Dutch Revolt Begins at Heiligerlee

May 23, 1568

A small Dutch force under Louis of Nassau defeated a Spanish detachment at Heiligerlee in Groningen. The skirmish was minor, but the symbolism was not: the Dutch Revolt had begun its long, stuttering march toward the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. The skirmish's significance was symbolic rather than military, transforming political dispute into armed resistance against Spanish authority.