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Article: William of Orange (1533–1584)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
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WILLIAM OF ORANGE (1533
–
1584)
WILLIAM OF ORANGE
(1533
–
1584), Dutch statesman, leader of the Dutch Revolt, and founding father of the Dutch Republic. Also known as William the Silent, William of Orange was the oldest son of the German count of Nassau, William the Rich, and Juliana of Stolbergen. His life was changed by the cannonball that killed his childless uncle Ren
é
of Chalons during the Habsburg siege of the French town of Saint-Didier in 1544. As the last representative of the house of Nassau-Breda, Chalons had appointed his young nephew as his heir. The heritage included not only large possessions in the Netherlands, but also the principality of Orange in ...