Editing Hook and Cod wars (section)

=== Succession of William IV ===
William IV/II had no son. Therefore, Holy Roman Emperor [[Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Louis the Bavarian]] had to decide [[Holy Roman Emperor#Succession|who should succeed him]]. The candidates were John of Beaumont (William IV's paternal uncle) or one of William IV's sisters, namely [[Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut]] (oldest sister and the emperor's wife),  [[Philippa of Hainault]] (married to [[Edward III of England]]), [[Joanna of Hainaut]] (married to [[William V, Duke of Jülich]]) or Isabelle of Hainaut (1323–1361;  married to [[Robert of Namur (1323–91)|Robert of Namur]]). In January 1346 the emperor granted the three fiefs to his wife as 'oldest sister and just heir' of count William IV.{{sfn|Blok|1923|p=320}}

In the meantime John of Beaumont had taken control in Hainaut, meaning that its succession to Margaret was quite smooth. It seems that Holland and Zeeland agreed to the succession at a kind of [[Diet (assembly)|diet]] at [[Geertruidenberg]] in February 1346. In March Margaret arrived in Hainaut, and in April she visited Holland and Zeeland. She also made a new truce with Utrecht, which started on 20 July 1346.{{sfn|Aurelius|De Hamer|2011|p=209v}}

In September 1346 Margaret made her younger son [[William I, Duke of Bavaria]] (1330–1389) her lieutenant in Holland, Zeeland and Hainault. He was also made these counties' heir and so was always officially styled as 'waiting' {{lang|nl|verbeydende}} to rule over them in his own right.{{sfn|Blok|1923|p=322}}