William I, Prince of Orange (1533-1584), was the father of the Dutch Republic. The prince was known as William the Silent because of his cautious nature.
William was born on April 25, 1533 (April 16, 1533, according to the calendar then in use) in Dillenburg, near Wetzlar, Germany. His parents were Lutherans, but William became a Roman Catholic to please Emperor Charles V, who had taken a liking to him. He put William in command of troops on the French frontier in 1555. In 1555 and 1556, Charles gave up rule of the Low Countries (mainly Belgium and the Netherlands) and Spain to his son Philip II. Philip tried to increase control of the Low Countries. When he also tried to stamp out the Protestant religion there, William joined the Protestant Church. He led a rebellion against Spain in 1568. William tried to unite all the Low Countries in the revolt, but he failed. In 1579, the seven northern provinces formed a league that later became the Dutch Republic. In 1581, Philip put a price on William’s head. On July 10, 1584, an insane assassin killed him.
