The siege of Oldenzaal took place in the Spanish held town of

Oldenzaal Oldenzaal (; Tweants: ''Oldnzel'') is a municipality and a city in the eastern province of Overijssel in the Netherlands. It is part of the region of Twente and is close to the German border. It received city rights in 1249. Historically, the city ...

in the

Twente Twente ( nl, Twente , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Ge ...

region from July 23 to August 1, 1626 during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War. After an eight-day siege led by Ernest Casimir the city surrendered.Poot p. 60Duffy p.101

Events

Background

Ambrogio Spinola Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569-25 September 1630) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. He i ...

had captured Oldenzaal in 1605 and Groenlo a year later – with this the region was under Spanish occupation and they undertook raids. In May 1626, the Dutch decided to eliminate the Spanish from the area once and for all. They brought two armies under the command of

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the last ...

and with them a detachment of the English army which had been raised as result of their war with Spain. Oldenzaal's garrison which had been continuously strengthened since it capture and twenty years later the city had around 800 troops along with cannon under the command of Spanish Governor Guillermo Verdugo.

Siege

On July 23 the Dutch and English besieged the town and had a good view of the surrounding environment; as a result, Casimir did not find it necessary to construct a

circumvallation Investment is the military process of surrounding an enemy fort (or town) with armed forces to prevent entry or escape. It serves both to cut communications with the outside world and to prevent supplies and reinforcements from being introduced ...

line against a possible Spanish relief attempt. Casimir with skilled pioneers dug siege lines with trenches, and batteries were put into position. A few companies of English were detached against Broeckhuise castle on the outskirts which posed a threat but it was captured within two days. It was subsequently plundered and burnt by Dutch troops. The canals of Oldenzaal were controlled by two

sluice gates Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...

. Casimir ordered his batteries to fire on the gates which eventually collapsed and the water from the canals was drained. The besieged were now cut off and having realized there was no hope of a relief, Verdugo asked the Anglo-Dutch for terms. (Dutch) After a mere ten day bombardment there was an honourable end to the siege; Verdugo surrendered the city and marched out under the

honours of war The honours of war are a set of privileges that are granted to a defeated army during the surrender ceremony. The honours symbolise the valour of the defeated army, and grew into a custom during the age of early modern warfare. Typically a surren ...

Aftermath

Casimir made a triumphant entry into the city - Protestants defectors were soon arrested. Oldenzaal was a strategic place for the republic and the fortress walls despite the protests of the city

burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...

s were demolished. However, parts of the old medieval remained, the city wall and parts of the canals were maintained in order to defend against mutinous troops. The following year Groenlo was taken in a two month siege.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * {{cite book, last1=Poot, first1=Anton, title=Crucial Years in Anglo-Dutch Relations (1625-1642): The Political and Diplomatic Contacts, date=2013, publisher=Uitgeverij Verloren, isbn=9789087043803

1626 in the Dutch Republic 1626 in the Habsburg Netherlands Anglo-Spanish War (1625–1630) Eighty Years' War (1621–1648) Oldenzaal (1626) Oldenzaal (1626) Oldenzaal (1626) Oldenzaal (1626)

Oldenzaal