Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''
stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
except for
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
upon the death of his eldest half-brother
Philip William in 1618, he was known as Maurice of Nassau.
Maurice spent his youth in
Dillenburg in
Nassau, and studied in
Heidelberg and
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
. He succeeded his father
William the Silent as stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland in 1585, and became stadtholder of Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel in 1590, and of Groningen in 1620. As Captain-General and Admiral of the Union, Maurice organized the
Dutch rebellion against Spain into a coherent, successful revolt and won fame as a military strategist. Under his leadership and in cooperation with the
Land's Advocate of Holland Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, the
Dutch States Army achieved many victories and drove the Spaniards out of the north and east of the Republic. Maurice set out to revive and revise the classical doctrines of
Vegetius and pioneered the new European forms of armament and drill. During the
Twelve Years' Truce, a religious dispute broke out in the Republic, and a conflict erupted between Maurice and Van Oldenbarnevelt, which ended with the latter's decapitation. After the Truce, Maurice failed to achieve more military victories. He died without legitimate children in The Hague in 1625 and was succeeded by his younger half-brother
Frederick Henry.
Life
Maurice was the son of
William the Silent and
Anna of Saxony and was born at the
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
of
Dillenburg. He was named after his maternal grandfather, the
Elector
Elector may refer to:
* Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors
* Elector, a member of an electoral college
** Confederate elector, a member of ...
Maurice of Saxony, who was also a noted general.
Maurice never married but was the father of illegitimate children by
Margaretha van Mechelen (including
Willem of Nassau, Lord of the Lek
Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, ...
, and
Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd
Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd (1602 – The Hague, 28 February 1665) was a Dutch soldier. He was the illegitimate son of Margaretha van Mechelen and Maurice, Prince of Orange, and so a collateral member of the House of Orang ...
) and
Anna van de Kelder
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221)
...
. He was raised in Dillenburg by his uncle
Johan of Nassau
Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg (22 November 1536 – 8 October 1606) was the second son of William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen, William the Rich and the younger brother of William the Silent. He has a special place in the history of the Neth ...
(Jan the Old).
Together with his cousin
Willem Lodewijk he studied in
Heidelberg and later in
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
where he met
Simon Stevin. The States of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
and
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
paid for his studies, as their father had run into financial problems after spending his entire fortune in the early stages of the
Dutch revolt.

Only 16 when his father was murdered in
Delft in 1584, he soon was appointed to his father's office of
stadtholder (''Stadhouder''). The monarchs of England and France had been requested to accept sovereignty but had refused. This had left Maurice as the only acceptable candidate for the position of Stadtholder. He became stadtholder of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
and
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
in 1585,
of
Guelders,
Overijssel and
Utrecht in 1590 and of
Groningen and
Drenthe
Drenthe () is a provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen (province), Groningen to the north, and the G ...
in 1620 (following the death of Willem Lodewijk, who had been stadtholder there and in
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
).
Protestant Maurice was preceded as
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
(not a Dutch title) by his Roman Catholic eldest half-brother
Philip William, Prince of Orange, deceased 1618. However, Philip William was in the custody of Spain, remaining so until 1596, and was thus unable to lead the Dutch independence cause.
Maria of Nassau (1556–1616) was a full sister of Philip William from the first marriage of
William I, Prince of Orange, (assassinated 1584), to wealthy and powerful aristocrat
Anna van Egmont (1533–1558), and a contender to Maurice over the estate of their father.
He was appointed captain-general of the army in 1587, bypassing the
Earl of Leicester, who returned to England on hearing this news.
Military career
Maurice organized the
rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
against Spain into a coherent, successful revolt. He reorganized the
Dutch States Army together with
Willem Lodewijk, studied
military history, strategy and
tactics, mathematics and
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
, and proved himself to be among the best strategists of his age. The
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Re ...
was a challenge to his style, so he could prove himself a good leader by taking several Spanish outposts. Paying special attention to the siege theories of
Simon Stevin, he took valuable key fortresses and towns during a period known as the ''Ten Glory Years'':
Breda in 1590,
Zutphen,
Knodsenburg in 1591,
Steenwijk and
Coevorden in 1592,
Geertruidenberg in 1593, and
Groningen in 1594. In 1597 he went on a further offensive and took
Rheinberg
Rheinberg () is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel.
It comprises the municipal districts of Rheinberg, Borth, Budberg, an ...
,
Meurs,
Groenlo,
Bredevoort,
Enschede,
Ootmarsum, and
Oldenzaal and closed off the year with the
capture of Lingen. These victories rounded out the borders to the Dutch Republic, solidifying the revolt and allowing a national state to develop behind secure borders. They also established Maurice as the foremost general of his time. Many of the great generals of the succeeding generation, including his brother
Frederick Henry and many of the commanders of the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...
, learned their trade under his command.
For a series of maps showing Maurice's campaigns to extend and consolidate the borders of the Republic, see
Gallery of Maps of the 80 Years War (in Dutch).
His victories in the pitched battles at
Turnhout (1597) and at
Nieuwpoort (1600) were dependent on his innovation of cooperation between arms, with his cavalry playing a major role. The victories earned him military fame and acknowledgement throughout Europe. Despite these successes, the
House of Orange did not attain great respect among European royalty, as the Stadtholdership was not inheritable.
The training of his army was especially important to
early modern warfare and the
Military Revolution of 1560–1650. Previous generals had made use of drill and exercise in order to instill discipline or to keep the men physically fit, but for Maurice, they "were the fundamental postulates of tactics." This change affected the entire conduct of warfare, since it required the officers to train men in addition to leading them, decreased the size of the basic infantry unit for functional purposes since more specific orders had to be given in battle, and the decrease in
herd behavior
Herd behavior is the behavior of individuals in a group acting collectively without centralized direction. Herd behavior occurs in animals in herds, Pack (canine), packs, bird flocks, fish schools and so on, as well as in humans. Voting, Demonst ...
required more initiative and intelligence from the average soldier. One major contribution was the introduction of
volley fire, which enabled soldiers to compensate for the inaccuracy of their weapons by firing in a large group. It was first used in European combat at the battle of Nieuwpoort in 1600.

As part of his efforts to find allies against Spain, Maurice received Moroccan envoys such as
Al-Hajari. They discussed the possibility of an alliance between
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
, the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
and the Moriscos, against the common enemy Spain.
Al-Hajari's journey chronicles, authored in 1637, mentions in detail the discussion for a combined offensive against Spain.
Maurice was known in his time and by historians as the first general of his age. His reputation rests not as much on his ability to win and exploit field battles as it does on his expertise as a siege commander, military organizer, and innovator. Of his two great adversaries,
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, and
Ambrogio Spinola, he cautiously never allowed himself to be brought to battle with Parma and did not follow up chances to offer Spinola battle with forces in his favour on the Yssel in 1606. He was, however, dealt a defeat by the Spanish general at the
battle of Mülheim
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in October 1605. Based on his preference for sieges and small-scale actions, historian
David Trim
David J.B. Trim is a historian, archivist, and educator whose specialties are in European military history and religious history. Currently, he is the director of Archives, Statistics, and Research at the World Headquarters of Seventh-day Adve ...
states that it is difficult to reach a verdict on his ability as a tactician.
Jonathan Israel notes that on one of the rare occasions when he did have to fight a major battle in the open – the 1600
Battle of Nieuwpoort – it did end with a Dutch victory, but this outcome was highly risky, and Maurice took care to extricate his army and avoid a second such battle.
Maurice founded a whole new school of military professional practice. These pointed the way to the professional armies of the future by reapplying Roman tactics and innovating in the fields of logistics, training, and economics (e.g. paying troops regularly and on time). Many graduates of service under Maurice, such as his nephew, the
Marshal Turenne, or his disciples such as
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, applied the Mauritian reforms to great effect in the remainder of the 17th century.
Maurice and Oldenbarnevelt
Maurice started out as the protégé of Landsadvocaat (
Land's Advocate, i.e. secretary to the nobility of Holland and legal counsel to the States of Holland, but functioning as de facto chief minister of Holland and the States-General)
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, but gradually tensions rose between these two men. Against Maurice's advice, and despite his protests, Van Oldenbarnevelt decided to sign the
Twelve Years' Truce with Spain, which lasted from 1609 to 1621. The required funds to maintain the army and navy and the general course of the war were other topics of constant struggle.
With the religious troubles between
Gomarists (strict
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
s) and the
Remonstrants (
Arminians), the struggle between Van Oldenbarnevelt and Maurice reached a climax. Van Oldenbarnevelt was arrested, tried and decapitated despite numerous requests for mercy. From 1618 till his death Maurice now enjoyed uncontested power over the Republic. He expanded the Stadtholder's palace at the
Binnenhof in
the Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...
. The Maurice Tower is now part of the building complex of the
Senate of the Netherlands. In 1618, he also succeeded his elder half-brother
Philip William as
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
, a title he seems rarely to have used.
Maurice urged his cadet half brother
Frederick Henry to marry in order to preserve the
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
.
Thirty Years' and Eighty Years' War
Historian
Jonathan Israel places upon Maurice part of the responsibility for the outbreak of the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...
in which Germany was devastated and a large part of its population killed. As noted by Israel, German Protestants were not eager for an all-out confrontation with the Catholics. Maurice significantly helped precipitate such a confrontation by persuading his nephew
Frederick V, Elector Palatine, to accept the Bohemian Crown, as well as actively encouraging the Bohemians to
confront Habsburg rule, providing them 50,000 guilders as well as sending Dutch troops to fight in the doomed
Battle of the White Mountain. This ill-considered decision proved disastrous to the Bohemians, who were thereby plunged into prolonged oppression, and to Frederick who lost his ancestral lands. It also worsened the Dutch Republic's own strategic position.
In 1621 the war with Spain resumed after a 12-year period of truces. The Spanish, led by
Ambrogio Spinola, had notable successes, including the
Siege of Breda, the old Nassau family residence, in 1625.
Maurice died on 23 April 1625, with the siege still underway.
Justin of Nassau surrendered Breda in June 1625 after a costly eleven-month siege.

:
List of battles
Maurice participated in these battles as principal commander of Dutch forces:
*
Axel
*
1st Bergen op Zoom, 1588
*
Medemblik, 1588
*
3rd Breda, 1590
*
2nd Steenbergen, 1590
*
3rd Zutphen, 1591
*
2nd Deventer, 1591
*
Delfzijl, 1591
*
Knodsenburg, 1591
*
Hulst, 1591
*
Nijmegen, 1591
*
Steenwijk, 1592
*
1st Coevorden, 1592
*
Gertrudenberg, 1593
*
2nd Coevorden, 1593
*
Groningen, 1594
*
2nd Groenlo, 1595
*
1st Hulst, 1596
*
Turnhout, 1597
*
2nd Venlo, 1597
*
2nd Rheinberg, 1597
*
1st Meurs, 1597
*
3rd Groenlo, 1597
*
1st Bredevoort, 1597
*
Enschede, 1597
*
Ootmarsum, 1597
*
1st Oldenzaal, 1597
*
1st Lingen, 1597
*
2nd Meurs, 1598
*
3rd Rheinberg, 1598
*
Doetinchem
*
Rees, 1599
*
Zaltbommel (1599)
*
San Andreas
*
Nieuwpoort, 1600
*
Ostend, 1601
*
Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch (1601)
*
Siege of Sluis (1604)
*
2nd Oldenzaal, 1605
*
2nd Lingen, 1605
*
Mülheim, 1605
*
Wachtendonk
*
Krakau Castle
*
2nd Bredevoort, 1606
*
4th Rheinberg, 1606
*
4th Groenlo, 1606
*
3rd Venlo, 1606
*
Jülich, 1621–22
*
2nd Bergen op Zoom, 1622
*
3rd Steenbergen, 1622
*
4th Breda, 1624
Namesakes
* The island nation of
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
, located in the Indian Ocean, was named after him. The island was named in the prince's honour by Wybrant Warwijck in 1598 and Dutch emigrants first settled it in May 1638.
* In 1611, the Dutch variously named what is now known as the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
the Mauritius River or the Mauritz River, in honour of the prince. It was also similarly referred to as the Nassau River.
Coat of arms and titles

Maurice, besides being stadtholder of several provinces and Captain-General, both non-hereditary and appointive titles, was the hereditary
sovereign of the
principality of Orange
The Principality of Orange (french: la Principauté d'Orange; oc, Principat d'Aurenja) was, from 1163 to 1713, a feudal state in Provence, in the south of modern-day France, on the east bank of the river Rhone, north of the city of Avignon, a ...
in what is today
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border ...
in France. He also was the lord of many other estates, which formed his wealth:
*
Marquis
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...
of
Veere and
Vlissingen
Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...
*
Count of Nassau-Dillenburg
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count ...
,
Buren,
Leerdam,
Katzenelnbogen, and
Vianden
*
Viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...
of
Antwerp and
Besançon
*
Baron of Aggeris,
Breda,
Cranendonck,
Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg,
Eindhoven,
City of Grave,
Lek,
IJsselstein,
Diest,
Grimbergen
Grimbergen () is a municipality in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, 10 km north of the capital Brussels. It comprises the towns of Beigem, Grimbergen, Humbeek, and Strombeek-Bever. In 2017, it had a population of 37,030 and an area ...
,
Herstal,
Warneton, ,
Bentheim-Lingen,
Moers,
Arlay, and
Nozeroy
Nozeroy () is a commune in the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Jura department
The following is a list of the 494 communes of the Jura department of France.
The commune ...
;
Lord of
Dasburg,
Geertruidenberg,
Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe,
Klundert,
Montfort,
Naaldwijk,
Niervaart,
Polanen,
Steenbergen,
Sint-Maartensdijk,
Willemstad
Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the capital of the Netherlands Antilles p ...
,
Bütgenbach,
Sankt Vith, and
Besançon.
During his lifetime he kept using the arms as during his father's life-time shown here, and never changed to the simpler arms used by his father and half brothers.
Descendants
Maurice never married but was the father of several illegitimate children:
by
Margaretha van Mechelen:
*
Willem of Nassau, Lord of the Lek
Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, ...
(1601–1627)
*
Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd
Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd (1602 – The Hague, 28 February 1665) was a Dutch soldier. He was the illegitimate son of Margaretha van Mechelen and Maurice, Prince of Orange, and so a collateral member of the House of Orang ...
(Lodewijk) (1604–1665)
[
* Maurice (Maurits) (1604–1617)][
by Cornelia Jacobsdochter:
* Anna (?–1673)]
by Ursula de Rijck:
* Elisabeth (1611–1679)
* Karl (Carel) (ca. 1612–1637)
by Anna van de Kelder:
* Karl (Carel) Maurice[
by Deliana de Backer:
* Eleonora (?–1673)
]
See also
* Dutch Empire (begun during his reign, circa 1603–1605)
* Dutch Revolt
References
Further reading
*
*
* John Lothrop Motley, "History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Synod of Dort". London: John Murray, 1860.
* John Lothrop Motley, "The Life and Death of John of Barenvelt". New York & London: Harper and Brothers Publishing, 1900.
* Petrus Johannes Blok, "History of the people of the Netherlands". New York: G. P. Putnam's sons, 1898.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
1567 births
Counts of Nassau
1625 deaths
People from Dillenburg
Dutch stadtholders
Dutch military commanders
Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War (United Provinces)
17th-century Dutch military personnel
17th-century Dutch politicians
House of Orange-Nassau
Princes of Orange
Lords of Breda
Knights of the Garter
Burials in the Royal Crypt at Nieuwe Kerk, Delft
Military strategists
People of the Anglo-Spanish War (1625–1630)