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Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com it's before dawn on March 13, 1567, in the village of Ostervale in the Netherlands. In the warmth of one of the village's few houses, Jan von Marnecks unrolls a map of the surrounding area. Jan is a nobleman and the leader of a rebel force of Dutch Protestants camped in the village. They are determined to rid their homeland of the Spanish Catholics who have ruled over them for the last 12 years. But as Jan examines his map, he's struggling to decide where to attack his powerful enemy. Then, suddenly, the quiet is broken by a volley of gunfire. Jan rushes to the window. The flashes of thundering muzzles light up the night. Jan grabs his musket and sword and charges out into the street. It's chaos. Men who were deeply asleep just moments ago are rushing blindly through the darkness, some trying to ready their weapons and return fire, others diving for cover from the bullets that seem to be coming from every direction. Raising his sword, Jan yells out orders, trying to rally his troops, but panic is taking over. A stream of men races past him, trying to escape the huge group of Spanish soldiers advancing through the village, shooting or hacking down anyone who gets in their way. Jan stares in horror as the bodies of his troops begin to pile up in the streets. Undeterred, he raises his musket and fires at the advancing enemy. If this is to be the day he dies, he's determined to take out some of them with him. Hundreds of Dutch Protestants will be killed in this surprise attack. Among the dead will be their leader, Jan von Marneck. But the Spanish victory won't mark the end of the Dutch revolt. It will just be the start of a fight for religious freedom and national sovereignty that will last almost a century. Many more battles will be fought over the future of the Netherlands, and thousands will die. But the repercussions will be felt far beyond northwest Europe. The global balance of power will forever be altered by the long struggle for freedom that began at the Battle of Austerbil in the early hours of March 13, 1567. History Daily is sponsored by Express Pros. Managing your workforce can be exhausting, and if you're tired of a costly and lengthy hiring process, simplify and speed up your recruitment. With one connection the experts at Express Employment Professionals reduce time to hire, cut down on interviews, and lower your recruitment costs. Visit ExpressPros.com today. Express is more efficient than hiring on your own. Check out ExpressPros.com to see how Express employment professionals can take care of your hiring.
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Lindsey Graham
From Noiser and Airship I'm Lindsey 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 March 13, 1567, the start of the 80 Years War. It's December 1565. In the grand hall of a castle in The Spanish Netherlands, 15 months before the Battle of Austerwehl, 47 year old Jan von Marnecks leans forward in his chair and hammers his fist on an oak table, calling for silence. More than a dozen Dutch noblemen turn to look at him. They've gathered in this castle to discuss their many grievances about the way their country is run and what can be done about it. The men are unhappy about high taxes and the limited control they have over their provinces, but its religion? That is their main complaint. The nobles are all Protestant, but their faith has been outlawed by the ruler of the Netherlands, the fervently Catholic King Philip of Spain. The Netherlands wasn't always a single entity. It was only 22 years ago that King Philip's father, the Habsburg Emperor Charles V, united the Netherlands 17 provinces under one rule. At the time, the new union was largely welcomed by both the general population and the nobility, as it brought greater stability, security and improved trade in northwest Europe. But that all changed in 1555. The ailing Charles V began splitting up his vast empire. He granted his territories in the Netherlands to his staunchly Catholic son Philip, who also became King of Spain and inherited its colonies in the New World. And while Charles had been a generally tolerant ruler, allowing the people of the Netherlands to practice their own religions and customs, it was clear from the start that Philip would rule Differently, Philip believes that preserving Catholicism is his highest duty. But in the Netherlands, the Protestants are rapidly winning converts. To fight this spread, Philip has sought to replicate the punishing success of the Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands. This religious persecution has angered many, and now a group of Dutch noblemen are meeting to discuss how to respond. But despite the efforts of Jan von Marnix, agreeing on a course of action isn't easy. The nobles each have their own interests and priorities, and they're often at odds. Only after months of negotiation and infighting do the nobles settle on a plan. On April 5, 1566, 300 of them march to Brussels to meet with Philip's representative in the Netherlands, his half sister, Margaret of Parma. The nobles have all signed a document calling for Spain to grant their provinces more self governance and to end the laws of religious persecution that have seen Protestants put to death for merely observing their faith. Jan von Marnecks believes there is a bond of kinship and understanding among noblemen, whatever their creed or nationality. So he hopes this limited and respectful appeal will be looked upon kindly by Margaret of Parma and King Philip. But their petition is flatly rejected. Angered, the ordinary people of the Netherlands then take matters into their own hands. In the late summer of 1566, riots spring up across the country as Protestant mobs take to the streets, attacking and destroying Catholic art and iconography. This outbreak becomes known as the Bildenstorm and lasts for months. Hoping to end this violence, Margaret of Parma caves and promises to grant the nobleman's petition for religious tolerance in exchange for their help in ending the riots. The Dutch noblemen keep their side of the deal and the unrest is stopped. But Margaret of Parma's half brother, King Philip, has no intention of allowing Protestants to worship freely. The concessions to the nobleman don't materialize. Taxes remain high, the restrictions on religion are tightened even further, and King Philip demands rioters be dealt with swiftly and harshly. This crackdown shatters Jan van Marnek's faith in diplomacy. If the Spanish king and his occupying forces will not grant them religious freedom, then the Dutch will have to seize it for themselves. So, with a furious population urging them on, Jan and the other nobles have no difficulty raising an Army. And on March 1, 1567, they go to war. Jan leads an attempt to seize the strategic port of Lissingen. But the Spanish troops defending the city are well trained, and it soon becomes apparent to Jan that his inexperienced army is hopelessly outmatched. If they are to live to fight another day, they have little choice but to retreat. So Jan and his men withdraw 50 miles south to a camp at Austervail. Austerweil is an insignificant village, barely a dot on the map, but the presence of Jan's troops there will make it a pivotal point in the history of Europe, a place where hundreds will die and the first shots are fired in a war that will last even eight decades. History Daily is sponsored by Indeed. Bill Gates published a book back in 1999 titled Business at the Speed of Thought. 25 years later and the speed of business has only increased. And that includes hiring. You can't sit around waiting for paper resumes to filter in anymore. You need to find quality candidates right now. Because opportunity waits for no one. Which is why when it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. How fast is Indeed in the minute I've been Talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed data worldwide. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs. There are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of the show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. Get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com OnThisDay just go to Indeed.com OnThisDay right and support the show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com onthis day terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. History Daily is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees, the biggest online nursery in the US with thousands of different plants and over 2 million happy customers. One of the reasons is that Fast Growing Trees makes it so easy. Just yesterday I ordered some shrubs for a fence line in our backyard. The website automatically set my growing region and gave me the option to filter for partial shade only so I could easily make an informed selection. Then, just days later, my plant arrived, packed well and in perfect condition for planting this weekend. And if I need help, I can get support from trained plant experts on call to help me plan our landscape, choose the right plants, and learn how to care for them. This spring they have the best deals for your yard, up to half off on selected plants and other deals and History Daily listeners get 15% off their first purchase when using the code HistoryDaily at checkout. That's an additional 15% off at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code History Daily at checkout. FastGrowingTrees.com code History Daily Now's the perfect time to plant. Use Code History Daily to save Today. Offer is valid for a limited time. Terms and conditions may apply. It's early on March 13, 1567, just outside the village of Austerwehl, hours after the Dutch nobleman Jan von Marn and his troops were attacked by Spanish forces. A blood red sun is creeping above the horizon as Jan and a small group of his fellow rebels flee through the fields away from the burning village. Many of them are wounded and all of them are exhausted, but they know they have to keep running if they want to kill, keep their lives. Behind them, they can hear the roar of flames and the screams of their fellow rebels. During the battle, hundreds of them sought safety in barns and farm buildings in the village. But rather than capture them for later punishment or ransom, the Spanish enemy simply locked them in the buildings and is now burning them alive. For Jan, it's just another sign that their Catholic opponents are ruthless, amoral killers. The men who launched the nighttime assault are mercenaries hired by the Spanish rulers of the Netherlands for only one purpose to eradicate the rebels by whatever means necessary. The surprise attack on the village broke all accepted rules of combat, as Jan understood them. There had been no meeting of generals beforehand, no terms of surrender were offered. The mercenaries approached Auster Vale silently, under the COVID of darkness, without flags to identify themselves. In Jan's eyes, the attack was cowardly and impracticable proper. But his morals didn't help him defend the village earlier. And they don't help him now either. Pursued by hundreds of enemy mercenaries, Jan and his dwindly band of rebels desperately look for an escape. But it quickly becomes clear that all roads away from Austerbale are blocked and they have nowhere left to run. All they can do now is fight. Vastly outnumbered, the rebels turn and face the enemy. The battle that follows is brutal, brutal and brief. As his men fall around him, Jan von Marnux knows he's facing his final moments. He says a prayer and rallies himself for one last suicidal charge. Swinging his sword, he dashes at the enemy, managing to take a few with him before he too is cut down and hacked to pieces. With their leader now dead, the few remaining Dutch rebels surrender. But the orders from the mercenary Spanish masters are clear. No quarter is to be given, no one is to be spared. And the sounds of gunshot and slaughter soon drift across the fields to the nearby city of Antwerp. Its large Protestant population has awoken this morning to see black smoke billowing into the air over the village of Austrevel. They know it can mean only one their fellow Protestants are under attack. So they pour out of their homes and gather in the streets of the city in hope of bringing aid to Jan von Marnix and their other comrades fighting outside. But when the surging crowd reaches the city walls, they find the gates barred and unmoving soldiers blocking their way. Antwerp has been sealed off on the orders of its lord, William the Silent. He has no love for the Spanish rulers of the Netherlands and supports the rebels calls for religious tolerance. But he knows that today at least, the battle is already lost. Anyone going outside the city now only risks being captured and executed by the Spanish. As a rebel, it's better to lie low, to live to fight another day. Most in Antwerp heed William's warning and disperse sadly to their homes, mourning the deaths of their fellow Protestants. But some in the city are still determined to venture beyond the walls and help any survivors if they can. Reluctantly, after one last attempt to dissuade them, William the Silent allows them through the gates. This rescue party will find the road to Austrabaal littered with the dead, with even more gruesome horrors to be found in the village itself. History will call what happened there a battle, but to the Protestants of Antwerp, it will be immediately clear that it was a massacre. Amid the blood and ash of Astrabail, a new seed of rebellion will be planted and a conflict will soon begin that will span generations, weaken one empire and help build another. Mom, I need to lay low for a few days.
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Lindsey Graham
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Lindsey Graham
It's March 14, 1567, in the Village of Alstrevail, a day after Spanish mercenaries brutally put down an uprising there, a young woman from Antwerp walks among the bodies of her fellow Protestants. Yesterday morning, she'd been eager to help, but now what she sees here gives her pause. Hundreds are dead, and the acrid smell of blood and smoke stings her nostrils. The village has been practically destroyed, and there is no sign of the Protestant rebel leader Jan von Marnex anywhere. Dazed and horrified by what she's seen, she goes home to tell her family that she found no survivors to help. But upon her return, she discovers the city of Antwerp is in uproar. Fearing that the massacre is just the start and that far worse is to come, many Protestant citizens are packing up and fleeing for their lives. And within weeks of the Battle of Oustrava, open Protestant displays all but disappear in the Spanish Netherlands. For its ruler, King Philip, the massacre has served its purpose. The rebellion has been put down, and his subjects in the Netherlands are now finally obeying his rule. But Philip has overplayed his hand. While the brutality of his attack has horrified Dutch Protestants, it has also ignited a fire in them. Spain's refusal to find a political solution and the massacre at Oostervail unite the Dutch nobility against the King and sets the stage for a far more prolonged rebellion. Just over a year after the disaster at Oosterdale, Dutch forces inflict their first military defeat on the Spanish. But total victory does not come quickly for the rebels. The revolt continues for another eight decades. Tens of thousands die and territory changes hands time and time again. But one thing remains constant. The Dutch Protestants refuse to ever submit to Catholic Spain. Their stubborn resistance is a thorn in the side of the mighty Spanish Empire and a distraction it could do without. While this revolt goes on, the Spanish are also caught up in a conflict with England, France, the Ottoman Empire and neighbors Portugal. And with many of their overseas territories also rebelling, the Spanish steadily find it harder and harder to raise enough men and money to continue the fight in the Netherlands. So in 1648, they sign a treaty that ends the long war and formally recognizes a free Protestant Dutch Republic. But it comes too late for Spain. 80 years of war in the Netherlands and beyond have drained its strength, and it will never regain its former power. By contrast, having thrown off the Spanish, the Dutch will enter a golden age over the next two centuries, becoming one of the great trading nations of the world and building a wealthy empire of their own. This rise and fall of great European powers has consequences across the globe. But the fire of rebellion that burned the Spanish empire and forged the Dutch began in the tiniest of villages in the middle of the night on 3-13-15. Next on History Daily, March 14, 1964 nightclub owner Jack Ruby is found guilty of the murder of John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in the first courtroom verdict to be televised in the United States. From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Supervising sound designer is Matthew Filler Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Rob Cromwell, edited by William Simpson Managing Producer Emily Byrd Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Nouser.
Monica Lewinsky
At 24, I lost my narrative. Or rather it was stolen from me, and the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and thank family knew was usurped by false narratives, callous jokes and politics. I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks both recognizable and unrecognizable names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected with the people that I'm talking to, and leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful. Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Reclaiming early and ad free right now by joining Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
History Daily: The Start of the Eighty Years’ War
Release Date: March 13, 2025
Host: Lindsey Graham
On this episode of History Daily, host Lindsey Graham delves into the tumultuous beginnings of the Eighty Years’ War, a protracted conflict that reshaped the political and religious landscape of Europe. Released on March 13, 2025, this episode meticulously chronicles the events leading up to the war, the pivotal Battle of Austervehl, and the enduring consequences that echoed far beyond the borders of the Netherlands.
[00:00]
The episode opens on March 13, 1567, in Ostervale, a peaceful village in the Netherlands. Here, Jan von Marnecks, a nobleman and leader of the Dutch Protestant rebels, grapples with strategic decisions to overthrow Spanish Catholic rule, which has dominated the region for twelve years. His contemplation is abruptly interrupted by a surprise nighttime assault by Spanish mercenaries, marking a bloody commencement to what would become an eight-decade-long struggle for religious freedom and national sovereignty.
Quote:
"If this is to be the day he dies, he's determined to take out some of them with him." – Jan von Marnecks ([00:00])
[03:49]
Lindsey Graham provides a detailed backstory, setting the stage 15 months prior to the Battle of Austerwehl. In December 1565, Jan von Marnecks convenes with fellow Dutch noblemen in a castle’s grand hall to voice their grievances against King Philip of Spain. The primary discontent centers on religious persecution, as Protestantism is outlawed under Catholic rule. The nobles, unified in their Protestant faith, decry the high taxes and lack of provincial autonomy imposed by Philip, whose father, Emperor Charles V, had only recently unified the Netherlands under more tolerant governance.
Quote:
"Philip believes that preserving Catholicism is his highest duty." ([03:49])
Despite peaceful appeals for religious tolerance and increased self-governance, the Spanish authorities, led by Margaret of Parma, reject the nobles' petitions. This rejection fuels widespread unrest, culminating in the "Beldenstorm"—a series of Protestant uprisings marked by the destruction of Catholic symbols and property. The temporary cessation of violence following Margaret’s conciliatory promises fails to secure lasting peace, as King Philip doubles down on repression.
Quote:
"This crackdown shatters Jan van Marnek's faith in diplomacy." ([03:49])
[16:54]
The narrative culminates on March 13, 1567, with the harrowing Battle of Austervehl. Following a failed attempt to capture the strategic port of Lissingen, Jan von Marnecks leads his retreating forces to Austervehl, hoping to regroup. However, the Spanish mercenaries, brutal and relentless, engage the Dutch rebels in a devastating confrontation.
Quote:
"The surprise attack on the village broke all accepted rules of combat." ([16:54])
As the battle ensues, Jan witnesses the slaughter of his men and realizes the futility of further combat against superior forces. In a final act of defiance, he launches a suicidal charge against the enemy, ensuring that his death marks the grim beginning of the war. The Spanish mercenaries, adhering to orders of no mercy, leave no survivors, compelling Antonius of Antwerp to attempt a rescue that ultimately fails due to the fortified city’s defenses under William the Silent.
[16:54]
The massacre at Austervehl ignites a fervent resistance among Dutch Protestants, uniting the nobility against Spanish oppression. Despite initial brutal setbacks, the rebels persist in their quest for autonomy and religious freedom. Over eighty years, the war devastates the region, weakening the Spanish Empire substantially. By 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia marks the formal recognition of the independent Dutch Republic, signifying the end of Spanish hegemony in the Netherlands.
Quote:
"The Dutch Protestants refuse to ever submit to Catholic Spain." ([16:54])
This protracted conflict not only reshapes the Netherlands but also shifts the global balance of power. While Spain grapples with internal strife and external conflicts with England, France, and the Ottoman Empire, the Dutch ascend to a golden age, emerging as a dominant trading nation with a burgeoning empire.
Quote:
"One thing remains constant. The Dutch Protestants refuse to ever submit to Catholic Spain." ([16:54])
Lindsey Graham encapsulates the lasting impact of the Eighty Years’ War, highlighting how a violent confrontation in a small Dutch village set in motion a cascade of historical events that redefined European power structures and colonial ambitions. The episode underscores the enduring human spirit in the face of oppression and the profound changes that arise from sustained resistance.
Quote:
"The fire of rebellion that burned the Spanish empire and forged the Dutch began in the tiniest of villages in the middle of the night on 3-13-15." ([16:54])
Throughout the episode, Lindsey Graham weaves a compelling narrative enriched with vivid descriptions and poignant reflections, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of the complexities that fueled one of Europe’s most significant conflicts. By focusing on personal stories, such as that of Jan von Marnecks and the resilient citizens of Antwerp, the podcast brings history to life, making the distant past resonate with contemporary audiences.
Upcoming Episode Preview:
On March 14, 1964, nightclub owner Jack Ruby is found guilty of the murder of John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in the first courtroom verdict to be televised in the United States. Join Lindsey Graham next on History Daily as we explore this landmark moment in American history.
Produced by Noiser, Airship, and Wondery.