Don John of Austria

Timeline

1. 1571Lepanto · GreeceOn October 7, 1571, Don John led a combined fleet of Spain, Venice, and the Papal States in a decisive battle against the Ottoman navy in the Gulf of Lepanto, sinking over a hundred enemy ships and capturing more than ten thousand prisoners, the greatest naval victory of the Christian world in the 16th century.
2. 1572–1576Brussels · NetherlandsAfter his triumph at Lepanto, Don John was appointed Governor of the Netherlands, attempting to quell the revolt in the Low Countries through a combination of conciliation and force; he proposed convening the States-General and considered reconciliation with the Prince of Orange, but made limited progress due to constraints from Philip II's policies and a lack of funds.
3. 1577–1578Granada · SpainAfter the victory at Lepanto, Don John became Governor of the Netherlands in 1576 and died of a fever near Namur (in present-day Belgium) on October 1, 1578, at the age of thirty-one. His death deprived Spain of its most militarily gifted commander, and the war in the Netherlands passed to the Duke of Parma, Alessandro Farnese.