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Death of Don Juan of Austria

Type Event Region Europe Time 1578

On 1 October 1578 Don Juan of Austria, half-brother of Philip II of Spain and hero of Lepanto, died of typhus at Namur in the Netherlands at only 31;…

Timeline

  1. 1576–1578Netherlands · NetherlandsAfter the Duke of Alba was dismissed in 1576, Philip II appointed his half-brother Don Juan as governor of the Netherlands. Drawing on his prestige as victor of Lepanto, Don Juan tried to win over the rebellious provinces, proposing the Perpetual Edict to guarantee local privileges while preparing military suppression.
  2. 1578Namur · BelgiumDon Juan contracted typhus in the camp at Namur, his condition rapidly worsened, and he died at only 31. Before his death he had been planning a marriage with Queen Elizabeth I of England to isolate the rebels and preparing a large-scale offensive against the Dutch rebel army; these plans ended with his death.
  3. 1578–1580Netherlands · NetherlandsAfter Don Juan's death, Philip II appointed Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma, as governor of the Netherlands. The seven northern provinces continued their war of independence under William, Prince of Orange; Spain lost the chance to quickly pacify the revolt through a combined policy of conciliation and force, and the Eighty Years' War entered a long stalemate.

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