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ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Spanish soldiers mutiny in Antwerp 1574

Synopsis
On April 15, 1574, over 4,500 veteran Spanish soldiers mutinied in Antwerp a day after their victory at the battle of Mook against Louis of Nassau's troops. The uprising had a double cause: the shortage of pay to the soldiers in the past three years and the lack of military discipline after the replacement of the Duke of Alba as governor of the Spanish Netherlands. In the event, the castellan of Antwerp, Sancho Dávila, collaborated with the mutineers in the occupation of the city, supporting their demands against the new governor Luis de Requesens and the High Command. A significant number of officers also supported the demands of the soldiers but did not actively participate in the development of the mutiny, for which reason they were not punished. Lieutenant Francisco de Salvatierra killed the leader of the mutineers, and governor Requesens had to please the rebels by giving them new uniforms. At the end of May these veteran soldiers finally received their pay: around one million guilders. According to G. Parker, Antwerp’s and other similar mutinies (the author records over 45 mutinies in the Army of Flanders between 1573 and 1607) reflected the chaotic financial structure of the Spanish army.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 1,5 months. Name in sources: Motín de Amberes. Location: Antwerp Country (current): Belgium. Monarchy: Spanish. Main participants: Soldiers. Number of participants: >500. Main reasons & motivations: Labour, Military issues. Leadership: Unknown. Relevance: medium.

Further reading
GONZÁLEZ DE LEÓN, Fernando (1993). “La Administración del Conde-Duque de Olivares y la Justicia Militar en el Ejército de Flandes, 1567-1643”, Investigaciones históricas: Época moderna y contemporánea, 13: pp. 109-112. LIMM, Peter (2013). The Dutch Revolt, 1559-1648. Oxon and New York: Routledge, 42-44.PARKER, Geoffrey (1979). Spain and Netherlands, 1559-1659. London: Collins, 107-111.
Cite this entry

González Trueba, Eloy (2022). "Spanish soldiers mutiny in Antwerp 1574", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Encyclopaedia of Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. https://mappingrebellions.com/revolt/spanish-soldiers-mutiny-in-antwerp-1574/ (accessed on 12 March 2026).