9 - Matthias in the Netherlands: the political failure of irenicism

Summary

Before we close our discussion of irenicism, we must consider the political dimension of the Habsburg via media. Chapter 6 examined in rough outline the theoretical dimensions of Schwendi's thought. But could his policies of moderation succeed in the real world of Spanish tercios, ambitious kings and conniving princes? Across the Rhine in France the politique maneuverings of Michel de I'Hôpital had limited success. For Schwendi the opportunity to test his centrist thinking came shortly after Maximilian's death in 1576. The laboratory for this experiment of irenic politics was the Low Countries, a focal point of political and religious upheaval.

Following a wave of popular revolts in 1566, Philip II dispatched an army commanded by the duke of Alba to terminate the unrest in the Netherlands. Margaret of Parma had been governor of the Low Countries since 1559, but when Alba arrived in Brussels in 1567, he effectively became her replacement. The harsh financial and military measures he introduced had an unanticipated result. They helped produce a politique party which, though both Catholic and royalist, considered the general welfare of the land before religion. This group, led by the duke of Aerschot, saw the plight of the country improve after Alba's recall in 1573. The new governor-general, Don Luis de Requesens, issued a general pardon and revoked many of the more unpopular measures Alba had instituted, but when the Spanish crown declared bankruptcy in September 1575, a dangerous vacuum was created, for an insolvent government could not pay its restless troops stationed in the Netherlands.

The soldiers eventually mutinied leaving havoc and destruction in their wake. During this anarchic interlude Aerschot's party seized the initiative.