1300 - Kabbeljaus vs Hoeks
When John of Avennes succeeded in 1299 as first count of the house of Hainault, the Hollanders were willing to receive him, the Zealanders not; and a long struggle between the provinces ensued. In 1301 he coerced Utrecht into alliance, and got the bishopric for his brother Guy. In 1304 the Flemings were driven out of Holland, and John II was for a few months real lord of the county.
He died that year, and was succeeded by his son William William III "the Good" (1304-1337), who made peace with Flanders in 1323, settled the outstanding quarrel between Holland and Zealand, united the Amstelland and its city Amsterdam to his territories, encouraged civic, life, and developed the resources of his country. He also entered into close relations with the states of Europe, having married Johanna of Valois, niece of the French king; in 1323 the emperor Louis the Bavarian wedded his daughter Margaret, and in 1328 his third daughter, Philippa of Hainault, was given to Edward III of England.
William III was in all respects a great prince, and an acute statesman. In 1337 he died, and was succeeded by his son William IV, who was killed fighting against the Frisians' William, in 1345. He left no children, and the question as to the succession now brought on Holland a time of violent civil commotions. The county was claimed by Margaret, William's eldest sister, as well as by Philippa of Hainault, or, in other words, by Edward III of England. Margaret Margary eventually succeeded, siding with the older nobles, and being, therefore, not well received by the towns.
These are the days in which came up the famous parties of "Kabbeljaus" and "Hoeks," the "Cods" and the "Hooks," the fat burgher fish and the sharp steel-pointed nobles who wanted to catch and devour them. After much buffeting and many changes of fortune, Margaret resigned her lordship in 1349 in favor of her second, son William but again resumed it in 1350. Then the struggle between nobles and cities broke into open war.
Edward III come to Margaret's aid, winning a sea fight off Veere in 1351; a few weeks later the Hooks and the English were defeated by William and the Cods at Vlaardingen — an overthrow which ruined Margaret's cause. She made peace with her son in 1354, and died two years later. He, however, shortly after fell mad; so that in 1358 the Hooks had to call in his younger brother, Albert of Bavaria, to be stadtholder or "ruwaard" in his stead; he ruled well, and restored some order to the land. In the latter part of his life he went over to the Cods, a step which led to another outbreak of civil war which lasted until 1395. In 1404 he died, and was succeeded by his son William VI. who upheld the Hooks with all his power, and secured their ascendancy. He died in 1417, leaving only a daughter, Jacoba (or Jacqueline), wife of John of France, who died that same year.
Again was Holland rent with civil strife the Hooks, as before, readily accepting a female sovereign while the Cods declared for John of Liege. Jacoba was granddaughter of Philip of Burgundy who behaved very ill towards her; her romantic and sad life has rendered her the most picturesque figure in all the history of Holland; she struggled long against her powerful kinsfolk, nor did she know happiness till near the end of her life, when she abandoned the unequal strife, and found repose with Francis of Borselen, ruwaard of Holland, her fourth husband.
