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Spanish troops attack Maastricht

The Spanish Fury (or the Spanish Terror) was a number of violent sackings of cities (lootings) in the Low Countries or Benelux, mostly by Spanish Habsburg armies, that happened in the years 1572–1579...

The Spanish Fury (or the Spanish Terror) was a number of violent sackings of cities (lootings) in the Low Countries or Benelux, mostly by Spanish Habsburg armies, that happened in the years 1572–1579 during the Dutch Revolt. In some cases, the sack did not follow the taking of a city. In others, the sack was ordered, or at least not restrained, by Spanish commanders after the fall of a city.

The most notorious Spanish Fury was the sack of Antwerp in November 1576. In English, this, and the mutinous campaign of 1576 in general, tends to be what is meant by "Spanish Fury". In Dutch, the term includes a wider range of sackings, in particular the city punishments of 1572. The events of the Spanish Fury contributed to the creation of anti-Spanish sentiment in many parts of Europe.

Historical Significance

The Spanish Fury (or the Spanish Terror) was a number of violent sackings of cities (lootings) in the Low Countries or Benelux, mostly by Spanish Habsburg armies, that happened in the years 1572–1579 during the Dutch Revolt.

Events Before

  1. Battle of Lepanto: Holy League of Catholic states formed by Pope Pius V destroys an Ottoman fleet in a significant defea

    Battle of Lepanto: Holy League of Catholic states formed by Pope Pius V destroys an Ottoman fleet in a significant defeat off Western Greece

  2. Spanish troops occupy Manila

    Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 1,902,590 people.

  3. Catholic Italian businessman Roberto Ridolfi leaves England

    Catholic Italian businessman Roberto Ridolfi leaves England

  4. Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi founds Manilla in the Philippines

    Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi founds Manilla in the Philippines

  5. Catholic rebellion in Scotland

    Catholic rebellion in Scotland

Events After

  1. The Geuzen set fire to the city of Woudrichem

    Woudrichem is a city and former municipality in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands.

  2. Articles of the Warsaw Confederation are signed, granting religious freedom in Poland

    The Warsaw Confederation, also called the Compact of Warsaw, was a political-legal act signed in Warsaw on 28 January 1573 by the first Convocation Sejm (Sejm konwokacyjny) held in the Polish...

  3. Turkey and Venice sign a peace treaty

    Turkey and Venice sign a peace treaty

  4. The spire of Beauvais Cathedral, France, which made it the tallest human-made monument in the world at the time, collaps

    The spire of Beauvais Cathedral, France, which made it the tallest human-made monument in the world at the time, collapses (never rebuilt)

  5. Polish Parliament selects Duke of Anjou as king

    Polish Parliament selects Duke of Anjou as king

More from the 1570s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 18, 1572?
The Spanish Fury (or the Spanish Terror) was a number of violent sackings of cities (lootings) in the Low Countries or Benelux, mostly by Spanish Habsburg armies, that happened in the years 1572–1579 during the Dutch Revolt. In some cases, the sack did not follow the taking of a city. In others, the sack was ordered, or at least not restrained, by Spanish commanders after the fall of a city.
Why is Spanish troops attack Maastricht significant?
The Spanish Fury (or the Spanish Terror) was a number of violent sackings of cities (lootings) in the Low Countries or Benelux, mostly by Spanish Habsburg armies, that happened in the years 1572–1579 during the Dutch Revolt.

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