The Beeldenstorm and the Spanish Habsburg Response (1566-1570)

In most textbooks, the punitive and military mission of the Duke of Alba to the Netherlands in 1567 embodies the Spanish Habsburg response to the Beeldenstorm of the previous year. This representation however, obscures the measures taken in the heat of the moment by Governor General Margaret of Parma, while it also downplays the numerous policy discussions to find the ‘right remedy’ for iconoclasm. This article argues that repression formed but one part of a broader pacification strategy that also included mediation, reconciliation and reform. The tactic employed by the Spanish Habsburg author... Mehr ...