April 1: Today is the anniversary of the capture of the Dutch port of Brielle to the Spanish Crown by marine Calvinists nicknamed "Watergeuzen" in 1572, and conquering the piece of land that would become the Dutch Republic, today Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Eighty Years’ War

The Eighty Years' War was caused by the growing discontent of the Dutch towards the Spanish kingdom of the Habsburgs. Heavy burdens were charged on Dutch population. Those high level of taxation plus the fact that the Dutch provinces were being continually criticized for acting without permission from the throne, while it was impractical for them to try to gain permission for actions, as requests sent to the throne would take at least four weeks for a response to return. This unrest was further amplified by the presence of Spanish troops brought in to oversee order.

Map of territories in conflict

The Port of Breille was captured on April 1, 1572, by Watergeuzen (Sea Beggars) because Dutch Calvinists could not get along with the Spanish policies. That is why the opposition to the Spanish Crown begun.

Depiction of the capture of Den Briel. Jan Luyken, 1679

The Conference of the Calvinist nobility (Protestant) Dutch adopted the name "Watergauzen" because the most successful followers were "water beggars ", fishermen that managed to capture the port of Brielle on April 1, 1572.

Capture of Puerto Brielle in 1572 by Frans Hogenberg.

Until the sixteenth century, what is now Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, consisted of duchies and bishoprics belonging to the Holy Roman Empire, in Vienna, Austria. The rulers were the Habsburgs of Austria and Spain, because Philip II was the son of Charles V. For that reason, William I of the Dutch House of Orange rebelled against high taxes decreed by Spain and, above all, against the persecution of the Calvinist Protestants in the so called called "United Provinces" or Netherlands.