Pacification of Ghent facts for kids

The Pacification of Ghent, signed on 8 November 1576, was an important agreement between the provinces of the Habsburg Netherlands. Its main goals were to get rid of the Spanish soldiers who were causing trouble by stealing and attacking towns. It also aimed to make peace with the rebellious provinces of Holland and Zeeland.

Why the Provinces Made Peace

In 1566, the Habsburg Netherlands (which is now mostly Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) faced big problems and unrest. This led to a period of destruction where people attacked religious images. The ruler, Philip II of Spain, sent Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba with an army in 1567 to restore order.

Alba arrested and executed some important leaders, like the counts of Egmont and Hoorn. Others, like William the Silent, were forced to leave the country.

At first, Alba's army stopped the rebels. However, keeping a large army was very expensive for Spain. Spain was also fighting other costly wars at the same time. Alba tried to raise money with new taxes, which made many loyal people unhappy.

Then, in 1572, a group of sailors and privateers, called watergeuzen, unexpectedly took over parts of Holland and Zeeland. William the Silent became the leader in these two provinces. This started an open revolt against the government in Brussels. It led to a war between Holland and Zeeland and the other fifteen loyal provinces.

This war was fought mostly by hired soldiers. Spanish soldiers, called tercios, were very important for the king's side. But because the king's money was running out, these Spanish soldiers often didn't get paid. They frequently rebelled and stole from nearby towns, especially after winning battles. This anger against the Brussels government grew stronger in the summer of 1576.

Making the Peace Agreement

An Allegory showing the Pacification of Ghent. The picture shows the Netherlandish Lion protecting the entrance to the Garden of the Netherlands. Inside, 17 Netherlandish Maidens represent the Seventeen Provinces. Outside, 'furious Spanish soldiers' try to get in.

In 1573, Luis de Zúñiga y Requesens took over from Alba as governor. He also could not defeat the rebels. He was sick and died in March 1576. This created a power gap in the Brussels government. It took a long time for a new governor to be appointed from Spain.

During this time, the Duke of Aerschot stepped in. Spanish soldiers mutinied because they weren't paid and attacked the towns of Zierikzee and Aalst. Because of this, the States General of the Netherlands (a meeting of representatives from the provinces) was called on 8 September 1576. They met to deal with the rebellious soldiers. Holland and Zeeland were not invited at first.

The States General decided to raise their own troops to defend against the foreign soldiers, especially the Spanish ones. They also started to change how the government worked. Before, the States General only met for a few weeks. Now, they decided to stay in session permanently. They chose a different person each week to lead their meetings. This system continued even later when the Dutch Republic was formed.

The first goal for the States General was to make peace with the rebel provinces. This way, everyone could work together against the mutinying soldiers. Both rebels and loyalists hated these soldiers. So, the States General sent a group to talk with William of Orange and the provinces of Holland and Zeeland. William's troops were already in Flanders, and they were welcomed in the city of Ghent. So, the talks happened there.

The representatives met in early October 1576. The rebels were represented by Paulus Buys and Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde. The States General sent Elbertus Leoninus, a professor. These negotiators had met before, so they knew the main problems. They also knew they had to act fast. The king's brother, Don Juan, was arriving soon, and it would be easier to agree without his control.

The delegates reached an agreement on 30 October, less than three weeks after starting. The States General quickly approved it on 8 November 1576. This was likely sped up by the terrible sack of Antwerp by Spanish mutineers on 4 November. This event convinced many people to agree to the peace.

The treaty blamed the previous Spanish government in Brussels for the war. The provinces agreed to work together to drive out the Spanish soldiers and their supporters. They wanted to bring back their rights, freedoms, and prosperity.

The agreement included:

• A general pardon for actions on both sides since 1568.
• Once the Spanish were gone, the States General would return the country to the king. They would also decide on the issue of religion.
• All military places taken by the rebels would go back to the king.
• All laws against heresy (religious beliefs different from the official ones) were cancelled. No one would be punished for religious reasons until the States General decided on the matter of religion.
• Outside Holland and Zeeland, no actions against the Catholic religion were allowed.
• Other points covered free movement of goods and people, freeing prisoners, returning seized properties, and money issues.

The Pacification was both a peace treaty between the rebel and loyal provinces and a plan for a stronger alliance. This alliance was later formed on 9 January 1577, called the Union of Brussels.

What Happened Next

Sketch depicting the historical procession in honour of the Pacification of Ghent.

The problem with the Pacification was that the provinces only truly agreed on one thing: getting rid of the mutinying soldiers. Once the Spanish soldiers left for Italy in April 1577, the provinces started to disagree again.

Don Juan, the king's brother, signed the Pacification on 12 February 1577. This seemed to give it the king's approval. However, he emphasized the parts about keeping the Catholic religion outside Holland and Zeeland. The States General then accepted him as the governor. They even agreed to pay the royal troops, which had been the cause of the mutinies. This agreement was called the Edict of 1577.

But the Edict of 1577 seemed to mean things would go back to how they were before, with the States General not meeting all the time. Holland and Zeeland protested this. They also refused to give up the forts they had taken, even though the Pacification said they should. The relationship between Don Juan and the States General quickly got worse. The States General even appointed their own governor, Archduke Matthias.

In 1579, Alessandro Farnese became the new royal governor. He quickly offered to give the southern Catholic nobles their old rights back. With the Spanish army under control and their local freedoms returned, the Walloon nobles and southern provinces no longer had a reason to rebel.

However, the northern provinces, which were mostly Calvinist, did not want to give up their religion. King Philip II also did not want them to practice it. So, the French-speaking provinces made the Union of Arras. This led the northern provinces to create their own agreement, the Union of Utrecht. These two agreements caused a permanent split in the Habsburg Netherlands.

See also

• List of treaties