Alexis+(2ºE)

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=JOHN OF AUSTRIA=

Don John of Austria, was the nautural son of the emperor Charles V by Barbara Blomberg, the aighter of an opulent citizen of Regensburg. He was born in that free imperial city on the 24th of February 1545, the anniversary of his father´s birth and coronation and of the battle of Pavia, and was the first confided under the name of Geronimo to foster parents of humble birth living at a village near Madrid; but in 1554 he was transferred to the charge of Madalena da Ulloa, the wife of Don Luis de Quijada, and was brouhgt up in ignorance of his parentage at Quijada´s castle of Villagarcia not far from valladolid. Charles V in a codicil of his will recognized Geronimo as his son, and recommended him to care of his successor. In September 1559 Philip II of Spain publicly recognized the boy as a memeber of the royal family, and he was Known at court as Don Juan de Austria. For three years he was educated at Alcalfi, and had as school companions his nephews, the infante Don Carlos and Alessandreo Farnese, prince of Parma. With Don Carlos his relations were specially friendly, It had been Philip´s intention that Don John should become a monk, but he showd a strong inclination for a soldier´s career and the king yielded. In 1568 Don John was appointed to the command of a squadrom of 33 galleys, and his first operations were against the Algerian pirates. His next services were (1569-70) against the rebel Moriscos in Granada.In 1571 a nobler field of action was opened to him. The conquest of Cyprus by the Turks had led the Christian powers of the Mediterranean to fear for the safety of the Adriatic. A league between Spain and Venice was effected by the efforts of Pope Pius V to resist the Turkish advance to the west, and Don John was named admiral in chief of the combined fleet at Lepanto on the 7th of October 1571, and gained a complete victory. Only forty Turkish vessels effected their scape, and it was computed that 35,000 of their men were slain or capture while 15,000 Christians galley slaves were release. Unfortunately, throught divisions and jealousies between the allies, the fruits of one of the most decisive naval victories in history were to a great extent lost.

This great trumph aroused Don John´s ambition and filled imagination with schemes of personal aggrandizement. He thought of erecting firs a principality in Albania and the Morea, and the a kingdom in Tunis. But the conclusion by Venice of a separate peace with the sultam put an end to the league, and thought Don John captured Tunis in 1573, it was again speedily lost. The schemes of Don John found no support in Philip II, who refused to entertain them, and even withhld from his half-brother the title of infante od Spain. Atlast, however, he was appointed (1576) governor- general of the Netherlands, in succession to Luis de Requensens. The administration of the latter had not been successful, the revolt headed by the Prince of Orange had spread, and at the time of Don John´s nomination the Pacification of ghent appeared to have united the whole of the seventeen provinces of the Netherlands in determined opposition to Spanish rule and the policy of Phillp II. The magic of Don John´s name, and the grat qualities of wich he had given proof, were to recover what had been lost. He was, however, now brought into contact with an adversary of a very different calibre fom himsef. This was Willyam of Orange, whose influence was now supreme throughout the Netherlands. The Pacification of Ghent which was really a treaty between Holland and Zeeleand and the otheer provinces for the defense of their common interests against Spanish sldiery and officials from the Netherlands. Confrocted by the refusal of tthe states general to accept himas a governor unless he assented to the conditios of the Pacification og Ghent, swore to mantain the rights and privileges of the provinces, and to employ only Netherlanders in his service, Don John, after some monthas of fruiless negotiatios, saw himself compelled to give way. At Huey on the 12th of Frebuary 1577 he signed a treaty, known as the "Perpetual Edict", in which he complied wiht these terms. On the 1st of May he mase his entry into Brussels, nut he found himself governor-general only in name, and the Prince of Orange master of the situation. In July he suddenly betook himself to Namur and withdrew his concessions.William of Orange forhtwith took up his residence at Brussels, and gave his support to the archduke Matthias, afterwards emperor,whom the states-general accepted as their sovereing. Meanwhile Philip had sent large reinforcements to Don John now suddenly attacked the patroiot army at Gemblours, where, chiefly by the skill and daring of Farnese, a complete victory was gained on the 31st of January 1578. He could not, however, follow up his succes for lack with which his appeals for the sinews of war were treated by Philip. His health gave way, he was attacked with feve, and on the 1st of Octiber 1578, at the early age of 33, Don John died, heartbroken at the failure of all his soaring ambitions, and the repeated proofs that he had received of the king his brother´s jealoudy and neglect.

Here you can see a newspaper article I have created:

=NEWSPAPER ARTICLE=

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