25. History: Even though in politics it always has been prudent to not speak your mind carelessly, only one national leader received a nickname that gives credit to the fact that he put a cork in it at the right time. Which one is it?
From Quiz Put a Cork in it!
Answer:
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange, is better known as William the Silent. In the mid 1500s, at a time when Protestantism and Catholicism clashed, every leader in Europe had an opinion, leading to a widely accepted policy of whatever religion a territory's leader has, that is the religion of all his subjects. Being the de facto leader of the Netherlands, William was the exception to this rule, having the then revolutionary opinion that religion is an individual choice, not the responsibility of the leader.
Even though the precise origin of the nickname isn't known, he received it mainly for not taking sides in the religious debate, which would have alienated him from half his subjects and half of the crowned heads of Europe.