Johan de Witt

Johan de Witt (° September 24th 1625 with Dordrecht - † August 20th 1672 with $the Hague) was Large-boarder (station which was always occupied by representatives of the province of Holland) of the United Provinces of 1653 with 1672.

Born in 1625 in a patrician family from Dordrecht, it is most important representing Dutch middle-class in the government of the republic of the United Provinces, which it directs in fact during 20 years.

Johan de Witt studied the right to the Université of Leyde. Geometrician at his hours, it published Elementa curvarum linearum (1649) treating generation of the conic sections by pantograph S. This work was published in appendix of the republication of the geometry of Rene Descartes published in 1659 by the friend of Witt, Frans van Schooten, mathematics professor.

In 1654, it concludes peace with the England from Cromwell. After a new war in 1665-1666, by the treaty of Bréda it must yield to English New Amsterdam (current New York).

It reinforces freedoms of the cities of the United Provinces. In 1667, by the perpetual Edict, it makes prohibit with the Maison of Orange-Nassau the function of general Stathouder. In 1668, against Louis XIV, it forms an alliance with the Sweden and England, which leads to the first treated of Aachen. In 1672, it cannot prevent Louis XIV from invading the Netherlands (Guerre of Holland). The August 20th, it is massacred, with his/her Cornélis brother, by Orangistes, which have just obtained the re-establishment of the stathoudérat for Guillaume III of Orange.

Literature

the novel '' the black tulip '' of Alexandre Dumas opens on the massacre of Johan de Witt by crowd.

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