Union of Arras
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The Union of Arras (Dutch: Atrecht) was an accord signed on January 6, 1579 in Arras (Atrecht), under which the southern states of the Spanish Netherlands, today in Wallonia and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais (and Picardy) régions in France and Belgium, expressed their loyalty to the Spanish king Philip II and recognized his Governor-General, Don Juan of Austria. It is to be distinguished from the Union of Utrecht, signed later in the same month.
These were the conditions:
- There should be no more garrisons of foreign troops;
- The Council of State should be organized like that of the time of Charles V;
- Two thirds of the council members should be installed by all member states consenting.
- All privileges that were in force before the Dutch Revolt should be reinstated.
- Catholicism was the only religion. Any other religion (i.e. Calvinism) should be abolished.
The regions that signed it were:
Artois is now an integral part of France. Lille is now mostly part of France. The County of Hainaut is now part of the Belgian provinces of Hainaut and Namur and the French Oise and Nord départements.
These parts finally ended up in support of the Spanish king Philip II.
The regions that favored the Union, but did not sign it, were Namur, Luxembourg and the Duchy of Limburg. Limburg should not to be confused with the provinces in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands: Belgian Limburg was part of the Bishopric of Liège and while historical Limburg partly coincides with present day Dutch Limburg, it was smaller then. Alexander Farnese, the duke of Parma, started his conquest of the separatist parts (members of the Union of Utrecht) in these parts.
