Massacre of Naarden (1572) - Bloedbad van Naarden (Frans Hogenberg).jpg
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The Massacre of Naarden was an episode of
mass murder Mass murder is the act of murdering a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. The United States Congress defines mass killings as the killings of three or more pe ...
and
looting Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
that took place in the Dutch city of Naarden during the
Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
. The massacre was committed by Spanish soldiers under the command of Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo against the townspeople of Naarden as part of a punitive expedition against Dutch rebels later known as the Spanish Fury. The destruction of the city galvanized the Dutch rebels, leading them to continue the Dutch War of Independence against Spain.


History


Background

During the
Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
, William the Silent of the provisional United Provinces led a revolt against the rule of
King Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, K ...
. After years of Spanish military successes in the Southern Netherlands and Flanders, the revolt experienced a
resurgence Resurgence may refer to: *Resurgence (spring), spring discharge, where water comes from the ground *Resurgence (pest) of (usually agricultural) pests, due for example, to the misuse of pesticides *Resurgence (Dutch Revolt), the period between 157 ...
in 1572 when the Spanish were driven out of Brielle by the Dutch rebels. The capture of Brielle resulted in seven predominantly Protestant Dutch states renewing their support for the rebellion against Spain. In response, Philip II ordered Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the Spanish governor of the Netherlands, to suppress the revived Dutch revolt and restore Spanish authority to the Netherlands. Álvarez de Toledo planned to re-establish Spanish rule in the Netherlands by capturing revolting cities and by driving out militant protestants, who had been one of the causes of original revolt. To this end, de Toledo organized a punitive expedition of Spanish soldiers and mercenaries. These soldiers were poorly paid, and it is often cited that de Toledo either expected to pay his army through the
looting Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
of towns, or actively encouraged looting for the sake of demoralizing the Dutch populace. In the fall of 1572, the elder de Toledo ordered his son Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo to capture and make an example of a number of Dutch towns, a campaign which would later be known as the Spanish Fury. On 2 October the Spanish army sacked
Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...
, where soldiers looted the city for three days and killed several hundred townspeople. Mothers and daughters were raped in front of family members and men were tortured and murdered. De Toledo reported to Madrid that "no nail was left in the wall" in Mechelen. The town of Zutphen was attacked soon after, and suffered a similar fate on 14 November.


Massacre of Naarden

News arrived in Naarden of the fall of Mechelen and Zutphen. The city was unprepared for an assault, and so a delegation of the city's residents began negotiations with the Spanish. It was agreed with
Julián Romero Julián Romero de Ibarrola ( Huélamo, 1518 – Felizzano, 1577) was a Spanish military commander in the 16th century. He was one of the few common soldiers in the Spanish army to reach the rank of Maestre de Campo. Romero was born in Huél ...
that Naarden would open its gates to a small garrison force, surrender supplies to the Spanish, and that every citizen of the city would swear a new oath to the King of Spain. Instead, the Spanish army arrived in its entirety and entered the city on 22 November, taking up positions in the town square. The people of Naarden were forcefully assembled, then led into the town's church and guildhall. The Spanish army then set fire to the buildings and began to sack the town. Several hundred townspeople burned to death, while hundreds more were killed in the square or in their homes. Around 60 of Naarden's over 3000 inhabitants survived the massacre, with de Toledo stating in a report to King Phillip that "Not a man borne escaped" Naarden. Several days later, the Spanish army conscripted peasants from nearby
Gooiland The Gooi () is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants, and its villas. The Gooi is known in the Netherla ...
to demolish the remaining buildings in the ruined town.


Aftermath

Word spread of Naarden's sacking, often by way of the Spanish army itself. Contrary to the intent of the Spanish campaign, the destruction of Naarden became a rallying symbol for the Dutch rebels.


References

{{coord missing, Netherlands Eighty Years' War (1566–1609) Massacres in the Netherlands History of North Holland 1572 in Europe Spanish war crimes