Siege of Geertruidenberg (1593)
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The siege of Geertruidenberg was a siege of the city of
Geertruidenberg Geertruidenberg () is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered un ...
that took place between 27 March and 24 June 1593 during the
Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
and the Anglo–Spanish War. Anglo-Dutch troops under the commands of
Maurice of Nassau Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was '' stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince ...
and
Francis Vere Sir Francis Vere (1560/6128 August 1609) was a prominent English soldier serving under Queen Elizabeth I fighting mainly in the Low Countries during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) and the Eighty Years' War. He was a sergeant major-genera ...
laid siege to the Spanish garrisoned city. The siege was unique in that the besiegers used a hundred ships, forming a semicircle in a chain on the Mass river to form a
blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...
. A Spanish relief force under the command of the
Count of Mansfeld Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld (german: Peter Ernst Graf von Mansfeld; c. 158029 November 1626), or simply Ernst von Mansfeld, was a German military commander who, despite being a Catholic, fought for the Protestants during the early years of the ...
was attempted in May but this was defeated and he was later forced to withdraw. Three Governors of the city were killed - after the last fatality and as a result of the failed relief, the Spanish surrendered the city on 24 June 1593.Markham pp. 189-90 The victory earned Maurice much fame and had thus become a steadfast strategist in the art of war.Knight, Charles Raleigh: ''Historical records of The Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot) formerly designated the Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmark's Regiment''. Vol I. London, Gale & Polden, 1905
p. 38-39
/ref>Kunzle 210


Background

In 1573, Geertruidenberg had been taken by a mixed
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
force of English, French, and Dutch troops. In 1589 however the Spaniards had won the town back as they successfully bribed the treacherous long underpaid English brigands who had been garrisoned there. Despite this however the Spanish
Army of Flanders The Army of Flanders ( es, Ejército de Flandes nl, Leger van Vlaanderen) was a multinational army in the service of the kings of Spain that was based in the Spanish Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longe ...
had been hampered in its effort to overcome the local resistance. When the Spanish forces were committed in France to halt the collapse of the Catholic League, Dutch and English forces under the command of Maurice of Nassau went on the offensive. Maurice adopted the same tactics as the
Duke of Parma The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy, which existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859. The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, except ...
by creating defensible barriers and zones of control; this resulted in many towns and regions falling into Anglo-Dutch hands throughout the 1590s. In 1592, the
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
ers urged the States-General delegates to advance on Geertruidenberg, but the decision was overruled and
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
was chosen as more important and as such the operations continued to cut off the city. Thus during Maurice's 1592 summer offensive two cities were besieged and captured - Steenwijk fell in July and Coevorden capitulated in September which resulted in Spanish-held Groningen being strangled further by the end of the year. After the capture of both towns, this time the
Frisians The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, ...
demanded that Groningen should be besieged. (Dutch) The States delegates decided otherwise, and in 1593 Geertruidenberg was chosen much to the Zealanders delight. The Frisians were bitter, and in protest, they sent no troops to Geertruidenberg. This turned into a strategy that the Dutch played upon; the Frisian troops stayed put and this forced the Spanish to think that Groningen would be besieged, forcing them to leave a sizeable garrison there.Motley, John Lothrop (1867)
''History of the United Netherlands from the death of William the silent to the Synod of Dort, with a full view of the English-Dutch struggle against Spain, and of the origin and destruction of the Spanish armada''
W. Clowes and Sons, pp 256-58
A relative advantage for the Dutch was that
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma Alexander Farnese ( it, Alessandro Farnese, es, Alejandro Farnesio; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and condottiero and later a general of the Spanish army, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592 ...
, captain of the Spanish army had died of his wounds he had sustained while retreating from Caudebec in France.Hart p 52-3 His replacement was Count Von Mansfeld, and the Republic ordered
Philip of Nassau Philip of Nassau or Filips of Nassau (1 December 1566, Dillenburg – 3 September 1595, Rheinberg) was a Count of House of Nassau, Nassau, County of Katzenelnbogen, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden and Diez (Verbandsgemeinde), Dietz, fought for the ...
to launch a diversionary attack on
Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
.Wernham p 486 The strategy was to lure Mansfeld, also
governor of Luxembourg The following is a list of governors of Luxembourg. From the 15th to the 19th centuries, the Duchy (later Grand-Duchy) of Luxembourg was ruled by the French, the Burgundians, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs, and the Dutch. From 1848 onwards, ...
, to pursue Nassau to the south of the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. This would then give Maurice the necessary time to surprise the Geertruidenberg garrison.Edmundson 221 Before his pursuit of Philip, Mansfeld had already sent some companies from Groningen to Gertrudenberg. The city had been strengthened in Spanish hands and the approaches were difficult, owing to the network of ditches and canals which surrounded it.Markham pp 187-88 Moreover, a besieging force would be exposed to attacks from the army under Mansfeld. An elaborate set piece siege on a large scale was necessary. Philip of Nassau's Luxembourg campaign went ahead as planned and succeeded in drawing Mansfeld away, which gained Maurice enough time to march to Geertruidenberg.


Siege

On 27 March 1593 Maurice arrived with his troops at Geertruidenberg; his forces were augmented by six ensigns of English under
Francis Vere Sir Francis Vere (1560/6128 August 1609) was a prominent English soldier serving under Queen Elizabeth I fighting mainly in the Low Countries during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) and the Eighty Years' War. He was a sergeant major-genera ...
and ten companies of Scots under Colonel Bartholomew Balfour. The first operations were to stop all roads by which the Spanish could succour the town.Duffy p 84 On land, several forts were built which also closed Geertruidenberg overland.
Windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...
s and
dikes Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes, ...
were constructed in order to protect against possible resistance from surrounding towns. Maurice, with the Count Solms and Groenvelt regiments, were posted on the western side; Francis Vere conducted the approaches from the south while the
Hohenlohe The House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire which was divided between several branches. The Hohenlohes became imperial counts in 1450. The county was divided numerous time ...
and Brederode regiments were encamped at the village of
Raamsdonk Raamsdonk is a village in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Geertruidenberg, about 15 km northeast of Breda. Toponymy Raamsdonk (as "Dunc") is mentioned for the first time in 1253 as ''Ramesdu ...
to the east. In mid-April, the approaches against the town were commenced with works constructed and dug by the soldiers rather than the usual practice of using land labour; farmers and other civilians.Fissel pp 183-84 The motivation of good pay and a quick end to the siege seemed to double the effort. Despite the dangers of exposed positions against fire, the works were so well constructed that they were considered stronger than fortified cities.Motle
pp 259-61
/ref> The trenches were divided by
ravelin A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress (the curtain walls and bastions). Originally called a ''demi-lune'', after the ''lunette'', the ravelin is placed outside a castle ...
s flanking one another, each ravelin mounted two guns, and outside there was a wide water dike. Instead of a
counterscarp A scarp and a counterscarp are the inner and outer sides, respectively, of a ditch or moat used in fortifications. Attackers (if they have not bridged the ditch) must descend the counterscarp and ascend the scarp. In permanent fortifications th ...
, rows of piles were driven into the ground, being left four feet above the surface, and pointed with iron. There were four main forts, connected by smaller forts in a double line, and upwards of a hundred pieces of various artillery were mounted on the works. The river Donge, flowing from the south, supplied the
moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
with water while two bridges over it connected the works. In addition, the besiegers were able fortify the camp against attacks from a potential hostile army in the field. A hundred ships, forming a semicircle in the old Maas, completed the blockade, with light
brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Older ...
s on the flanks, all of which were connected by strong ropes or chains. On 8 April, a strategic outlying fort on the river was captured by troops of Count Hohenlohe after fighting that lasted five days. This was the only way into the city along this fort, and in addition, due to its height, the besiegers would be given advance warning of a relief force. During this time, the siege developed into a lull - the camp arrangements, being of good quality, were enticing enough for locals to sell their produce, and many came from far and wide.
Louise de Coligny Louise de Coligny (23 September 1555 – 9 November 1620) was a Princess consort of Orange as the fourth and last spouse of William the Silent. She was the daughter of Gaspard II de Coligny and Charlotte de Laval. Biography Louise was born at C ...
, the fourth wife of William of Orange and
Countess Louise Juliana of Nassau Louise Juliana of Orange-Nassau (31 March 1576 in Delft – 15 March 1644 in Königsberg) was a countess consort of the Palatinate by marriage to Frederick IV, Elector Palatine, and took part in the regency government of her son between 1610 and 1 ...
sister to Maurice, on her way to be married to the
Elector Palatine The counts palatine of Lotharingia /counts palatine of the Rhine /electors of the Palatinate (german: Kurfürst von der Pfalz) ruled some part of Rhine area in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire from 915 to 1803. The title was a kind ...
Frederick IV visited along with other dignitaries. They were conducted over the works, and noted that they were the grandest that had ever been constructed in the annals of war.


Attempted relief

As Maurice had his soldiers motivated to construct a sconce, the Anglo-Dutch force was sufficiently entrenched by the beginning of May. Meanwhile, Count Mansfeld returning from his pursuit of Philip of Nassau on hearing of Gerrtudenberg's situation marched his army from
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
as soon as it was possible to relieve the besieged city. Mansfeld in desperation even called upon his son,
Karl von Mansfeld Karl von Mansfeld (1543 – 24 August 1595) was a German general during the Cologne War and the Ottoman-Habsburg wars. Von Mansfeld was the son of Count Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, born in present-day Luxembourg, and was educated in Fr ...
, with his detachment in France to assist his own army but this was to no avail. On 28 May, Count Mansfeld appeared with an army of 7,000 foot and 2,000 horse, encamping in the villages of
Capelle Capelle (also ''Kapelle'') is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located about 6 km west of Waalwijk. The village was first mentioned in 1257 as Capella, and means chapel. The original village was flooded i ...
and
Waalwijk Waalwijk () is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands. It had a population of in and is located near the motorways A59 and N261. The villages of Capelle, Vrijhoeve-Capelle, Sprang (the former municipality of Sprang-Capelle) and W ...
, about six miles east of Gertruydenburg. This army could have been greater, had it not been for when a mutiny took place causing a large number to
desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
as they moved past Hainault. Mansfeld allowed his soldiers to perform various pickets upon the besieging force, but soon realised that they had been strongly entrenched. Vere then led 600 English and 1,000 Zealanders, to which they advanced against Mansfelt's forward-leading infantry and forced them back after heavy fighting. Soon after a Spanish cavalry charge probing the defences was routed in a skirmish and a convoy of their supplies nearby was ambushed. With losses increasing as a result, Mansfeld pulled his forces back but stayed within a safe distance of the besieging Anglo-Dutch. At the beginning of June, heavy rains then caused the land around the city to become a quagmire hampering all involved in the siege. By this time galleries had been run under the ramparts in three places. The blockading fleet took a regular part in the daily cannonade along with the land batteries and caused severe damage both to the walls and the city itself. On 25 June the Sieur de Gissant was mortally wounded by a cannon shot. He had been the third governor who had been killed during the siege, and the loss was a huge blow to the morale of the garrison. Soon after news had got through that Mansfeld had been unable to advance any further, morale plummeted further. The city then sent out emissaries to discuss terms with Maurice and an honourable surrender was agreed - Gertruydenburg after a siege of three months surrendered to Maurice. The following day after hearing news of the city's surrender Mansfeld's force marched away and occupied the
Bommelerwaard Bommelerwaard is a district in Gelderland, Netherlands. The Bommelerwaard is situated among three rivers: the Meuse ( nl, Maas) in the south(east), the Waal in the north and the Afgedamde Maas in the west. It is formed by the area of two municip ...
, in order to check any attempt by Maurice in that direction. Meanwhile, Gerrtudenberg's garrison was allowed to march out with their arms and colours, and in the terms agreed were to be non-combatants for the rest of the war.


Aftermath

Maurice led the army into the captured city and then set about repairing and strengthening the defenses. The city was then garrisoned by the Scottish troops that took part in the siege; they remained there until the autumn of the same year. After the success at Geertruidenberg the Frisian troops urged the States-General to bring the army to Groningen. However, because there was a truce in France at this time, Mansfeld in the eyes of the Dutch, could have threatened the Republic with his large army. Maurice as a result made sure the army kept a watch on the Spanish troops threatening the south of the Republic. The capture of Geertruidenberg had been a triumph for the Dutch and English army; as a result, all the rivers of
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
and
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
were in their hands. Count William of Nassau, the
Stadtholder of Friesland This is a list of stadtholders ( nl, stadhouders, german: Statthalter) or governors (french: gouverneurs) in the Low Countries, or historical Netherlands region. This includes all the territories in the Low Countries that were acquired by the H ...
, continued to put pressure and march against the Spanish under
Francisco Verdugo Francisco Verdugo, Spanish military commander in the Dutch Revolt, (born in 1537 in Talavera de la Reina, province of Toledo, died in Luxembourg, 1595), became ''Maestre de Campo General,'' in the Spanish Netherlands. He was also the last Spanish ...
who was present at Groningen and in the field in a series of manoeuvres. English troops under Francis Vere, sent aid to Count William into Friesland in July forcing the movement of Spanish regiments to reinforce Verdugo. In October the Dutch and English returned to
the Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
to be
billet A billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, a billet was a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier. Soldiers are generally billeted in barracks or garrisons when not on combat duty, alth ...
ed, and both sides went into winter quarters. The following year after a failed Spanish attempt on Coevorden Groningen was at last captured by the Anglo-Dutch force after which the Spanish had been cleared of the Drenthe region. The conquest of Geertruidenberg was confirmation of Maurice's great ascendency as a field commander particularly during sieges. William Louis praised the victory and compared the siege to that of Alescia in 52 BC.van Nimwegen pp 139-40


References

;Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;External link
''The Buffs - East Kent Regiment''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geertruidenberg (1593) Sieges of the Eighty Years' War Sieges involving Spain Sieges involving the Dutch Republic Sieges involving England 1593 in Europe Conflicts in 1593