Protestants
She did not want to trigger a war with Spain
She believed that applying the right amount of pressure on Philip would force Spain to withdraw from the Netherlands
Elizabeth’s tactics against Spain included:
Helping the Dutch rebels indirectly by sending money and mercenaries to the Netherlands
Encouraging Privateers to attack Spanish ships and colonies
Improving England’s relationship with France
How did Elizabeth improve England’s relationship with France?
In the 1570s, Elizabeth offered the promise of marriage to the Duke of Alençon
Alençon was the heir to the French throne. A marriage between Elizabeth and Alençon would be a strong union
She believed an alliance with Alençon would worry Philip enough to return the Netherlands to the Dutch
Philip’s worry about an Anglo-French union increased when Elizabeth encouraged Alençon to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands
Elizabeth knew her strategy was risky
She had no intention of marrying Alençon. If Alençon discovered this, it could turn France into an enemy
If France was too successful in the Netherlands, they would encompass the Netherlands into their empire
Exam Tip
For the exam, you need to remember that Elizabeth’s strategy in the Netherlands in the early 1570s relied upon her personal and political charm. Elizabeth regularly used the promise of marriage as a bargaining tool with European leaders. If she could encourage Alençon to fight in the Netherlands on her behalf, she could avoid the monetary and human cost of a war with Spain. Her strategy relied upon Spain and France continuing their hatred towards each other and Alençon’s desire to marry Elizabeth. If these situations changed, Elizabeth could upset the two biggest powers in 16th-century Europe
The Spanish Fury and the Pacification of Ghent, 1576
In 1576, the situation in the Netherlands changed
The Spanish Fury and the pacification of Ghent offered Elizabeth an opportunity to increase England’s intervention in the Netherlands
The storyboard below explains what happened in the Netherlands in 1576:
IMAGE
A storyboard showing the events of the Spanish Fury and the Pacification of Ghent, and the aftermath in the Netherlands
Exam Tip
Breaking the terms of the Pacification of Ghent provided a key opportunity for Elizabeth. Spain had lost a lot of money fighting the Dutch rebels. If Elizabeth had fulfilled her promise to the Dutch Protestants and sent an invasion force, England would likely have defeated Spain. Many historians believe this was Elizabeth's best opportunity to support European Protestants while increasing England’s power across Europe
Worked Example
Describe two features of the Spanish Fury, 1576
4 marks
Answers:
One feature of the Spanish Fury was the inability of Spain to pay their troops (1). The Spanish government in the Netherlands did not have enough money to pay their soldiers. This is because the war with the Dutch rebels was too expensive (1).
Another feature of the Spanish Fury was the impact it caused on the Netherlands (1). The Spanish Fury destroyed Antwerp. It forced all 17 Dutch provinces to unite and write the Pacification of Ghent, demanding Spain leave the Netherlands (1).
Why was the Spanish Fury and the Pacification of Ghent a missed opportunity for Elizabeth?
Elizabeth did not send the armed forces she had promised to the Dutch rebels after Spain broke the Pacification of Ghent
She hired a mercenary named John Casimir
Elizabeth gave Casimir the money to raise an army of 6,000 volunteers
A mercenary leading a voluntary army meant Elizabeth was not directly sending an English army to fight against Spain
Casimir failed to beat the Spanish forces in the Netherlands
He angered the Dutch Catholics by attacking their churches
His actions persuaded the Dutch Catholics to make peace with the Spanish
Elizabeth ignored the advice of her Privy Council
Advisers like Dudley, Earl of Leicester, pleaded with Elizabeth to send a royal army to the Netherlands
Dudley sensed that England could win against Spain
Her government highlighted how important an independent Netherlands was to England
The Netherlands could become a large Protestant ally with England
Their presence in Europe would limit the power of the Spanish Habsburg and Catholicism
Elizabeth continued to use the Duke of Alençon rather than intervene in the Netherlands directly
In 1578, the Duke of Alençon raised an army and fought against Spain
Many historians believe that Elizabeth missed an ideal opportunity to free the Dutch from Spanish rule. By 1579, the situation in the Netherlands had changed because:
The Duke of Parma replaced Don Juan as governor of the Netherlands
Parma was a much better military leader than Don Juan. Parma made Spain’s forces in the Netherlands much stronger than England’s
The Dutch rebels' leader, William of Orange, had lost influence among Dutch Catholics
The actions of John Casimir turned many Dutch Catholics against the Protestant rebels
The southern Dutch province were mostly Catholic. They began to make agreements of peace with Spain
The Spanish forces were making progress against the Protestant rebels
The Duke of Alençon decided to withdraw his troops from the Netherlands in 1579
Spanish Control Restored, 1580-1584
By 1584, Spain had gained complete control of the Netherlands
The concept map below explains the actions that Philip and Elizabeth took that allowed Spain to dominate the Netherlands:
A concept map showing how Spain regained control of the Netherlands by 1584
Exam Tip
An exam question may ask you to explain the extent to which Spain’s actions regained the Netherlands in 1584. The concept map shows that there are more examples of Elizabeth’s actions that allowed Spain to dominate the region. Elizabeth had the money and forces to directly support the Dutch Protestants in 1578. By the time Elizabeth did send her own army in 1585, she had missed the opportunity to succeed. As a result, Elizabeth’s mistakes allowed Spain to take back complete control of the Netherlands by 1584.
1584: The Turning Point in Anglo-Spanish Relations
A series of events in 1584 resulted in the downfall of England and Spain’s relationship
Events of 1584 and How They Negatively Affected Anglo-Spanish Relations
Event in 1584 | Why did the event hurt Anglo-Spanish relations? |
10th June - The death of the Duke of Alençon | Henri of Navarre was France’s new heir. His Protestant faith made the French create a Catholic League to stop him. The resulting civil war meant England could no longer use France’s military strength against Spain. England would have to face Spain without an ally |
10th July - The murder of William of Orange | The Dutch rebels no longer had a leader. They looked to Elizabeth as a figurehead of Protestantism to fill the role of William of Orange. Without a leader, Spain could easily defeat the Dutch rebels. Philip II could target England next |
31st December - The Treaty of Joinville | The Catholic League and Philip II allied to fight against French Protestants. Spain and France had become allies against Protestantism. The Eradication of English Protestantism could become France and Spain’s next objective |
You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes
Get unlimited access
to absolutely everything:
- Downloadable PDFs
- Unlimited Revision Notes
- Topic Questions
- Past Papers
- Model Answers
- Videos (Maths and Science)
Did this page help you?