The Netherlands

Located to the north of France and west of the Rhine river, and known as the "low lands" because much of the land is at or below sea level, this region (often also known by the name of its largest province, Holland) was the most economically active part of Europe in the 16th century.

Charles V of the Habsburg dynasty had incorporated it into his empire, and it remained under the control of Phillip II, the King of Spain. Nevertheless, each of its 17 provinces had its own Estates General, which sought to promote commerce  the export of grain, wool, and cloth from the region. As part of this pro-trade policy, the Estates Generals were increasingly hostile to Spanish rule, especially to the taxation imposed by King Phillip II. It also defended the Calvinist movement, which spread widely in the Netherlands in the 1550s and thereafter.

In 1560, the people of the region, led by a prominent Calvinist nobleman named William of Orange, rebelled against Spain, claiming the king had become "tyrannical" or too powerful. The Spanish tried to invade and hold onto the territory, but the Spanish troops were poorly organized and lacked provisions.