The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 30: 1579-80

"The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 30: 1579-80" by John Lothrop Motley is a historical account written in the mid-19th century. This volume delves into a pivotal period during the Eighty Years War, focusing on the political and military strategies surrounding the siege of Maestricht and the complexities of negotiations among the Dutch provinces and their Spanish overlords. The opening of this volume sets a gripping stage, detailing the intense military operations led by Parma against Antwerp as well as the siege of Maestricht. The narrative introduces the Prince of Orange and the shifting loyalties among the Walloon provinces, highlighting negotiations that flutter between reconciliation and division. As the siege unfolds, important themes such as religious conflict, betrayal, and the struggle for autonomy are sharply illustrated, underlining the dire situation faced by the Dutch republicans in their quest for independence amidst Spanish oppression. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

John Lothrop Motley was an American author and diplomat. As a popular historian, he is best known for his works on the Netherlands, the three volume work The Rise of the Dutch Republic and four volume History of the United Netherlands. As United States Minister to Austria in the service of the Abraham Lincoln administration, Motley helped to prevent European intervention on the side of the Confederates in the American Civil War. He later served as Minister to the United Kingdom during the Ulysses S. Grant administration.