Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma

Alexander Farnese (Italian Alessandro Farnese, Spanish Alejandro Farnesio, French Alexandre Farnese, born August 27, 1545 Rome, † December 3, 1592 in Arras ) was an important Italian commander and diplomat in the service of Spain.

Origin

He was the son of Duke Ottavio Farnese of Parma and Margaret of Parma, the illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V, thus a nephew of King Philip II of Spain and of Don Juan de Austria. He made a significant military and diplomatic career in the service of Spain, spoke Italian, Spanish, Latin, French and Dutch, fought in the Battle of Lepanto (1571 ) and then in the Netherlands.

Alessandro Farnese grew up in Spain at the court of his uncle, together with the unfortunate Don Carlos, his cousin, and Don Juan de Austria, his uncle, both of which were in his old age; he accompanied his mother to Brussels when she was appointed Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, and celebrated on 11 November 1565 in Brussels, his marriage to Maria of Portugal ( born December 8, 1538 † July 8, 1577, daughter of Prince Edward of Portugal (1515-1540)) with great pomp. After that he moved to Madrid, where he spent seven years before he got the chance to ask his important military talent.

Career

In these years ( Eighty Years' War ( 1568-1648 ) for the liberation of the Spanish Netherlands ), the provinces of the Netherlands had risen against Spanish rule, and Don Juan, who had been sent as governor-general, to restore order, was on talent and influence of William I of Orange failed, who had managed to unite all the provinces in the resistance against the civil and religious tyranny of Philip. In the fall of 1577 Alessandro was sent at the head of reinforcements to support Don Juan, and is especially his decision-making power at a critical moment to thank that the Battle of Gemblours 1578 was recovered. A short time later died Don Juan, whose health was never the best, and Alessandro Farnese was appointed as his successor.

He faced enormous difficulties, there was the challenge but also grown. As a military man he was inferior to no contemporaries, as a skilled diplomat, he was a worthy opponent William I, was a politician - like most of the leading statesmen of the time - unscrupulous enough to use all means, if they only led to the goal. He realized that cracks and jealousies in the leadership of his opponents existed between Catholics and Protestants, Flemings and Walloons, and sat persuasion and bribery in order to strengthen the growing discord, and bring the Walloon provinces back under the rule of the king. In the Union of Arras, he secured in January 1579 the support of the disaffected Catholic aristocracy of the South. The answer was the Union of Utrecht few weeks later, in the renounced the seven northern provinces of the reign of King Philip, and banded together to maintain their independence from the Spanish crown. The southern provinces joined in May the Peace of Arras ( 1579).

Farnese had won in Hainaut and Artois a secure base of operations, and only went from Brabant and Flanders recapture. City to city fell into his hands, Tournai, Maastricht, Breda, Bruges and Ghent opened their gates to him, and finally he went to the siege of Antwerp on. The city was the wide Schelde open, otherwise heavily fortified and defended with determination and courage of the citizens. Their leader was the famous Philip van Marnix, who was supported by an ingenious Italian engineer named Federigo Giambelli. The Siege of Antwerp began in 1584 and challenged the whole military genius of Farnese. He cut off Antwerp's access from the seaward side by he built a bridge of boats across the Scheldt from Calloo to Oordam, which sought to prevent with a desperate effort to the besieged. On August 15, 1585 Antwerp had to retire. Although the conditions were favorable negotiated, but also that all Protestants had to leave the city within two years. With the fall of Antwerp (Mechelen and Brussels were already in hand Farnese ) were the entire southern Netherlands brought back under Spanish rule. Later he conquered funds and Groningen. Holland and Zealand on the other hand, the geographical position enabled access only to water were to resist by the courage and the experience of its seafaring population and the help of Queen Elizabeth I. skillful British troops in a position to further advance.

1586 was Alexander Farnese after the death of his father, Duke of Parma and Piacenza. He asked for permission to visit his paternal inheritance, but was negatively decided by Philip, as he could not replace him in the Netherlands. And although he kept him in command of the army, he did not give him the permission to use it for a conquest of England, for the Farnese temporarily believed with 30,000 soldiers get along, forth without support from the lake, but relying on an uprising of the native Catholic population. Philipp rejected him, but himself began putting together the Spanish Armada, and ordered Farnese, even advance against Ostend and Sluis. Sluis fell in August 1587, the Armada reached the English Channel a year later. After the sinking of the Armada Farnese left in September 1588 camp, which he had pitched at Dunkirk.

The following year, Alexander Farnese was back in the Netherlands, but has now - after the assassination of the French king Henry III. ordered on 23 December 1589 to France. He fought here in 1590 in support of the Catholic opposition to Henry IV, until he died in Arras in 1592.

Alessandro Farnese and Maria of Portugal had three children:

• Margherita Farnese ( born November 7, 1567 † April 13, 1643 ) ∞ 1581, divorced in 1582, Vincenzo I Gonzaga ( 1562-1612 ), Duke of Mantua
• Ranuccio I Farnese (1569-1622), Duke of Parma in 1592
• ODOARDO Farnese ( born December 7, 1573 † February 21, 1626 ), 1591 Cardinal