The siege of Rheinberg 1586–1590, also known as the capture of Rheinberg of 1590, took place at the strategic

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

enclave of

Rheinberg Rheinberg () is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel. It comprises the municipal districts of Rheinberg, Borth, Budberg, an ...

(present-day

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

), one of the principal crossing-points over the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

on the stretch between the Electorate of Cologne and the Dutch border, between 13 August 1586 and 3 February 1590, during the Eighty Years' War, the Cologne War, and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). After an initial siege in 1586, and a long blocking by the Spanish forces until September 1589, Don Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma ''(

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: Alejandro Farnesio)'', commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, sent a substantial force, under Peter Ernst, Count of Mansfeld, to besiege Rheinberg.Hennes pp.177–179 Despite the efforts by

Maarten Schenck van Nydeggen Maarten (Martin) Schenck van Nydeggen, (1540?, – 11 August 1589) was a noted military commander in the Netherlands. He first served with William of Orange in the fight for Dutch independence from Spain then switched to serve with distincti ...

(until his death at the Assault on Nijmegen on 10 August 1589),Brodek pp.400–401 and Sir

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-general ...

(from 1590), to relieve the fortress city, the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

garrison finally surrendered to the Spaniards on 3 February 1590.''It was the occupation of Rheinberg by Spanish troops in that month which marked the inauguration of the fixed network of Spanish garrisons in north-west Germany.'' Israel p.29Luc Duerloo p.46 On 19 August 1597 the Dutch army led by

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 o ...

captured Rheinberg for the States in his successful campaign of 1597,Israel pp.29–30 but the following year 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 Habsburg Spain, kings of Spain that was based in the Spanish Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for ...

led by Don

Francisco de Mendoza Francisco López de Mendoza y Mendoza (Granada, 1547 – Madrid, 1 March 1623), in the literature often simply referred to as Francisco de Mendoza, was a Spanish nobleman, diplomat, general, and eventually bishop, who briefly played an important r ...

retook the strategic place, forcing the garrison to surrender.Juan Valera p.521

Notes

References

* Hennes, Johann Heinrich. ''Der Kampf um das Erzstift Köln zur Zeit der Kurfürsten.'' Köln: DuMont-Schauberg. 1878. * Benians, Ernest Alfred, et al. ''The Cambridge Modern History.'' New York: MacMillan. 1905. * Hamish Wilson, Peter. ''The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy.'' First published 2009 by Penguin Group. * Brodek, Theodor V. ''Socio-Political Realities of the Holy Roman Empire''. Journal of Interdisciplinary History. 1971. * Luc Duerloo. ''Dynasty and Piety: Archduke Albert (1598–1621) and Habsburg Political Culture in an Age of Religious Wars.'' MPG Books Group. UK. * Parker, Geoffrey. ''The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road, 1567–1659.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2004. * Juan Valera
a Menéndez Pelayo. Estudios de Erudición Española''.
Madrid, 1899. * Jonathan I. Israel. ''Conflicts of Empires: Spain, the Low Countries and the Struggle for World Supremacy 1585–1713.'' London. 1997.

External links

Conflicts of Empires: Spain, the Low Countries and the Struggle for World Supremacy 1585–1713
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siege of Rheinberg (1586-1590)

1590 in the Holy Roman Empire Conflicts in 1586 Conflicts in 1587 Conflicts in 1588 Conflicts in 1589 Conflicts in 1590 1586 in the Holy Roman Empire 1587 in the Holy Roman Empire 1588 in the Holy Roman Empire 1589 in the Holy Roman Empire 16th-century military history of the Kingdom of England

See also

Notes

References

External links