He was the son of
Adolph III, Count of Mark, and
Margaret of Jülich (and thus the brother of
Margaret of Cleves). After his father's death in 1394, he became
Count of Cleves. In 1397 he defeated his uncle
William VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of Berg in the battle of Kleverhamm and became
Lord of Ravenstein. When his brother
Dietrich IX, Count of Mark died in battle in 1398, he also became
Count of Mark. Adolph further expanded his influence by marrying a daughter of the Duke of Burgundy. As a result, Cleves was raised to a Duchy by the Holy Roman Emperor,
Sigismund, in 1417. From 1409 onwards he faced opposition from his younger brother
Gerhard, who claimed the County of Mark. By 1423, their dispute resulted in an armed conflict, with Gerhard allying himself with the
Archbishop of Cologne. A peace was signed between the two brothers in 1430 and confirmed in 1437. As a result, Gerhard ruled the largest part of Mark, but was to be succeeded by his nephew
John. He was not allowed to call himself Count
of Mark, but has to use the title Count
zur Mark. After Gerhard's death in 1461, the County of Mark and the Duchy of Cleves were reunited again. == Marriage and children ==