Pacification of Ghent
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The Pacification of Ghent, signed on 8 November of 1576, was an alliance of the provinces of the Netherlands for the purpose of driving the Spanish from the country.
Declaration by which the northern and southern provinces of the Low Countries put aside their religious difference and united in revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs. The declaration was the first major expression of the Netherlands' national self-consciousness. The Pacification of Ghent called for the expulsion of Spanish troops from the Low Countries, the restoration of provincial and local prerogatives, and an end to the persecution of Calvinists.The Pacification of Ghent, 1576, was one of the defining moments in the history of Belgium and the Netherlands - it was the last time that the two countries were united, except for a brief period from 1814 to 1830. Masterminded by William of Orange it was brought into place to present a united front against the leaderless mutinying Spanish soldiers that were ravaging the Netherlands after receiving no pay from Philip II due to his state of bankruptcy.
However before wide support could be gained for the Pacification the Stadholders of each state had to be won over and thus the States General. To do this Orange allied with the most powerful Walloon (Southern) noble, the Duke of Aerschott. Aerschott himself was no huge fan of Orange but he wanted his old privileges and local liberties back that had been taken away under Philip II and more importantly he was loath to see an out of control Spanish army tearing through his country. With these aims in mind he was forced to team up with Orange as Orange had gained control of the Patriot party, a new radical group within the States General who blocked any moves to expel the Spanish troops until Aerschott negotiated with Orange. Following these secret talks Aerschott ousted opposition members of the States General and on 16 October an armistice was signed with the States of Holland and Zeeland and on 8 November the Pacification itself was signed by Aerschott for the States and Orange for the Rebels.
The fact that the original 8 October armistice agreement was signed before the Spanish Fury and Sack of Antwerp of the 3-5 November shows that Orange had seen the chance to gain control of the entire Netherlands with a leaderless Spanish army on the lose. Orange saw the Pacification of Ghent as the realisation of his ultimate ambition, a United Netherlands strong enough to resist Philip's interference. He did not want an independent Netherlands, the Pacification itself clearly states the Netherlands continued to allegiance to Philip II and the Spanish crown, but he did want the rights and priviledges granted by Charles V to be restored and, more importantly, freedom of religion. This desire for freedom of religion was the key ideal that was not supported by Aerschott and the Walloon nobles and is what ultimately led to the breakdown of the Pacification.
In 1579, Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma, became Governor General of the Netherlands and he immediately offered the nobles their original privileges back. With the Spanish army under control and their local liberties returned the Walloon nobles and Southern provinces no longer had any reason to rebel. However the Northern, Calvinist controlled provinces were as unwilling to give up their religion as Philip II was to allow them to practice it.
