Johan de Witt was one of the most powerful leaders in the Dutch Republic during the 17th century. As Grand Pensionary, he helped make the Netherlands a major naval and economic power. But in 1672, known as the “Disaster Year,” the country was invaded by multiple enemies, and the public turned against him. Blamed for the crisis, de Witt and his brother were brutally killed by an angry mob. His death marked the end of republican rule in the Netherlands and the rise of the monarchy. #netherlands