Gustavus, like all the new princes of Orange, was raised as a soldier and a politician. From an early age, he displayed a brilliant intellect and a keen political mind. He served as Prime Minister and President of the Council and thus had no problem taking over the Crown of Emperor when his father died. Immediately in opening weeks of his reign he was faced with grave threats from the Sekowan dictatorship. He decided to respond to these threats by asking the Diet to declare war on Sekowo. Gustavus holds moderate conservative views similar to those of his father and less extreme than those of his younger brother Siegmund.