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43-604: The Spanish Fury (or the Spanish Terror) was a number of violent sackings of cities ( lootings ) in the Low Countries or Benelux, mostly by Spanish Habsburg armies, that happened in the years 1572–1579 during the Dutch Revolt . In some cases, the sack did not follow the taking of a city. In others, the sack was ordered, or at least not restrained, by Spanish commanders after the fall of a city. The most notorious Spanish Fury

86-489: A chapel, Dalem had 13 to 18 houses. However, these houses were so poor that no rent was collected. The natural location of Dalem, in the lowest part of the Tielerwaard, has regularly caused flooding over the centuries. Together with the entire Betuwe region, the Tielerwaard served as a water catchment area during times of extremely high water, protecting the even lower-lying Alblasserwaard and Vijfheerenlanden . Lower Dalem

129-416: A country or during peacetime. Riots in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd protests in numerous American cities led to increased amounts of looting, as looters took advantage of the delicate political situation and civil unrest surrounding the riots themselves. Up to 175 Target stores closed Nationwide during the disturbances. During the ongoing Kashmir conflict , looting of Kashmiris trapped between

172-455: A good example being during the 1967 First Invasion of Onitsha , where the victorious Nigerian troops were encircled and annihilated while looting. In other cases, for example, the Wahhabi sack of Karbala in 1801 or 1802, loot has contributed to further victories for an army. Not all looters in wartime are conquerors; the looting of Vistula Land by the retreating Imperial Russian Army in 1915

215-506: A significant increase in the looting of antiquities from archaeological sites in Egypt, as the government lost the ability to protect the sites. Other acts of modern looting, such as the looting and destruction of artifacts from the National Museum of Iraq by Islamic State militants, can be used as an easy way to express contempt for the concept of rules of war altogether. In the case of

258-467: A sudden change in a country or region's government, it can be difficult to determine what constitutes looting as opposed to a new government taking custody of the property in question. This can be especially difficult if the new government is only partially recognized at the time the property is moved, as was the case during the 2021 Taliban offensive , during which a number of artifacts and a large amount of property of former government officials who had fled

301-498: Is either the result of direct orders, despite to Russia's claims to the contrary, or due to Russian soldiers not being issued with adequate food and other resources by their commanders. The term "looting" is also sometimes used to refer to antiquities being removed from countries by unauthorized people, either domestic people breaking the law seeking monetary gain or foreign nations, which are usually more interested in prestige or previously, "scientific discovery". An example might be

344-551: Is the lowest-lying area of the Tielerwaard, where river water will flow in case of dike breaches . It is essentially located in a basin, especially if the dikes of the Meuse Rive r (dutch: Maas Rivier) fail. After a flood, this water can be drained again into the lower course of the river through excavations of the overflow areas and through the Dalem de-inundation lock. It is also possible to excavate three dike sections at Dalem to accelerate

387-629: The Eighty Years' War . The Spanish King 's captain-general Alba, the Iron Duke , with 10,000 men made the first military use of the Spanish Road . He was granted powers exceeding those of the king's half-sister Margaret of Parma , who had maneuvered both Granvelle and William the Silent of Orange to the background while trying to reconcile local priorities with Spanish orders. Upon their meeting, judging

430-616: The Gulf War , Saddam Hussein 's soldiers caused significant damage to both Kuwaiti and Saudi infrastructure. They also stole from private companies and homes. In April 2003, looters broke into the National Museum of Iraq, and thousands of artefacts remain missing. Syrian conservation sites and museums were looted during the Syrian Civil War , with items being sold on the international black market . Reports from 2012 suggested that

473-591: The Indian and Pakistani militarized zones is common and widespread. In 2022, international observers accused Russia of engaging in large scale looting during the Russo-Ukrainian War , reporting the widespread looting of everything from food to industrial equipment. Despite the publication of numerous photos and videos by Ukrainian journalists and civilians, numerous Russian commanders have denied these claims. International observers have theorized that this looting

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516-506: The Low Countries , including a rejected petition by a covenant of noblemen in the winter of 1565–66. The summer brought renewed violent outbursts of iconoclasm , in which ' Beeldenstorm ' Calvinists destroyed religious images in Catholic monasteries and churches. The Battle of Oosterweel in March 1567 was the first Spanish military response to the many riots and a prelude to or the start of

559-750: The early modern period and reaching its peak in the New Imperialism era, European colonial powers frequently looted areas they captured during military campaigns against non-European states. In the 1930s, and even more so during the Second World War , Nazi Germany engaged in large-scale and organized looting of art and property , particularly in Nazi-occupied Poland . Looting, combined with poor military discipline , has occasionally been an army's downfall since troops who have dispersed to ransack an area may become vulnerable to counter-attack,

602-414: The province of Gelderland until 1986 and was part of the former municipality of Vuren . Until January 1, 1818, Dalem was the name of the municipality, which was then renamed Vuren . In 1254, Floris van Dalem was enfeoffed with the lordship of Dalem by Jan van der Leede and Hugo van Arkel. In 1423, his descendant Lord Floris van Dalem sold the lordships of Dalem, Schuvenoord, and Staden for 2260 crowns to

645-510: The rebels ' zone of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War were reported as being plundered and their assets transferred abroad. Agricultural production and electronic power plants were also seized, to be sold elsewhere. Dalem, Netherlands Dalem is a village in the Tielerwaard region in the municipality of Gorinchem , in the Dutch province of South Holland . The village belonged to

688-698: The siege of Maastricht . The victorious attackers then held a second Spanish Fury at Maastricht which killed all but 400 people out of a population of 30,000. Looting During modern-day armed conflicts , looting is prohibited by international law , and constitutes a war crime . During a disaster, police and military forces are sometimes unable to prevent looting when they are overwhelmed by humanitarian or combat concerns, or they cannot be summoned because of damaged communications infrastructure. Especially during natural disasters, many civilians may find themselves forced to take what does not belong to them in order to survive. How to respond to that and where

731-625: The Counties of Zeeland and of Holland . Other cities in the Low Countries that showed signs of rebellion against the increased taxation and prosecution of Protestants , or did not allow troops of either side in, became vigorously forced into Catholicism and total political obedience to the Spanish Crown. Looting a conquered town was not uncommon, and Governor Alba took it a step further by intentionally setting horrifying examples against sympathy for

774-539: The Gelderland Duke Arnoud. From him, the ownership passed to Charles of Egmont, Duke of Guelders, who first pawned Dalem to Willem van Rossum for 300 Rhineland guilders . On June 16, 1518, other sources mention 1517, Duke Charles granted the lordship of Dalem for life to Christoffel, Count of Meurs. This warrior was favored by both Duke Charles and Emperor Charles V , as he remained lord of Dalem until his death in 1566. A document from 1518 mentions that besides

817-467: The Netherlands but hesitated several months before notifying him. Even then, Don Juan did not hurry to proceed to the Netherlands. The abandoned officers and ordinary soldiers were not being paid and started a mutinous looting campaign. The Pacification of Ghent by which both Calvinists and Catholics decided to expel all Spanish troops, and for which negotiations had been going on since the sack of Aalst,

860-529: The antiquities were being traded for weapons by the various combatants. Both customary international law and international treaties prohibit pillage in armed conflict . The Lieber Code , the Brussels Declaration (1874), and the Oxford Manual have recognized the prohibition against pillage. The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 ( modified in 1954 ) obliges military forces not only to avoid

903-506: The celebration of victory. In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars and particularly after World War II , norms against wartime plunder became widely accepted. In the upper ranks, the proud exhibition of the loot plundered formed an integral part of the typical Roman triumph , and Genghis Khan was not unusual in proclaiming that the greatest happiness was "to vanquish your enemies... to rob them of their wealth". In ancient times, looting

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946-572: The city of Maastricht 's rebellion against its fortress because of continued heavy payments, German soldiers of the Spanish garrison followed city council's orders and stood aside. While some Spanish troops held out at one of the gates, others fled with the garrison's commander Francisco de Montesdoca to captain Martín de Ayala 's minor fortification at Wyck just across the River Maas bridge. Though Montesdoca

989-503: The country fell into the hands of the Taliban before they were recognized as the legitimate government of Afghanistan by other countries. Further looting and burning of civilian homes and villages has been defended by the Taliban as within their right as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Looting can also be common in cases where civil unrest is contained largely within the borders of

1032-474: The defeated populations, which were often enslaved . Women and children might become absorbed into the victorious country's population, as concubines , eunuchs and slaves. In other pre-modern societies, objects made of precious metals were the preferred target of war looting, largely because of their ease of portability. In many cases, looting offered an opportunity to obtain treasures and works of art that otherwise would not have been obtainable. Beginning in

1075-705: The destruction of enemy property but also to provide for its protection. Article 8 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court provides that in international warfare, "pillaging a town or place, even when taken by assault", is a war crime . In the aftermath of World War II , a number of war criminals were prosecuted for pillage. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (1993–2017) brought several prosecutions for pillage. The Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 explicitly prohibits

1118-468: The drainage of water. This is recognizable by the paved sections of the dike between the asphalted road sections after the dike reinforcements. Waiting for all the water to be drained through the de-inundation lock would take too long. Sheet pile walls have been installed in the dike to prevent the holes from wearing too far. They are covered with concrete beams, visible on the outside of the dike. The overflow areas have been preserved and were even adapted to

1161-735: The duke's inflexibility on extreme positions, the duchess resigned. He replaced her as governor-general of the Seventeen Provinces and unlawfully instituted the Council of Troubles in September of that same year. This court-martial style tribunal often sentenced political opponents and religious Reformists to death; the more than 1,000 executions caused it to be called the 'Council of Blood'. The Sea Beggars , having been driven out of English harbours by Elizabeth I, captured Brielle on April 1, 1572. This foothold triggered an anti-royalist rebellion in

1204-565: The enormous water force, many houses will be swept away (see below 1809). The history of the Dalem lock dates back to 1284 when the Lords of the Vijf Heerenlanden decided to build a dike ring around their area (the Diefdijk) and also to have the option to drain the excess water through an outlet lock at Dalem. As was customary at the time, this lock would be entirely made of wood. The first stone for

1247-519: The landscape. A wheel is formed by the inward flowing water that rapidly washes away the ground on the inside of the dike to great depths. Depths of 20 meters are not uncommon. Even after almost three centuries, the Wheels still bear witness to the calamity of drowned people and animals and the loss of homes and possessions, with all its consequences. The dike residents were generally not very wealthy. Dike breaches at that time were usually caused by ice dams in

1290-476: The line between unnecessary "looting" and necessary " scavenging " lies are often dilemmas for governments. In other cases, looting may be tolerated or even encouraged by governments for political or other reasons, including religious, social or economic ones. Looting by a victorious army during war has been a common practice throughout recorded history. Foot soldiers viewed plunder as a way to supplement an often-meagre income and transferred wealth became part of

1333-431: The lock in its approximately current form was laid in 1661. Dike construction began in the 13th century, before which there were no dike breaches because there were no dikes. A separate book could be written about the phenomenon of dike breaches in the entire Tielerwaard region. For Dalem, the consequences of the dike breaches in 1726, 1728, and 1729 are still visible, and the wheels formed at that time are integral parts of

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1376-559: The looting of civilian property during wartime. Theoretically, to prevent such looting, unclaimed property is moved to the custody of the Custodian of Enemy Property , to be handled until returned to its owners. Despite international prohibitions against the practice of looting, the ease with which it can be done means that it remains relatively common, particularly during outbreaks of civil unrest during which rules of war may not yet apply. The 2011 Egyptian Revolution , for example, caused

1419-460: The new standards with the dike reinforcements of 1996. The level difference with Tiel is approximately 7.20 meters. In 1995, after the near-flood disaster, a water board official deemed it irresponsible to build large-scale houses here. In the event of a dike breach in Tiel , the inflowing water will be captured inland by the raised dikes, and the water level could possibly reach a height of 10 meters. Due to

1462-572: The position of governor of the Netherlands until 1581. Alexander Farnese , son of Margaret of Parma, reconquered a large part of the Netherlands by methods found honourable by friend and foe. Thereupon the Union of Arras was signed and only weeks later, on January 23, 1579, the Union of Utrecht , at which the separation between southern and northern Netherlands became a fact. But the War was not finished. Between 12 March and 1 July 1579, both sides suffered hard in

1505-461: The rebels. By December 1573, high, yet ineffective, financial expenditures, and complaints about the sheer cruelty of the governor's expeditions, led Philip II to Requesens , where he replaced Alba, who returned to Spain. The notorious 'Council of Blood' ordered no more executions, and was officially abolished in June 1574 by Requesens, but remained in session until summer of 1576. In October 1576, during

1548-631: The removal of the contents of Egyptian tombs that were transported to museums across the West . As part of World War II reparations , Soviet forces systematically plundered the Soviet occupation zone of Germany, including the Recovered Territories , which later transferred to Poland. The Soviets sent valuable industrial equipment, infrastructure and whole factories to the Soviet Union. Many factories in

1591-515: The river, blocking the flow of water. Sometimes the dams became so high that houses on the outside of the dike were destroyed. In the year 1809, on the night of January 14 to 15, there was a dike breach in the Over-Betuwe area, and work began on January 18 to create outlets in the Dalem overflow areas. By January 25, 1809, so much water had flowed down through the Betuwe region that the city of Gorinchem

1634-580: Was among the factors sapping the loyalty of Poles to Russia . Local civilians can also take advantage of a breakdown of order to loot public and private property, as took place at the Iraq Museum in the course of the Iraq War in 2003. Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy 's novel War and Peace describes widespread looting by Moscow 's citizens before Napoleon 's troops entered the city in 1812, along with looting by French troops elsewhere. In 1990 and 1991, during

1677-562: Was in danger. King Louis Napoleon (it was during the French period) unexpectedly arrived in the city with his entourage from Vianen and stayed at the (old) Doelen (Molenstraat). When he visited the threatened areas and was on the Dalemsedijk with his carriage, a part of the dike broke. The king had to be taken away by boat. When the formwork collapsed on the Kortendijk on January 30, the water from

1720-454: Was offered safety during negotiations, he was arrested in the heat of this dispute. He was liberated while soldiery arriving from Dalem and those of Wyck captured the city. As few Spanish lives had been lost, the Germans were excused but had to make camp in neighbouring villages. Upon Requesens' death in March 1576, the Spanish king appointed his own half-brother Don Juan as Governor-General of

1763-546: Was signed a few days after Antwerp's fate. It was acceded to on 12 February 1577 by governor-general Don Juan when he signed the Perpetual Edict . A few months later, despite the agreed terms, Don Juan began planning a new campaign against the Dutch rebels, who found an ally in England's Elizabeth I . Though never recognized by Philip, an arrangement by Catholics put his nephew Matthias of Austria , Duke of Burgundy and Brabant, in

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1806-552: Was sometimes prohibited due to religious concerns. For example, King Clovis I of the Franks, forbade his soldiers to loot when they campaigned near St Martin 's shrine in Tours, for fear of offending the saint. Moses, Joshua and Samuel at various points ordered the Israelites not to take loot from their enemies due to God's commandment. In warfare in ancient times, the spoils of war included

1849-538: Was the sack of Antwerp in November 1576. In English, this, and the mutinous campaign of 1576 in general, tends to be what is meant by "Spanish Fury". In Dutch, the term includes a wider range of sackings, in particular the city punishments of 1572. The events of the Spanish Fury contributed to the creation of anti-Spanish sentiment in many parts of Europe. Several requests were made for relaxation of religious coercion in

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