History of the Netherlands

In this episode, we want to take a more granular look at the Guelders war by zooming in on the events as they affected one city in particular, Amsterdam, during a roughly one year period from the end of 1507 until December 1508. Mainly, we want to develop a perspective of how people who were not dukes, bishops or princesses, but rather the regular Jans and Geertjes; citizens of a small but powerful town, whose lives were greatly impacted by the actions and decisions of those above them on the social hierarchy ladder of life that existed at the time. We have been on imaginative journeys through Amsterdam before, once in the 1420s (Episode 22) and more recently (in Episode 53) as we explored the shipbuilding traditions that were, by then, well established. Well, we figured there is no harm in going back, some twenty years on from that most recent adventure, to see what has become of our caulker and how he may have experienced a tumultuous year in Amsterdam as the Guelders war suddenly erupted on the city’s doorsteps. Our account of this time is mostly based on the history of Amsterdam written by city historian Jan Wagenaar, published between 1760-67. Wagenaar was given unrestricted access to the city archives and this use of primary sources means that his account is full of the vivid details you are about to live through. So kick back, relax, and transport yourself back in time, to the early autumn of 1507…
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In March, 1507, Margaret of Austria was appointed by her father Maximilian as his procureur-général in the Low Countries, meaning she essentially took the reigns of power in those lands over from him. This marked the beginning of her first period of regency for her nephew, Charles, the 7 year old son of her recently deceased brother Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile. On top of this, she was also given the responsibility of looking after Philip and Joanna’s children, the aforementioned Charles, as well as his older sister Eleonor and his younger sisters Isabella and Mary. Upon returning to the Low Countries, Margaret would set up her court in the town of Mechelen, where she would be responsible for guiding these four through the remainder of their childhoods and education. Margaret of Austria faced challenges personally and politically on all fronts, but her first forays into international diplomacy would need to focus on the English King Henry VII. She would rely on all the diplomatic skills she had garnered over her tumultuous life so far to extricate herself from (yet another) a marriage proposal and her lands from the disastrous intercursus malus trade deal.

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During the first decade of the 16th century, one of the primary concerns
for the towns, cities and ducal governments of the Low Countries was
the war the Habsburgs were waging with Charles of Egmont over the title
of Duke of Guelders. The war in Guelders complicated the already
convoluted political structure that had developed across the Low
Countries over the course of the previous half century. In this episode,
we’re going to focus on Guelders again, but this time to see how the
war was intimately entangled in a web of relationships between the
different layers of nobility, both domestic and foreign, and how the
interests of the Habsburg dynasty often clashed with the interests of
the people who lived within their domains. When Philip the Handsome
sailed away to Spain, Charles of Egmont seized the opportunity to
restart the war, meaning the defence of the Habsburg lands was left to
the man Philip had put in charge in his absence, his Stadhouder General,
Guillame de Croy, the Lord of Chievres. Philip’s premature death would
completely rearrange the pieces on the chess board as the Low Countries
were once again plunged into a succession crisis. There was one giant
mess left behind for the person who would ultimately become regent for
Philip’s infant son Charles to clean up... And that person would be
Philip’s sister, Margaret of Austria.

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When Joanna of Castile wed Philip the Handsome aka Habsburg Phil in 1496, few people would have foreseen that this marriage would result in the Habsburg prince wearing the Castilian crown 10 years later. Yet due to a series of dynastic deaths in the Spanish ruling family, by 1501, Joanna was crown princess of Castile. Habsburg Phil’s priorities and attentions began to take on a grander scope as the prospect of ruling in Spain became tantalisingly real. Joanna and Phil would travel to Spain in 1502-3 to be confirmed as heirs to the Castilian crown. Habsburg Phil returned to the Low Countries a year later, but Isabella of Castile insisted Joanna stay behind since she was heavily pregnant. A bizarre incident took place at La Mota castle, after which Joanna rejoined her husband, but Isabella was left doubting her daughter’s capability to rule. Speculation about Joanna’s mental state came to the fore, leading to clashes between her father, Ferdinand of Aragon, and her husband over who would wield the power in Castile. When Isabella of Castile died in 1504, Philip and Joanna made preparations to return to Spain and claim the crown, leaving the Low Countries again in January 1506. This second trip was a disaster from the outset, beginning with an unplanned stay in England following a shipwreck. Then in September, just a few months into his reign as King of Castile, Habsburg Phil would also unexpectedly die, opening the door for his sister, Margaret of Austria, to return to the centre of the political stage and become Regent of the Low Countries. 

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In November 1501, Margaret of Austria was married by proxy to Philibert
the Handsome, the Duke of Savoy. Over the next three years, Margaret
thrived in this new position as Duchess of Savoy. Philibert was more
than willing to let her take charge of affairs in Savoy, since that
freed him up for more important stuff, like hunting and enjoying life.
Margaret of Austria was only twenty-one years old, but had spent much of
her life thus far learning the art of politics in the courts of France,
Spain and the Low Countries. She was more than prepared for the
challenges she would face in Savoy. For this remarkable woman, however,
tragedy never seemed too far away and in 1504, after just three years of
marriage, it once more cast its net over her life when Philibert died
suddenly after a hunting trip and Margaret of Austria became, once
again, a grieving widow.

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