Juan José de Austria
| John of Austria the Younger | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 7 April 1629 |
| Died | 17 September 1679 (aged 50) |
| Parent(s) |
Philip IV of Spain María Calderón |
John of Austria (the Younger) or John Joseph of Austria (Spanish: Don Juan José de Austria) (7 April 1629 – 17 September 1679) was a Spanish general and political figure. He was the only bastard son of Philip IV of Spain to be acknowledged by the King and trained for military command and political administration. Don John advanced the causes of the Spanish Crown militarily and diplomatically at Naples, Sicily, Catalonia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Dunkirk and other fronts, and remained a popular hero even as the fortunes of Imperial Spain began to decline. In 1677 in a palace coup he took control of the monarchy of his half-brother Charles II of Spain, but he proved far from the savior Spain had hoped he would be. He remained in power until his death in 1679.
His mother was María Calderón (La Calderona), a popular actress, who was forced into a convent shortly after his birth. He was raised in León by a woman of modest circumstances who likely did not know his parentage, though he received "a careful education" at Ocaña (Toledo). In 1642, the King recognized him officially as his son, and John began his life's career as a military representative of his father's interests.
Don John was sent in 1647 to Naples, then in the throes of the popular rising first led by Masaniello, with a naval squadron and a military force, to support the viceroy. There he played a waiting game. While the Duke of Arcos inserted agents, Don John surrounded the seething city with his forces until the exhaustion of the insurgents and the follies of their French leader, Henry, duke of Guise allowed him to move in, crush the remains of the revolt and drive out the, by then, despised French.
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