Editing Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (section)

===Burgundy and the Low Countries===
[[Image:Paleis op de Koudenberg.jpg|thumb|The [[Palace of Coudenberg]] in [[Brussels]] from a 17th-century portrait before it burnt down in 1731. [[Brussels]] served as the main seat of the imperial court of Charles V in the Low Countries.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Papadopoulos |first=Alex G. |url=https://archive.org/details/urbanregimesstra0000papa |title=Urban Regimes and Strategies: Building Europe's Central Executive District in Brussels |date=1996 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226645599 |page=[https://archive.org/details/urbanregimesstra0000papa/page/72 72] |quote=Brussels was the imperial capital of Charles V. |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=City Tourism: National Capital Perspectives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0FktYIGI-jkC&q=bruxelles+imperial+capital+of+charles+v&pg=PA241 |last1=Maitland |first1=Robert |last2=Ritchie |first2=Brent W. |date=2019 |publisher=CABI |isbn = 978-1845935467|via=Google Books}}</ref>{{page needed|date=March 2025}}]]

In 1506, Charles inherited his father's Burgundian territories that included [[County of Burgundy|Franche-Comté]] and, most notably, the [[Habsburg Netherlands|Low Countries]]. The latter territories mostly lay within the Holy Roman Empire and its borders, but were formally divided between fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire and [[Kingdom of France|French]] fiefs such as Charles's birthplace of [[County of Flanders|Flanders]], the last remnant of the [[Burgundian State]], a powerful player in the [[Hundred Years' War]]. Since he was a minor, his aunt Margaret of Austria acted as regent, as appointed by Emperor Maximilian until 1515. She soon found herself at war with France over Charles's requirement to pay [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] to the French king for Flanders, as his father had done. The outcome was that France relinquished its ancient claim on Flanders in 1528.

From 1515 to 1523, Charles's government in the Netherlands also had to contend with the rebellion of [[Arumer Zwarte Hoop|Frisian peasants]] (led by [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] and [[Wijard Jelckama]]). The rebels were initially successful but after a series of defeats, the remaining leaders were captured and executed in 1523.

Charles extended the Burgundian territory with the annexation of [[Tournaisis|Tournai]], [[County of Artois|Artois]], [[Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht|Utrecht]], [[Lordship of Groningen|Groningen]], and [[Guelders]]. The [[Seventeen Provinces]] had been unified by Charles's Burgundian ancestors, but nominally were [[fief]]s of either France or the Holy Roman Empire. Charles eventually won the [[Guelders Wars]] and united all provinces under his rule, the last one being the Duchy of Guelders. In 1549, Charles issued a [[Pragmatic Sanction of 1549|Pragmatic Sanction]], declaring the Low Countries to be a unified entity of which his family would be the heirs.<ref name="Kamen">{{Cite book |last=Kamen |first=Henry |url=https://archive.org/details/spain14691714soc00kame |title=Spain, 1469–1714: a society of conflict |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2005 |isbn=0582784646 |edition=3rd |location=Harlow, UK }}</ref>{{page needed|date=March 2025}}

The Low Countries held an essential place in the Empire. For Charles V, they were his home, the region where he was born and spent his childhood. Because of trade and industry and the wealth of the region's cities, the Low Countries also represented a significant income for the Imperial treasury.

The Burgundian territories were generally loyal to Charles throughout his reign. The important city of Ghent [[Revolt of Ghent (1539)|rebelled]] in 1539 due to heavy tax payments demanded by Charles. The rebellion did not last long, however, as Charles's military response, with reinforcement from [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba]],<ref name=Kamen />{{page needed|date=March 2025}} was swift and humiliating to the rebels of Ghent.<ref name="Gentenaars Stropdragers">{{Cite web |title=Gentenaars Stropdragers |url=http://gilde2.itbull.org/nl/historiek-0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104205756/http://gilde2.itbull.org/nl/historiek-0 |archive-date=4 January 2014 |url-status=usurped |access-date=7 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gilde van de Stroppendragers |url=http://www.gentschefieste.be/2005/Progr/GStroppen/Stroppen.htm |access-date=7 November 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081311/http://www.gentschefieste.be/2005/Progr/GStroppen/Stroppen.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>