Cold Open

It’s late March 1572 in the North Sea.

Willem van der Marck, the Lord of Lumey, struggles to keep his balance as waves hurl his ship from side to side. All around him, sailors wrestle with sails and rigging as the wind howls.

A 30-year-old Dutchman, Lumey leads a fleet of privateers known as the Sea Beggars. And for the last few years, he’s hunted the North Sea for the ships of his hated enemy, the Spanish. But now, it seems he’s about to be sunk—not by his enemy, but by the weather.

The ship shudders as another wave crashes against its hull. Lumey just manages to grab the rail as the deck lurches beneath him, but a nearby sailor hauling in a loose sail loses his footing on the wet deck.

He crashes down hard on his shoulder. The sailor grimaces in pain as he eases himself upright, his arm hanging uselessly at his side. It’s obviously broken. Lumey barks at the man to go below, and then takes up the rope the sailor was holding.

Lumey pulls with all his strength, but the wind fights back, the canvas sail snapping and cracking with each gust, nearly tearing the rope from his grasp. But Lumey tightens his grip, grits his teeth, and leans back with his full weight. One by one, other sailors join him, and together, they drag the thrashing sail down and lash it fast. Soon, the ship isn’t leaning quite so precariously. But the Sea Beggars aren’t out of danger just yet.

After a terrifying few hours, the storm finally blows over, and when it does, William de La Marck, the Lord of Lumey, takes stock. His losses are minimal, but his plan is shattered. His fleet is in no position to head for its intended destination in Germany. So instead, they will turn south—and with the help of a little bit of good luck, they’ll change the course of the struggling Dutch independence movement on April 1st, 1572.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is April 1st, 1572: The Accidental Capture of Brielle.

Act One

It’s October 25th, 1555, at the Palace of Brussels, 13 years before the Sea Beggar fleet is caught in a North Sea storm.

22-year-old Dutch nobleman William of Orange steps out from his place among the assembled lords and moves smoothly to the side of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Charles is 55 years old and not in good health. He’s almost crippled with gout, and every movement is agony, so William is ready to steady him if he falters. But despite the pain, Charles is determined to go through with this announcement. The most important Dutch nobles have been summoned to hear Charles’s new radical plan—he’s going to give away the Netherlands.

This country has been ruled by the House of Habsburg for more than 70 years. The Habsburgs are the most powerful dynasty in Europe. Their empire stretching from Austria to Spain and even including several colonies in the Americas. But the aging Charles V has decided that his realm is too vast for one man to control. So today, he’s going to split it up.

Charles rises unsteadily and grips William’s shoulder. William waits for him to let go so he can return to his designated spot behind the throne, but Charles keeps his hand firmly where it is. William must remain in place as Charles begins his speech. His voice faltering, and his eyes brimming with tears, he announces his intention to abdicate his rule over the Netherlands. But the country won’t be free. Instead, Charles is handing it to his son, Philip II, who’s already been crowned King of Spain.

William of Orange already knew about Charles’ announcement. As one of the most prominent advisors on the Dutch Council of State, he had been briefed in advance. But the plan still makes him uneasy.

For the past 30 years, a new religious movement has seized Europe. The Protestant Reformation has been enthusiastically embraced in the Netherlands, too, with most of the population converting to this new faith. And although the Habsburgs are Catholics, Charles V has governed pragmatically, granting the Dutch a degree of religious freedom. But William isn’t sure that the more hardline Philip will follow his father’s lead.

William’s fears are soon proven right. Almost as soon as Philip takes charge of the Netherlands, he orders a crackdown on Dutch Protestantism. As a Catholic, William himself is safe from attack. But he opposes the persecution of his countrymen, and for years, he tries to use his influence on the Council of State to moderate the Spanish king’s harshest policies.

Still, there’s nothing he can do when a new governor arrives in the Netherlands in the summer of 1567. The Duke of Alba has direct orders from Philip to crush all dissent—and not just from Protestants, but also any Catholics who are thought to be disloyal to the Spanish crown.

Soon, thousands are arrested, and even the nobility isn’t safe. In September 1567, William and other prominent Dutch nobles are summoned to a meeting in Brussels. But William suspects the invitation is just a ruse and instead leaves for his estates in Germany—an area out of Alba’s reach.

News soon filters through that William was right to be skeptical. Alba has seized the other leading members of the Council of State and had them all executed. It’s clear that Spain is purging the Netherlands of anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly back Madrid.

And as one of the few Dutch nobles still free, William becomes a figurehead of resistance to the Spanish. He raises an army, but the Spanish are far too strong, and they annihilate the Dutch force at the Battle of Jemmingen.

Even after this spectacular loss, though, William still has an ace up his sleeve. As a coastal nation, the Dutch are skilled seafarers. So, if they cannot defeat Spain on land, they can bleed it at sea.

William of Orange encourages Dutch privateers to harass and attack Spanish shipping. And before long, dozens of Dutch ships patrol the North Sea under the leadership of Willem van der Marck, the Lord of Lumey. After a Spanish advisor dismisses the Dutch freedom fighters as “naught but beggars,” Lumey adopts the name as a badge of honor. The “Sea Beggars” raid Spanish ships, taking plunder to finance the Dutch cause.

And when they’re not fighting, the Sea Beggars seek refuge in friendly ports, especially across the North Sea in England. But in March 1572, the English queen, Elizabeth I, becomes worried that hosting the Sea Beggars will risk war with Spain. So she demands that the Dutch fleet leave.

Seeking a new sanctuary, the Sea Beggars will set sail for Germany. But the North Sea can be a dangerous place. The fleet will be battered by a storm that will force the ships south toward the Dutch coast—and change the history of the Netherlands forever.

Act Two

It’s dawn on April 1st, 1572, in the Maas Estuary in the Netherlands, five years after William of Orange escaped into exile.

William van der Marck, the Lord of Lumey, stands at the rail of his flagship, his eyes straining against the dim light. The sails hang in tatters, and its hull has sprung several leaks. There’s no way it can survive the open seas again without repairs. But Lumey’s attention isn’t on his battered vessel. He’s watching the land for any signs of movement.

Twenty-five ships from the Sea Beggars fleet have sought sanctuary from the storm, not far from the Dutch city of Brielle. And although they are now safe from the weather, they face a new danger—Brielle’s garrison. For now, all seems quiet. But if the Spanish soldiers in the walled city spot the stranded fleet, the Sea Beggars could be trapped—and there’s little doubt that King Philip’s enforcer, the Duke of Alba, will have them dangling from a noose before the day is over.

So turning away from the rail, Lumey orders his men to man the pumps, patch the sails, and replace the rigging. They must get moving as soon as possible.

But before Lumey has finished delivering his instructions, a shout rises from the deck, and a sailor points toward the shore. Lumey follows his gaze and spots a lone figure pushing a rowboat into the water. The boatman then jumps in and begins pulling the oars, heading straight for the flagship.

Lumey eyes this newcomer suspiciously. It could be a Spanish spy, trying to gain valuable intelligence on the Dutch fleet. Yet there’s still no sign of activity on the city walls.

So Lumey watches in silence as the boat slowly approaches. When it’s near enough to be hailed, Lumey calls down and demands to know the boatman’s business. The man answers in Dutch that he has urgent information for the commander of the fleet. He’s unarmed and dressed like a civilian, so Lumey allows him to board.

Once on deck, the boatman breathlessly delivers stunning news. A few days ago, the Spanish garrison received a message from the Duke of Alba requesting their help to quash an insurrection in the south. The soldiers immediately marched out of Brielle, leaving just a skeleton crew behind to keep the peace. The city is almost completely undefended.

Lumey immediately sees an opportunity. Seizing Spanish merchant ships may help finance the Dutch rebellion, but capturing an entire city would transform their struggle, giving the rebels a foothold on land as well as at sea.

So Lumey sends the boatman back with a message for the city council. In the name of Dutch solidarity, they must open the gates to the Sea Beggars.

But hours pass with no reply. The boatman doesn’t return, nor does any other messenger. This delay makes Lumey uneasy. The Sea Beggars’ damaged ships are vulnerable, and Spanish reinforcements might already be on the way.

So eager to seize the moment, Lumey orders the Sea Beggars to leave their ships at anchor. They march to Brielle’s North Gate, and Lumey personally demands entry to the city. But again, he receives no response, and the gate remains closed.

But on the other side of the city, the South Gate does open. Fearing that Brielle is about to be sacked, panicking citizens have overrun the handful of Spanish guards and forced the South Gate open to flee into the countryside.

When Lumey spots this chaos in the distance, he splits his force. Half of the Sea Beggars rush to the South Gate before the Spanish guards can close it. And the other half pile wood against the North Gate and set it alight. When the timbers have been weakened enough by the flames, the Sea Beggars use one of the ship’s masts as an improvised battering ram to topple the doorway.

With the Dutch freedom fighters flooding into the city from two directions, the few remaining Spanish guards surrender.

Fearing for his life, the mayor pleads for mercy, saying that he didn’t dare open the gates for fear of reprisals from the Spanish. But Lumey reassures the mayor that the Spanish won’t trouble him anymore—because now the Sea Beggars are here, and they have no intention of leaving. The Spanish flag is torn down from the city hall, and the flag of William of Orange is raised in its place. Thanks to a seemingly random stroke of luck, Brielle has become the first city seized by the Dutch resistance movement—but it will not be the last.

Act Three

It’s the early hours of April 5th, 1572, in Brielle, four days after the city’s sudden capture.

Under the cover of darkness, carpenter Rochus Meeuwisz crawls on his hands and knees away from the city walls. The land outside Brielle is flat and exposed. A sharp screech cuts through the night, and Rochus freezes, his heart pounding. Soon, he realizes it’s just an owl, and he slowly exhales. He hasn’t yet been spotted by the Spanish sentries in their camp, only a few hundred yards away.

After Brielle was captured by the Sea Beggars, the news spread quickly. The city’s Spanish garrison was only a few days’ march away, and it immediately turned around with orders to end the Sea Beggars’ occupation.

But carpenter Rochus has an idea to stop the Spanish before their siege has even begun. Crawling through the mud, he makes his way to the main floodgate outside the city. For generations, Brielle’s farmers have reclaimed land from the sea. A system of dikes and sluices holds back the waters that would otherwise flood the fields where the Spanish are now setting up their camp.

And when he reaches a wooden flood gate, Rochus rises into a crouch and grips the mechanism. With a hard shove, he forces the floodgate open. Water surges through, and within moments, a torrent is spilling across the low-lying farmland, heading straight for the Spanish camp. His task complete, Rochus hurries back to the city before the alarm is raised.

And by first light, the landscape around Brielle is transformed. Inside the city, the inhabitants are warm and dry. But outside the city wall is another matter. The Spanish camp is completely waterlogged. Wagons sink to their axles. Cannons disappear beneath the mud. And trapped horses whinny in fright until they are dragged free or shot where they lie.

In no state to mount a siege, the Spanish withdraw. Brielle remains in Dutch hands. And this victory has consequences far beyond its walls. Within weeks, nearby Vlissingen also falls to the Sea Beggars. Then, several nearby cities rise up against their Spanish garrisons, declaring their support for William of Orange and the Dutch rebellion.

The road to independence will be a long one, though, and Spain will not recognize the Dutch Republic as an independent country for another 75 years. But the Dutch will never lose the first foothold they gained when a quirk of fate allowed the Sea Beggars to unexpectedly capture Brielle on April 1st, 1572.

Outro

Next on History Daily. April 2nd, 1977. After a long and troubled recording process, Fleetwood Mac’s iconic breakup album Rumours reaches number one on the Billboard chart.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Thrumm.

This episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves, with additional material by Olivia Jordan, Owen Paul Nicholls, and Jake Sampson.

Edited by William Simpson.

Managing producer, Emily Burke.

Executive Producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.