Ambrogio Spinola Portrait of Ambrogio Spinola, oil on canvas, 1609, in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. (more) Siege of Breda European history [1624-1625] Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Breda Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Academia - The siege of Breda, 1624-1625. The last great victory of the Army of Flanders in the Eighty Years’ War Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Breda Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Academia - The siege of Breda, 1624-1625. The last great victory of the Army of Flanders in the Eighty Years’ War Also known as: Battle of Breda Written by Jacob F. Field Jacob F. Field is an early modern historian based at the University of Cambridge. Jacob F. Field Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 7, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Date: August 28, 1624 - June 5, 1625 (Show more) Location: Brabant Breda Netherlands (Show more) Participants: Dutch Republic Spain (Show more) Key People: Maurice (Show more) See all related content → Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question The capture on June 5, 1625, of the fortress city of Breda, in the present-day Netherlands, was the last great Spanish victory of the Eighty Years’ War. It was the finest moment of the illustrious military career of Ambrogio Spinola, the Genoese commander of the Spanish forces, who had previously taken the port of Ostend after another lengthy siege.

　　Britannica Quiz World Wars The United Provinces and Spain had declared a twelve-year truce in 1609. When conflict resumed in 1621, the main Spanish tactic was an embargo of Dutch sea trade, since many in the Habsburg court of Spain thought land war too costly. In spite of this, in August 1624 Spinola besieged Breda, then part of the Duchy of Brabant and a vital stronghold in the ring of fortresses defending the United Provinces. The fortified city had a garrison of 9,000 and was well defended.

　　Spinola placed his army of 23,000 around the city and set about consolidating his position. He made a double line of siege works around Breda and then pierced a nearby dyke, which flooded the lower ground and hindered any attack on his position. His intention was to starve Breda into submission. There were repeated efforts to break the siege or draw the Spanish away, but Spinola was able to repel them. First, Maurice of Nassau attempted to relieve Breda. When he died in the fighting in April 1625, trapped in the city, command of the Dutch armies passed to his half-brother, Frederick Henry, who, despite the assistance of an English army led by Sir Horace Vere, was also unable to save Breda. However, during the twelve-year truce, Maurice had reorganized the Dutch forces and trained its soldiers extensively, creating a professional officer class to provide expert leadership. The result was that the Dutch army that left the field at Breda would prove difficult to vanquish, despite the Spanish victory.

　　In June, without external support, Breda’s governor, Justin of Nassau, was forced to surrender to Spinola, a moment recorded by Spanish court artist Diego Velázquez. The surviving garrison of 3,500 was allowed to march out with the honors of war. The Spanish had gained a vital victory, but it had been an expensive one, leaving them unable to follow it up with a sustained land campaign.

　　Losses: Dutch, 13,000 civilians and soldiers; Spanish, 5,000 of 23,000.