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| Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma |
| A Christian champion, diplomat, statesman, and probably the greatest military mind of his time was Alessandro Farnese, son of Duke Ottavio Farnese of Parma and Margaret of Austria, the daughter of the Emperor Charles V. Coming from such strongly Christian roots, it is little wonder that young Alexander would grow up to be one of the greatest defenders of the Church. He was born in Rome on August 27, 1545 and later accompanied his mother to Brussels when she was appointed Governor of the Netherlands. It was there in 1565 that he wed Princess Maria of Portugal before moving to the court of Madrid. Young Alessandro grew up alongside his famous cousin Don Juan of Austria, and fought under him at the great Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto in 1571, earning a high reputation for his skill and bravery. His next and most crucial call to duty came after the Protestant led revolt in the Netherlands under William of Orange. Even the famed Don Juan of Austria was pushed to the limit trying to deal with the Dutch and their innovative military tactics. In 1577 King Philip II ordered the Duke of Parma to lead a column of reinforcements to come to Don Juan's aid. Thanks to Parma's quick thinking and martial skill the battle of Gemblours in 1578 was won for the Spanish cause. Shortly thereafter the weary and ailing Don Juan died and Allesandro was appointed to replace him as Governor-General. The task facing the Duke of Parma looked near impossible. The Prince of Orange had united most of the provinces (the declared 'Republic of the United Netherlands') and was recieving help from most of the Protestant states in Europe, eager for any opportunity to strike at the House of Hapsburg. However, the Duke of Parma displayed his military as well as political genius and proved to be more than a match for William the Silent. He persuaded the Walloons of the south to return to the King and then set out to retake all of the land that had been lost to the Dutch rebels. He systematically recaptured Tournai, Maastricht, Breda, Bruges and Ghent before besieging the ultimate prize of Antwerp in 1584. Despite the aid of the brilliant Italian engineer Gianibelli, the Duke of Parma was able to come up with an ingenius method for cutting off all access to the port city and on August 15, 1585 the city surrendered. Parma was generous to his defeated enemies, but required that all Protestants leave the city within two years time. Because of the Farnese's victories, all of the lowlands had been recaptured with the exception of Holland and Zeeland, upon which any attack would require naval support. The famous Spanish Armada of 1588 was meant to pick up his forces for the invasion of England, but the effort failed. Furthermore, just as Parma was on the verge of total victory over the Dutch, the triumphant English were able to send over considerable forces and frustrate the weary Spanish troops. The best Parma could do was hold the lands in the |
| south against further attack, ensuring Belgium would remain a Catholic country. In 1590, the Duke of Parma again managed to save the day when his Spanish Army relieved the siege of Paris. France was in the midst of the Wars of Religion against Henry IV. While winning another victory lifting the siege of Rouen in 1592 Alessandro was severely wounded. He retired after this battle and moved to the abbey of St Waast, near Arras, where he died on December 3, 1592. Although skilled in many areas, Parma will be most remembered for his unmatched skill as a general. However, it is also worth remembering why he fought, and how different Europe would look today were it not for his brilliant victories in defense of his King, his country and Mother Holy Church. |
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