Philip II’s Quest. The Appointment of Governors-General during the Dutch Revolt (1559-1598)

Philip II’s Quest: The Appointment of Governors-General during the Dutch Revolt (1559-1598) Recent historiographical studies have presented the Habsburg appointment of governors-general during the Dutch Revolt as the outcome of factional infighting at the Spanish Court. While this so-called ‘faction model’ has yielded new insights, it also raises a number of problems. Firstly, in the new model, the role of the dynasty is unduly relegated to the background – even though Philip II’s appointment decisions were mainly driven by dynastic considerations. Secondly, the power struggle at the Spanish C... Mehr ...