Maurice, Prince of Orange

Born in Dillenburg in 1567, Maurice was educated at Heidelberg and Leiden before inheriting his father William the Silent's position as stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland in 1585. Working with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, the Land's Advocate, he reorganized the Dutch States Army using classical principles from Vegetius, pioneering siege tactics and drill systems that became the template for early modern European warfare. His victories cleared Spanish forces from much of the northern and eastern Netherlands, earning him recognition as one of the era's foremost strategists. The Twelve Years' Truce…