William The Silent was usually no more silent than anyone else. Only during council meetings did he remain quiet while everyone else was talking; and only at the end of the meeting, having absorbed all that had been said, would he give his opinions. Born in Germany with no great prospects, he was pushed on to the European stage first by the untimely and unexpected death of his cousin, the Prince of Orange, which made William, aged eleven, heir to a great fortune. However, to be allowed to take his inheritance, he was forced to leave Germany for Brussels. There he was educated and became both a Catholic and a trusted courtier of the Emperor Charles V. Leaning on William's shoulder, this Emperor made his abdication speech in 1555. Charles V was replaced as Lord of The Netherlands by his fanatical son, King Philip II of Spain. In 1551 William had married the rich Anna van Egmond, Countess of Buren, and by her fathered two daughters and a son. However, this marriage lasted only seven years as Anna died in 1558. In 1555 Philip II should have appointed William or the Count of Egmond as Stadhouder, but caused offence when he appointed Cardinal Granvelle. After a while, Philip was forced to recall Granvelle and appointed his half-sister, Margaretha of Parma, as Regent. In 1561 William had married the 17-year-old and well-connected but unstable Anna of Saxony, who would become the mother of Maurits, another important leader in the resistance against Spain. However, she also brought discredit upon herself by bearing an illegitimate child, and was divorced. She died a lunatic aged not yet thirty-three. Suspicion had grown between Philip II and the leaders in The Nederlands mainly due to the religious persecution of the Protestants. This persecution even caused the Catholic Count of Egmond to travel to Spain to plead with Philip II. The response was the Edict of Segovia, worsening the persecution. This united both Protestants and Catholics against their overlord in Spain as, by 1566, 50,000 people had suffered from the king's religious intolerance. The nobles resigned their functions and created their own assembly. Drawing up a petition demanding the end of persecution, they handed it to Margaretha of Parma. In 1567 William returned to his native Germany to recruit an army for the armed rebellion, which had become inevitable as the petition had failed to make an impact. Philip II replaced his "moderate" sister with the equally fanatical Duke of Alba. Ignoring the mood for reconciliation, he imprisoned Egmond and Hoorne and, on 16 February 1568, condemned all heretics to death. Egmond and Hoorne were executed while the absent William of Orange's eldes son Philips Willem, only a student, was kidnapped and taken to be imprisoned in Spain. There he remained until he was middle-aged. The year 1568 is the beginning of the struggle to free The Netherlands from their Spanish overlords, a struggle which lasted for eighty years. While William made an alliance with the French Huguenots, the Duke of Alba imposed a tax of ten percent on everything sold. The initial support from the French Huguenots was destroyed when the French king ordered their leaders' assassination in "St. Bartholomew's Night". Several years of indicisive war actions followed by the penniless rebels against the might of the Spanish king. Alba was replaced by Requesens who died and in turn was replaced by Don Juan, another illegitimate child of the Emperor Charles V. In 1579 William's brother, Count Johann VI of Nassau-Dillenburg, created the "Union of Utrecht" uniting the Northern Provinces. As the intolerant Calvinists were the main participants, the Southern Provinces signed the "Union of Atrecht" and returned to the Spanish fold. This caused the split in the 17 provinces and was the beginning of Belgium and The Netherlands as we know it today.

The arrogant Don Juan of Austria was replaced by the tactful and brilliant general Alexander of Parma. William invited the French Duke of Anjou to become sovereign of the Protestant Netherlands but, after a short and unsuccessful period, the Duke died. William of Orange was now urged to become sovereign himself and he reluctantly accepted. The title he chose was Count of Holland; but before everything had been finalised he was murdered on orders of the Spanish king who hoped this would be the end of the revolt. However, William's 17-year-old son, Maurits, took his place as Stadhouder and continued the struggle which was to last until, in 1648, the Treaty of Muenster established the independence of The Netherlands. 

Source: Leo van de Pas