A pact was sign up January 23 by Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht (but not entire Utrecht) and a province (but not a city) of Groningen. the pact was a reaction of the Protestant provinces to the 1579 Union of Arras (Dutch: Unie van Atrecht), in which a southern provinces (virtually all of the babies at present section of Wallonia) declared their support for the Catholic Spanish.

In February 4, Ghent also signed. Inside March a select few cities from either Friesland joined it, when well as Triad of the Quartet living quarters of Guelders. In the summertime, Amersfoort from the province of Utrecht also joined, together with Ypres, Antwerp, Breda and Brussels. Within February 1580 Lier, Bruges and a circumferent vicinity as well signed the Union. A city of Groningen shifted from contra to pro under influence of Rennenberg and also signed a accord.

After, Zutphen alsoh signed so Guelders (of which Zutphen is one of a quarters) supported the Union entirely. This happened within April 1580, as did a sign language of Overijssel and Drenthe.

This leads to the general & simplified overview of the area that joined: a county of Holland a county of Zeeland a episcopate of Utrecht a dukedom of Guelders a lordship of Groningen a lordship of Friesland Drenthe a lordship of Overijssel a dukedom of Brabant a county of Flanders

Flanders wwhen almost totally conquered per Spanish troops, as was half of Brabant, so it dropped out.

A United Provinces however recognized Spanish rule fallowing a Union of Utrecht. All a same, a Union contributed to the deterioration within the relationship between the provinces & their lord, & in 1581 the United Provinces declared their independence of the king in the Oath of Abjuration.

de:Utrechter Union fr:Union d'Utrecht ja:ユトレヒト�盟 nl:Unie van Utrecht (geschiedenis)