Person1533 – 1584
William the Silent
Also called: William of Orange, Willem van Oranje
William I, Prince of Orange — the “Father of the Fatherland” who led the Dutch Revolt and was assassinated at Delft in 1584
Where they went
1 related event
- 1
In 1568 the largely Calvinist northern provinces of the Netherlands, ruled by Philip II of Spain, rose up under William of Orange; they declared independence in 1581 and won recognition at the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
People who appear alongside
- Philip II of Spain1527 – 1598
King of Spain (r. 1556–1598), son of Charles V, who won at Lepanto and united Portugal with Spain but faced the Dutch Revolt and the defeat of his Armada
Themes this person appears in
- Reformation and Absolutism1517 – 1796
From Luther’s Ninety-five Theses to Catherine the Great — the wars of religion of a divided Christendom ended at Westphalia, and absolute monarchs armed with divine right, standing armies, bureaucracies and mercantilism, followed by the enlightened despots of eastern Europe, contended for the balance of power among sovereign states