Balthasar Gérard
Assassin of William the Silent, first recorded firearm killing of a head of state.
Balthasar Gérard, born around 1557 in Vuillafans, Franche-Comté, came into the world shortly after Philip II of Spain took the throne, making him a subject of the Spanish king by birth. His father, Jean Gérard, was a landowner and jurist with some standing in the community, while his mother, Barbe d'Emskerque, likely had family ties to the Dutch village of Heemskerk. She had one sister and five brothers; two of those brothers became priests, and the other three faced legal troubles over suspected Lutheran sympathies. This upbringing likely shaped Gérard’s devout Roman Catholic faith and led him to study law at the University of Dole. On 15 March 1580, King Philip offered 25,000 crowns, a peerage, and an inheritable estate to anyone who killed or captured William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch Revolt, whom the king called a "pest on the whole of Christianity and the enemy of the human race." Gérard, already a fervent admirer of Philip, was spurred into action.
In 1582, Gérard learned that Juan de Jáuregui had already attempted to assassinate William the Silent, but the plot failed. In March 1584, Gérard traveled to Trier and presented his plan to the regent of the Jesuits, but another Jesuit persuaded him to change his approach and go to the prince of Parma instead. In Tournai, after consulting a Franciscan named Father Gery, Gérard wrote a letter, leaving a copy with the convent’s guardian and giving the original to the prince of Parma. In it, he stated, "The vassal ought always to prefer justice and the will of the king to his own life." The prince initially thought Gérard unsuitable, but after discussing the letter with Haultepenne and others, he assigned Christoffel d'Assonleville to speak with him. Assonleville asked Gérard to put his plan in writing, which he did on 11 April 1584. Gérard also requested absolution from the prince of Parma, as he would be "about to keep company for some time with heretics and atheists, and in some sort to conform himself to their customs." He asked for 50 crowns for expenses but was refused. "I will provide myself out of my own purse," he told Assonleville, "and within six weeks you will hear of me." Assonleville replied, "Go forth, my son ...
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- c. 1557
- Birth Place
- Vuillafans, Franche-Comté, Holy Roman Empire
- Death Date
- 1584-07-14
- Death Place
- Delft, Holland
- Known For
- Assassination of William the Silent
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Gérard was born in Vuillafans in the Franche-Comté, shortly after Philip II of Spain's accession. His father, Jean Gérard, was a landowner and jurist; his mother, Barbe d'Emskerque, had family roots in Heemskerk. Two of her brothers became priests, and three were embroiled in legal battles over Lutheran sympathies. This background likely contributed to Gérard's devout Roman Catholic faith and his decision to study law at the University of Dole. On 15 March 1580, King Philip offered a reward of 25,000 crowns, peerage, and an inheritable estate to anyone who killed or captured William the Silent. Gérard, already a great admirer of the king, was incited to action.
In 1582, Gérard learned that Juan de Jáuregui had already attempted to assassinate William the Silent, but the plot failed. In March 1584, he traveled to Trier, where he put his plan before the regent of the Jesuits.
Reader's Guide
Balthazar Gérard's assassination of William the Silent marks a turning point in political violence: it is the first recorded use of a handheld firearm to kill a head of state. The event underscored the escalating brutality of the Dutch Revolt and the lengths to which Philip II's supporters would go. Gérard's trial and execution, described as brutal even by 16th-century standards, included burning his right hand, tearing flesh with pincers, quartering, disembowelment, and beheading. Despite torture, he reportedly showed no despair, comparing himself to David slaying Goliath. His family was rewarded with three estates and raised to the peerage, though the promised 25,000 crowns went unpaid due to Spain's near-bankruptcy. The estates were later returned to William's son, Philip William, in 1595. Gérard's act did not end the revolt but solidified William's status as a martyr for Dutch independence. The long gap—over 200 years—before another head of state was killed by a firearm highlights how exceptional this method was at the time.
Did You Know?
- Gérard was one of the first recorded people to assassinate a head of state with a firearm.
- He purchased pistols and chopped bullets from a soldier the day before the shooting.
- His execution included having his right hand burned off, flesh torn with pincers, and being quartered alive.
- More than 200 years passed before another head of state was killed by a firearm, when Gustav III of Sweden was fatally wounded in 1792.
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