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William I of Orange

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William I of Orange is often referred to alternatively as William the Silent (he allegedly gained this name when the kings of France and Spain proposed killing the Protestants, to which he refused to reply), to distinguish him from his more well known grandson.

Born in Dillenburg in 1533 in the German state of Nassau, his family was one of the hardscrabble poor nobility common of that area and period. He was originally known as William of Nassau until he inherited the principality of Orange from his cousin Rene, who died without issue, and joined the court of Hapsburg Emperor Charles V, who had been appointed regent over the young William of Orange-Nassau. William was thereafter brought up at the spanish royal court at Brussels.

Charles V's son, Phillip II of Spain made him stadtholder (a governor of the king) over the Dutch provinces of Zeeland, Holland, and Utrecht. Near the end of the 16th century, the independent cities and principalities of Flanders and Belgium sent representatives to Utrecht to coordinate taxation and military operations against Spain. There the ruling Hapsburgs had dominion over the Low Countries even after they adopted the Protestant religion. This rankled for the obvious reasons. William of Orange among others vehemently opposed the imposition of Catholicism on his homeland.

The Netherlands, comparatively small and poor compared to the Spanish Empire swimming in gold looted from the Americas, often had to rely on Swiss mercenaries and other hired guns. The alliance, the Union of Utrecht, formally created the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

Spain had spent the previous decade alternately fighting and politicking against the armies and intrigues of William of Orange. His position had always been that Spain’s sovereignty over the Netherlands was legitimate, but the governors chosen by the King were trampling the rights of Orange and the other native nobility. He thought Spain could be persuaded to loosen its grip. It didn't.

In 1581 Orange publicly renounced his loyalty to the Spanish throne. William converted from Lutheranism to Calvinism, the and overtly joined the Dutch struggle for independence. He pioneered the rather hazardous strategem of flooding areas by breaching dikes both as a means of defensive as well as offensive warfare. His military victories in spite of lack of financial support or reliable logistical supply vexed Spain and Phillips appointed military leader in the Netherlands, the Duke of Alva. Alva particularly became known for brutal and tyrannical repression, even beheading nobles who came to him under flag of truce.

The king of Spain offered a reward for the person who would kill William, which motivated several attempts, at least one organized by Alva personally. In 1584 William was shot by Balthasar Gerards in his house in Delft. William's last words were in French: "Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, ayez pitié de moi et de ton pauvre peuple" (My Lord, My Lord, have pity on me and your poor people). Balthasar Gerards never received his reward, because he was killed by the angry Dutch. The Netherlands would not achieve its liberty until the 1640's ended what is now known as "The Eighty Year War".

However, once the provincial leaders (particularly those of Holland, the largest and most influential of the United Provinces) and the nobles began to cooperate, putting their disagreements to one side, Spain was nearly defeated. Then came the brilliant political, military, and economic leadership of Johan de Witt and the Dutch Golden Age. Orange had played his part in history. In the Netherlands, people often call him "Father of the fatherland". The Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, is about William.

The William of Orange in Stephenson:Neal:Quicksilver is his grandson William III.