William I of Gelders and Jülich

William I of Gelders and Jülich (March 5 1364 - Arnhem, February 16 1402) was from 1377 as William I Duke of Guelders and from 1393 as William III Duke of Jülich.

William was the eldest son of Duke William II of Jülich and Maria of Guelders, halfsister of Reginald III, Duke of Guelders.

When Reginald III of Guelders died without heirs, William II of Jülich claimed the Duchy in the name of his wife. This led to the War of the Succession of Guelders against John II, Count of Blois, who was married to Machteld, an other sister of Reginald of Guelders.
In 1377 Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor bestowed Guelders to William the son, but it took two more years to consolidate his authority over the entire Duchy.

William I participated in the crusades against East Prussia (1383, 1388/1389,1393), and fought in 1386-1388 with his father successfully against the Duchy of Brabant. In 1393 his father died and William also inherited the Duchy of Jülich, as William III.

He was involved in the Hundred Years' War, where he supported England against France, as well as in the Imperial politics, where he played an important role as he was in control of the coronation-road between Frankfurt and Aachen. He thus prevented the coronation of Rupert of Germany in 1400.
He also expanded both the Duchy of Guelders and the Duchy of Jülich.

William III married in 1379 to Catharina of Bavaria (1360 - 1400), daughter of Albert I, Duke of Bavaria and widow of his cousin Eduard of Guelders. The marriage remained childless, so William III was succeeded by his brother Reinoud IV.

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