The deployment of the popular militias in the period 1514–1524

Chapter Six examines the contribution of the militias to the fighting parties in the civil war that raged in Friesland between 1514 and 1524, between Habsburg and Guelders. Our survey shows that in the autumn of 1514 they contributed a lot to the initial success of the Guelders’ duke. The Frisian mood at that time was anti-Habsburg. Though their armament was still inferior, their motivation was strong, and they were better led than around 1500. Once things came to a stalemate, however, they only had value if they could be deployed behind bulwarks. In the long run, the duke of Guelders could not maintain his position due to a chronic lack of money. The heavy taxation that ensued prompted most districts to opt for the emperor and put their militia potential behind him, which led to a numerical supremacy of the Habsburg forces and the final retreat of Guelders in 1524.