Recently i've been reading Philip of Spain by Henry Kamen (what do you guys think of the book, btw?) and it says that the Duke of Alba's governorship of the Netherlands was disastrous and public opinion in Europe was outraged by his repression, which in turn made Spain isolated. It also says that Philip thought that Granvelle's, Alba's and Villavicencio's arguments made sense, and that was why he took a hardliner stance on the first place. Then it says that Philip's instructions to Margaret of Parma were what made Egmont and Hornes withdraw from the State Council and that his instructions were what sparked the revolts, as the people thought he would introduce the Inquisition on the Netherlands.
It got me wondering. Could a more moderate faction have influenced Philip and made him adopt a more tolerant policy on the Netherlands, and would that butterfly away the revolts? Down the road, would that make the Netherlands remain in spanish hands for longer and prevent the Eighty Years' War? Or would that require an earlier POD?
It got me wondering. Could a more moderate faction have influenced Philip and made him adopt a more tolerant policy on the Netherlands, and would that butterfly away the revolts? Down the road, would that make the Netherlands remain in spanish hands for longer and prevent the Eighty Years' War? Or would that require an earlier POD?