Maurice of Orange

Maurice of Orange
Portrait by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, 1607
Prince of Orange
In office 20 February 1618 – 23 April 1625
Preceded by	Philip William
Succeeded by	Frederick Henry
Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland
In office 1 November 1585 – 23 April 1625
Preceded by	William the Silent
Succeeded by	Frederick Henry
Stadtholder of Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel
In office 1590 – 23 April 1625
Preceded by	Adolf van Nieuwenaar
Succeeded by	Frederick Henry
Stadtholder of Groningen
In office 1620 – 23 April 1625
Preceded by	William Louis
Succeeded by	Ernst Casimir
Personal details
Born	14 November 1567 Dillenburg, Nassau
Died	23 April 1625(1625-04-23) (aged 57) The Hague, Holland, Dutch Republic
Resting place	Nieuwe Kerk, Delft, Netherlands

Maurice of Orange (14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was stadtholder of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince of Orange 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. 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 organised 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.

Maurice was a son of William the Silent and Princess Anna of Saxony and was born at the castle of Dillenburg. He was named after his maternal grandfather, the Elector Maurice of Saxony, who was also a noted general.