Alva or Alba, Ferdinand Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of 1508-82
Spanish general

Born in Piedrahita, he was made Governor of Feuenterrabia at the age of 17, and he fought so well in the Battle of Pavia (1525), in Hungary against the Turks, in Charles V's expedition to Tunis and Algiers, and in Provence, that he became general at 26, and Commander-in-Chief at 30. He defended Navarre and Catalonia (1542), and in 1547 contributed greatly to Charles V's victory at M�hlberg over the Elector of Saxony. After the abdication of Charles V in 1556, Alva overran the States of the Church, but was obliged by Philip II to conclude a peace and restore all his conquests. On the revolt of the Netherlands, he was sent as lieutenant-general in 1567 to enforce Spanish control there. He established the so-called 'Bloody Council', which drove thousands of Huguenot artisans to emigrate to England. He executed Counts Egmont and Horn, then defeated William of Orange, and entered Brussels in 1568. Holland and Zeeland renewed their efforts against him, and succeeded in destroying his fleet, until he was recalled by his own wish in 1573. He later commanded the successful invasion of Portugal in 1581.