25. Why was 1581 an important year for the Netherlands?
From Quiz The Netherlands in Ten Questions
Answer:
Act of Abjuration
The Battle of Heiligerlee in 1568 is generally considered the start of the Eighty-Years War, which opposed a number of Dutch noblemen to the Spanish King Philip II (1527-1598).
The latter ruled the Low Countries (today's area of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) with a certain disdain, and with the determination of eradicating all Protestants in the territory. To do as he sought, he needed a relatively large army, paid by (for that time) heavy taxes. William of Orange (1533-1584) called upon several other Dutch noblemen to join forces, and as negotiations did not relieve the tensions, many Dutch noblemen took up arms. A Dutch army invaded Friesland and defeated the local governor appointed by King Philip II in the Battle of Heiligerlee. This was the start of the Eighty Years War, in which both sides committed many atrocities.
In 1579 the provinces that now are part of Belgium, signed the Union of Arras (a pledge to King Philip II), and most of the other provinces signed the Union of Utrecht (a military confederation). In 1581 the Dutch provinces convened the Act of Abjuration, in which they declared unilaterally their independence from Spain.
Battles with mixed outcome succeeded one another, but, in 1609, the Spanish King Philip III and the leaders of the Dutch Confederation signed the Treaty of Antwerp, a truce for twelve years. After this truce, the atrocities started again. It was only the Peace of Munster in 1648 that ended the war and by which Spain acknowledged the Dutch independence.