On this day, 441 years ago, on July 10, 1584 (June 3, 1584 in the lunar calendar), William I, the father of the Dutch nation, passed away. William I (April 24, 1533-July 10, 1584), was in power in the Netherlands (reigned from 1559 to 1584), also known as William the Silence (Dutch: Willemde Zwijger), William of Orange (Dutch: Willemvan Oranje). William of Orange was the main leader of the rebellion against Spanish rule during the Dutch Revolution and one of the leaders of the Eighty Years 'War. He served as the first governor of the Netherlands Republic. In the Netherlands, people often call him the "father of the country". The Dutch national anthem "Ode to Wilhelm" sings William. If the people no longer trust me, I am willing to leave far away, even to the other side of the world-William I For William, the Earl of Nassau, the God of Fate favored him very much. He inherited his father's earthen territory of the Earl of Nassau. At the age of 11, his cousin René Sharon died in battle. He inherited the title and territory of the Prince of Orange. At the age of 18, he married Anne, the heiress of the Earl of Bolen. He gained several more territories and became the leading aristocrat in the Netherlands. As a boy, he was sent to the palace in Brussels to receive an orthodox education. He was loved and valued by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his sister Maria, the female governor of the Netherlands. At the age of 22, he was appointed commander of the Mas Corps and entered the Government Council of the Governorate of the Netherlands. At the age of 26, he became the governor of the three provinces of the Netherlands, Zeeland and Utrecht. He could have lived a prosperous life gracefully like the great aristocrats of that era, living a prosperous life amidst the glory and glory of the lights. But he lived in a special era, and the god of destiny pushed him to the forefront of the times. He faced a dilemma. In 1566, a massive mass movement broke out in a small town in the Netherlands. The excited crowd quickly smashed the objects of the monastery. This fanaticism quickly spread to the entire Netherlands. It was known in history as the "Idol Destruction Movement" and kicked off the Dutch Revolution. There are many factors that gave rise to this movement. The Netherlands was the most economically developed region in Europe at that time. Wool and hemp spinning handicrafts and commerce were particularly developed, and there were many towns. But it fell under Spanish rule since 1519. The Spanish government regards it as an economic cow, and its taxes account for more than half of Spain's total treasury revenue. What caused the contradiction between the two sides to develop into a state of fire and fire was the notorious Inquisition and the "Bloody Edict", which stipulated that all heretics must be executed and their property confiscated, and that hiding and harboring heretics was equally guilty of heresy. This edict resulted in the legal killing of countless Nederlandic Calvinists, and was clearly a catalyst for a war in the majority Nederlandic Calvinist. When the Netherlands fell into another economic crisis, political and social unrest broke out. At the beginning of the movement, there were still many opportunities for positive development, and the efforts of William, Prince of Orange, and the Earl of Egmont, Admiral Horne, were also contributing to this. They had jointly submitted a petition to Governor Margaret, demanding the abolition of the "Bloody Edict", the withdrawal of Spanish troops, and the removal of unpopular bishops. After the movement broke out, they actively mediated, and the female governor also advocated taking appeasement measures. But the stubborn Catholic King Philip II stubbornly ruined the opportunity. He sent the "Iron and Blood Governor" Alpha to the Netherlands and adopted cruel suppression measures, which finally made the situation out of control. The newly established "Anti-Violence Committee" turned the Netherlands into a slaughterhouse. In this situation, William, Prince of Orange, cut off his complex with the Spanish royal family, gave up his status as a dignitary and a prosperous life, and resolutely joined the people of the Netherlands, whose blood was thicker than water. He chose to flee to Germany, spent all his money to recruit an army, and began a fighting career. William's army repeatedly ran into obstacles at first, but the rise of "sea beggars" and "forest beggars" reversed the war situation. The two teams were mainly composed of bankrupt Nederland civilians who guerrilla in the coastal areas and the Forest of Flanders and captured a number of towns, opening a gap in the iron plate of Alpha's rule. William actively cooperated, invaded the country again, and became a recognized leader of the national resistance. The Dutch War of Independence was a protracted war, which well explained the truth that "persistence is victory." The Dutch side was inferior to their opponents in terms of the number, organization and unified leadership of the army, but what they were fighting was related to their own freedom and happiness. They had enough enthusiasm to carry the war to the end, and finally dragged Spain to total bankruptcy. At the same time, Philip II made too many enemies to unite international forces to attack Spain. The Netherlands has a dense population and many towns, which determined that the Netherlands War was mainly composed of offensive and defensive battles between fortresses and castles, providing many shining examples for the battle for fortresses in the history of world wars. Among them, the famous battles were the Defense of Haarlem, the Defense of Alkmaar, and the Defense of Leiden. In the Defense of Leiden, the Dutch dug up the seawall and flooded the enemy when they ran out of ammunition and food. Victory. William personally participated in some of these battles and was known for his cool-headed mind. He was known as "William the Silent". However, military affairs were not his strong point, and his results in actual command of operations were limited. His two younger brothers both died while cooperating in the defense of Leiden. In 1580, King Philip II of Spain listed William as the most wanted man in the country and offered a heavy reward for his life. In response, William issued the famous "Apological Manifesto", criticizing the various evils of Philip II's policies and describing his mental journey to finally embark on the path of resistance and his determination to fight to the end. In 1582, the provinces of the Netherlands officially announced that they would endorse William Orange as King of the Netherlands on July 12. However, two days before this great day, a criminal bullet took Orangye's life, and the assassin's purpose was only to obtain a huge reward from Philip II. The prestige of William, Prince of Orange, has always been fixed in a high position because of his assassination. He was revered as the father of the country, and his descendants have ruled the Netherlands for generations. They have become the hereditary king of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 1815, which continues to this day. His family symbol, orange, also became the symbol of the Netherlands. Regarding the influence of the founding fathers of the Netherlands on world history, first of all, the changes in the world pattern caused by the independence of the Netherlands caused the most severe blow to the dominant Spanish Empire and declined. At the same time, a vibrant Dutch nation emerged among the great powers of Western Europe. Independence freed the Netherlands from many constraints and, inspired by the revolutionary spirit, ushered in the "golden century" of the 17th century and established maritime hegemony. If it continues to be squeezed by Spain's "monolithic" Catholic policy, the prosperity of "sea carriage drivers" will be difficult to emerge, as the comparison between the northern and southern Netherlands well illustrates this point. It must be noted that the Dutch people have always had a weak national concept. As a local leader who grew up during the War of Independence, the Prince of Orange played a great role in the cohesion of the Dutch War of Independence, and his descendants were inherited as kings, which was also of great significance to the cohesion and identity of the Dutch country. Compared with the founding heads of most countries, William, Prince of Orange, had relatively mediocre military talents. The "sea beggars" and "forest beggars" played a greater role in the War of Independence. William mainly played the role of spiritual leader. But his son Mauritz, who was a brilliant strategist, made up for it. It must also be mentioned that William was a religious tolerant, and his era was an era of religious fanaticism. The hatred between Catholicism and Protestantism led to civil wars in France and Germany, and the war in the Netherlands was also closely related to this. William's religious tolerance was invaluable in his time. The Dutch Revolution may have been a historical necessity and an expression of the will of the group at that time, but without William's various activities, the subsequent historical trajectory of the Netherlands might have been many different. The founding father of the Netherlands ranks 37th in this ranking. Comments: For William, the father of the Dutch nation, the most important event in his life was to choose between the Spanish ruler and the Dutch people. Choosing the latter means choosing a more bumpy, risky, and having greater responsibilities and honors to start a business. He succeeded, worthy of his honor, because he chose to side with public opinion and historical trends.¢Ù Since the Netherlands is the largest province in the Netherlands,"Netherlands" is often used to refer to the entire Netherlands. Before Belgium's independence in 1830, the Netherlands also included Belgium.