The Comuneros Argue
The Junta had formed, grown, and conquered Tordesillas in less than two months, but this speed masked the constituent town's internal disagreements, and these problems became ever more apparent as time passed. The towns had always been rather particularistic, reluctant to react to anything that did not directly threaten, or benefit, them, and many comuneros continued to act simply out of self-interest. Some joined the Junta in name only, withholding troops and supplies, while others sought to exploit the revolt and 'settle' old rivalries.Equally, every member had sent their own delegation and commanders, and these could not agree on a coherent military strategy. Whether the delegates were acting as true representatives of their town's wishes, or simply promoting said area's self-interest (both could easily be the same), conflict grew, and the Santa Junta lost the military initiative. Indeed, the requirements of warfare - billeting troops, raising money for wages and supplies - began to alienate the Comunero's own citizens, as many objected to the demands on their resources.
More problematically, the atmosphere of idealism and rebellion caused great ideological differences to emerge. Some groups demanded the abolition of taxes, while others wanted the rich and the poor taxed equally; some even called for the removal of the monarchy and the transformation of Castile into a series of city-states, run on the Italian model. These may seem like clichéto the modern reader - the same old set of demands trotted out by the fringes of every revolt - but the debates added further layers of disagreement to an already complex Santa Junta. Crucially, the growing radicalism also began to threaten the grandees.
The Countryside
After September 1520, the rebellion spread to the countryside, and over the following months these disturbances grew in number and strength. However, the rural rioting was directed, not simply against the king, but also against the grandees and their estates. Affected nobles were forced to halt the riots whether they agreed with the underlying anti-royal sentiment or not, simply because their own land was threatened. Radical thoughts emanating from the Comuneros exacerbated the situation, as some towns, particularly groups in Valladolid, encouraged peasants to free themselves from 'slavery' and overthrow the aristocracy. The effect was simple: where a majority of grandees had been content to let the Comunero movement develop, because it threatened the king, they were now provoked into crushing it, because it threatened them.
The Grandees React
As the Junta argued amongst itself, the grandees negotiated with the crown, forcing Charles - and his regent - into concessions. There were to be no more foreign appointments, and the Constable and Admiral of Castile, both hereditary positions held by major Spanish families, were made co-regents with Adrian until the king returned. The fear of total social and political revolution, combined with successful opportunism, turned the grandees against the Junta. Burgos, whose comunero was led by the Constable of Castile himself, swiftly withdrew from the Junta, even though the Constable still supported many of the League's demands; other disaffected groups followed.
