The rebels of the Dutch Revolt, their political thoughts and the media they used to express them, have long been a focus of historical attention. This book, however, focuses on the largely untold story of what the other side, the Habsburg regime and its local supporters, thought about the conflict and how they responded to rebel accusations. To this end, a variety of oral, written and theatrical media have been examined to discover how the regime made use of the different communication channels available. In addition, available sources have been used to document ordinary people’s response to the conflict and the various messages they encountered in the public sphere. The result is a study that sheds new and sometimes surprising light on the Habsburg regime’s approach to communication and opinion-forming, while also providing a useful corrective to our understanding of rebel propaganda.
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
The rebels of the Dutch Revolt, their political thoughts and the media they used to express them, have long been a focus of historical attention. This book, however, focuses on the largely untold story of what the other side, the Habsburg regime and its local supporters, thought about the conflict and how they responded to rebel accusations. To this end, a variety of oral, written and theatrical media have been examined to discover how the regime made use of the different communication channels available. In addition, available sources have been used to document ordinary people s response to the conflict and the various messages they encountered in the public sphere. The result is a study that sheds new and sometimes surprising light on the Habsburg regime s approach to communication and opinion-forming, while also providing a useful corrective to our understanding of rebel propaganda.
From the Back Cover
Lange tijd hadden historici vooral aandacht voor de rebellen in de Nederlandse Opstand (Tachtigjarige Oorlog), voor hun politieke ideeën en de media door middel waarvan deze werden geuit. Habsburg Communication in the Dutch Revolt richt zich echter op de andere kant van het verhaal. Hoe dachten het Habsburgse regime en zijn lokale aanhangers over het conflict en hoe reageerden zij op de beschuldigingen van de opstandelingen? De auteur heeft een verscheidenheid aan mondelinge en schriftelijke media onderzocht om te ontdekken hoe het regime van verschillende communicatiekanalen gebruikmaakte. Daarnaast is de reactie van gewone mensen op het conflict en op de tegenstrijdige berichtgeving in de publieke sfeer bekeken. Het resultaat is een studie die nieuw en verrassend licht werpt op de communicatie en meningsvorming door het Habsburgse regime. Bovendien biedt het ons een vernieuwende blik op de propaganda van rebellenzijde. Monica Stensland werkte als postdoctoraal onderzoeker aan de Vrije Universiteit Brussel en is momenteel verbonden aan de Noorse ambassade in Malawi.
About the Author
Monica Stensland joined the Norwegian Foreign Service in 2009 and is currently serving as Second Secretary at the Norwegian Embassy in Malawi.
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