FERNANDO ÁLVAREZ DE TOLEDO, 3RD DUKE OF ALBA

The General refused. He had already achieved a strategic victory and it was only a matter of time when the Dutch would withdraw on their own as their supply lines were cut off and the populations wanted them out.

He always tried to give the enemy a graceful way to withdraw so the strategic victory could be achieved without a final costly battle.

The Netherlands and Belgium then belonged to Spain. However, Protestantism was spreading to the Netherlands. The Duke was a Catholic fanatic and advised the King to send him and an army into the Lowlands to root out and kill the heretics. In contrast, the Duke of Feria counseled allowing the lowlands tolerance. The King, himself a bloody fanatic sent Alba with the army. Over the next decade he murdered and executed thousands of Protestants and many Catholics who were more tolerant and thought Alba, who was given the derogatory nickname of “The Iron Duke. Ironically, this led to the Lowlands revolting and gaining independence from Spain.

The General refused. He had already achieved a strategic victory and it was only a matter of time when the Dutch would withdraw on their own as their supply lines were cut off and the populations wanted them out.

He always tried to give the enemy a graceful way to withdraw so the strategic victory could be achieved without a final costly battle.

The Netherlands and Belgium then belonged to Spain. However, Protestantism was spreading to the Netherlands. The Duke was a Catholic fanatic and advised the King to send him and an army into the Lowlands to root out and kill the heretics. In contrast, the Duke of Feria counseled allowing the lowlands tolerance. The King, himself a bloody fanatic sent Alba with the army. Over the next decade he murdered and executed thousands of Protestants and many Catholics who were more tolerant and thought Alba, who was given the derogatory nickname of “The Iron Duke. Ironically, this led to the Lowlands revolting and gaining independence from Spain.