1568

1568 was a year marked by significant political and military developments in Europe and Asia. In the Low Countries, it witnessed the early stages of the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, spurred by religious tensions and political grievances under the Habsburg monarchy. The year produced the first major battle of the Eighty Years' War, often cited as the Battle of Heiligerlee, in which Dutch forces gained a temporary advantage. Later that summer, the Battle of Jemmingen resulted in a Spanish victory, underscoring the difficulty the rebels faced in sustaining momentum against a well-equipped imperial army. The suppression of dissent in the Spanish Netherlands continued through measures associated with the authorities’ broader efforts to enforce loyalty to Philip II.

In Japan, 1568 is regarded as a turning point in the Sengoku period. Oda Nobunaga seized Kyoto, effectively ending the control of the Ashikaga Shogunate and establishing a new center of power. This move inaugurated the Azuchi-Momoyama period and laid the groundwork for Nobunaga’s broader efforts to unify the country, a project pursued by his successors after his death.

Across Europe, the year reflected the broader pattern of religious conflict and political realignment characteristic of the era, with authorities in various regions responding to rising challenges to established authority. 1568 thus stands as a marker for both the intensifying Dutch struggle for independence and a pivotal moment in Japan’s transition toward unification under Nobunaga.