Joost de Soete

Joost de Soete or de Zoete, Lord of Villers or Villiers, (1510–1520, Sluis - March 1589, The Hague) was a Dutch nobleman and military commander who fought in the early years of the Eighty Years' War.

De Soete was the third son Alexander de Zoete, knight and governor of Zeeland, and Johanna van Ranst, lady of Hautin, who had married in 1502.

Field Marshal De Soete led the Dutch geuzen, a force of 2,000 men, during the Battle of Rheindalen. On April 23, 1568, Soete's attempt to conquer Roermond failed and he fled to Dalheim. Two days later, at Dalheim, Soete lost the battle to a 5,000 strong Spanish garrison led by Sancho d'Avila. This event is sometimes considered the start of the "Tachtigjarige Oorlog" (Eighty Years' War).

In 1580, he was Commander of Bouchout. In March 1589 he was mortally wounded at the battle at Geertruidenberg. He was brought to The Hague where he soon died.

His coat of arms were a black twill with silver chevron.