The Act of Sworn Abdication ( Dutch: Plakkaat van Verlatinghe ) is a legal document proclaiming that the king of Spain did not fulfill his duties to the Netherlands and therefore is no longer considered the legal king in its territories. It was unilaterally signed and secured the withdrawal from the jurisdiction of King of Spain Philip II of the northern provinces of the Netherlands and their unification into the Republic of the United Provinces [1] . There is an opinion that Thomas Jefferson, when writing the Declaration of Independence of the United States, took as a basis the Dutch “Act of Oath Renunciation” [2] .
| The act of oath renunciation of the Netherlands. Plakkaat van verlatinghe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| date of signing | July 26, 1581 |
| • a place | The hague  Republic of the United Provinces |
| Entry into force | |
| • conditions | exemption from oath of allegiance to his overlord, Philip II, King of Spain |
| Parties | De jure:  Spain |
| Language | Dutch |
Content
History
Before falling under Spanish control, the Netherlands provinces were united under the rule of the Dukes of Burgundy and later Charles V. Under him, these territories were incorporated into the German Empire and enjoyed the privileges that have been granted since they were under the jurisdiction of Burgundy. After the death of Philip I, his son Charles V not only received hereditary possessions of the Habsburg house in Austria, but also a recognition of power from Aragon and Castile . In 1556, during a ceremony in Brussels, Charles V renounced power in favor of his son, Philip II . Thus, the Netherlands became part of the possessions of the Spanish branch of the Habsburg house [3] . Taxation, religious persecution, centralization of power led to the fact that the first bourgeois revolution in the world began in the Netherlands. With varying success, the militia of Seventeen Provinces, supported by the Ottoman Empire, England, and France, fought against the Spanish forces. Two unions - Arras and Utrecht divided the Netherlands into two parts: the south remained under the protectorate of the king of Spain, the north declared its independence. This was followed by a search by the General States for an ally who took on the role of defender of the newly formed republic. The choice fell on the brother of the French king, Duke of Anjou Hercule Francois (Francis) de Valois (since the Queen of England Elizabeth I was not ready to assume this responsibility). In 1581, the Act of Oath Renunciation was published, which proclaimed that the king of Spain did not fulfill his duties as data to the Netherlands and therefore is no longer considered the legal king in their territory [4] .
Creating a Document
For excessive taxation, physical reprisals against Protestants and any other beliefs other than Catholic, Philip II was declared a traitor and to those who did not fulfill promises to the country. In view of this, the General States in 1581 proclaimed that the country's protector position was vacant and consideration of candidates was beginning. A four-member Specialized Committee: Andries Hessels ( Secretary of the Duchy of Brabant ), Jacques Tayaert (Legal Representative of Ghent ), Jacob Valcke ( Legal Representative of Gus ), Pieter van Dieven (Legal Representative of Mechelen ) developed the basis of the document, which subsequently became an Act of oath renunciation [5] . This document prohibited the use of the name and seal of Philip II in all legal documents, as well as the minting of his name on coins or weapons. Power in the provinces was transferred to the assembly of magistrates. This document exempted all judges from the oath of allegiance to the king of Spain and demanded that it be brought to the General States. The following provinces recognized the "Oath of Abjure Act":
- Brabant :
- Gelderland ;
- Flanders :
- Holland
- Zealand ;
- Mechelen ;
- Utrecht [6] [7]
Consequences
Some magistrates refused to take the new oath and resigned. Philip II did not recognize the legality of the act and launched an armed campaign. Dissatisfaction with the protection of Hercule François (Francis) de Valois grew, which led to the rejection of his services by the General States. After that, on January 17, 1583, he attacked Antwerp, but the inhabitants were able to defend their city. These events played a negative role in supporting the revolutionary movement from the southern provinces. William I of Orange was asked to take on the title of Great Passionary and to act as commander in chief of the troops (staffler), but he was killed in 1584. Fearing a threat to England, Elizabeth I agreed to openly support the Dutch and sent military aid led by Robert Dudley, Earl of Lancaster , who was appointed to these posts. His rule caused a flurry of criticism among the Dutch and in 1587 at the General States Congress Moritz of Orange (Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, son of William I) was appointed governor of the Republic of the United Provinces . It is worth noting that the modern borders of the state were laid during his liberation military campaigns, and after them peace was established in the Netherlands, which subsequently led the country to the Golden Age [8] . In 1598, Philip II died and was succeeded by Philip III . The latter made concessions to the General States, recognizing the independence of the Republic of the United Provinces and consenting to their trading activities in all Spanish colonies. This agreement was signed in Antwerp in 1609 [9] .
See also
- Netherlands revolution
- History of the Netherlands
Notes
- ↑ Vagman I. Ya. Vukina N.V. Miroshnikova V.V. 100 famous tyrants. - M: Directmedia, 2014 .-- S. 193. - 510 p. - ISBN 9789660335134 .
- ↑ Barbara Wolff. "Was Declaration of Independence inspired by Dutch?" (University of Wisconsin – Madison). - 1998. - June 29.
- ↑ P. Dvornikov. New story. - The textbook. - M: Printing house of G. Lissner and D. Sobko, 1910. - S. 39.
- ↑ Shatokhina-Mordvintseva G.A. History of the Netherlands. - Higher education. - M: Drofa LLC, 2007. - 510 p. - ISBN 978-5-358-01308-3 .
- ↑ Gachard, LP Études et notices historiques concernant l'histoire des Pays-Bas. - F. Hayez, 1890 .-- S. 388. - 1008 p.
- ↑ Paul F. State. A Brief History of the Netherlands. - Infobase Publishing, 2008 .-- S. 54-56. - 296 p. - ISBN 9781438108322 .
- ↑ George Edmundson. History of Holland. - Cambridge University Press, 2013 .-- S. 76 .-- 480 p. - ISBN 9781107660892 .
- ↑ Karnatsevich V.L. 500 famous historical events. - M: Directmedia, 2014 .-- S. 261. - 623 p. - ISBN 9789660338029 .
- ↑ Anisimov E.V. Chronology of Russian History. Russia and the world. - Publishing House "Peter", 2012. - S. 115. - 464 p. - ISBN 9785459016505 .