Union of Brussels facts for kids
The Unions of Brussels were two important agreements made in the city of Brussels in the late 1570s. This was during the start of the Eighty Years' War. This long war (1568-1648) was when the Netherlands fought to become free from Spain's rule. At that time, Brussels was the main city of the Seventeen Provinces, which were controlled by Spain.
Contents
The First Union: A Stand for Peace
In 1572, the northern areas of Holland and Zeeland began to rebel. People who followed the Calvinist religion took control of most cities there. The Spanish army tried to win them back but failed badly during the Siege of Leiden in 1574.
Spanish Soldiers Cause Trouble
In 1575, Philip II of Spain, the king, ran out of money. He had to declare bankruptcy. This meant the Spanish soldiers did not get paid. Because of this, the soldiers rebelled and started attacking towns and farms. They pillaged the areas of Brabant and Flanders.
The Horrible Attack on Antwerp
The Spanish soldiers also attacked the city of Antwerp. This was a very large city with 100,000 people. About 10,000 people were killed by the soldiers. The soldiers wanted to get rid of the local Protestant people. This terrible event made the Spanish army look very bad.
Forming the First Union
The Estates-General of the Netherlands, a group of leaders meeting in Brussels, wanted to end the war in 1577. However, some leaders from Catholic areas did not want to include the Calvinists from Holland and Zeeland. So, the Estates-General, without Holland and Zeeland, formed the first Union of Brussels. They promised to keep the Catholic religion strong. King Philip II of Spain agreed with this plan.
The Second Union: A Push for Unity
William of Orange was a key leader of the resistance against Spain. He came to Brussels in 1577. He wanted to convince the General Estates to accept the Calvinist areas of Holland and Zeeland.
William of Orange's Influence
The people of Brussels welcomed William of Orange as a hero. With his strong encouragement, the General Estates agreed to include Holland and Zeeland. They now argued for equal rights for both Catholics and Protestants.
New Conflicts and Divisions
News of this agreement spread quickly across the Netherlands. This caused a lot of unrest. Calvinists took control of cities in Flanders and other provinces. But the leaders in the eastern provinces did not agree with this.
In 1579, the French-speaking provinces in the south formed the Union of Arras. This group supported Spain. Many Protestant people were forced to leave these areas. The leader of Groningen and Drenthe also supported the king. The city of Amsterdam did too.
The End of the Union of Brussels
Most of the northern Netherlands was now controlled by Calvinists. They created the Calvinist Union of Utrecht in the same year. Because of these new groups, the Union of Brussels came to an end. Most of Brabant, including Brussels, tried to stay neutral. The General Estates, now mostly Calvinist, moved from Brussels to Antwerp to escape the Spanish army.
See also
In Spanish: Unión de Bruselas para niños
