▁II ▁of ▁Spain . ▁In ▁ 1 5 6 8 , ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁led ▁by ▁William ▁I ▁of ▁Orange , ▁revol ted ▁against ▁Philip ▁II ▁because ▁of ▁high ▁tax es , ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Protest ants ▁by ▁the ▁government , ▁and ▁Philip ' s ▁efforts ▁to ▁modern ize ▁and ▁central ize ▁the ▁de vol ved - med ieval ▁government ▁structures ▁of ▁the ▁provinces . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁E ight y ▁Years ' ▁War . ▁During ▁the ▁initial ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁revol t ▁was ▁largely ▁un success ful . ▁Spain ▁reg ained ▁control ▁over ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁reb elling ▁provinces . ▁This ▁period ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Span ish ▁F ury " ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁number ▁of ▁hor r ific ▁mass ac res , ▁instances ▁of ▁mass ▁lo oting , ▁and ▁total ▁destruction ▁of ▁multiple ▁cities ▁between ▁ 1 5 7 2 ▁and ▁ 1 5 7 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 9 , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁northern ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁signed ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁U tre cht , ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁promised ▁to ▁support ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁their ▁defence ▁against ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Fland ers . ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 1 ▁by ▁the ▁Act ▁of ▁Ab j uration , ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁independence ▁of ▁the ▁provinces ▁from ▁Philip ▁II . ▁Dutch ▁colonial ism ▁began ▁at ▁this ▁point , ▁as ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁sw ipe ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Portuguese ▁and ▁Spanish