Siege of Rheinberg (1586–1590)
The siege of Rheinberg 1586–1590, also known as the capture of Rheinberg of 1590, took place at the strategic Cologne enclave of Rheinberg (present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), one of the principal crossing-points over the Rhine on the stretch between the Electorate of Cologne and the Dutch border,[3] between 13 August 1586 and 3 February 1590, during the Eighty Years' War, the Cologne War, and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604).[1][2] After an initial siege in 1586, and a long blocking by the Spanish forces until September 1589, Don Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio), commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, sent a substantial force, under Peter Ernst, Count of Mansfeld, to besiege Rheinberg.[2][4] Despite the efforts by Maarten Schenck van Nydeggen (until his death at the Assault on Nijmegen on 10 August 1589),[5] and Sir Francis Vere (from 1590), to relieve the fortress city, the Protestant garrison finally surrendered to the Spaniards on 3 February 1590.[5][6][7]
Siege of Rheinberg (1586–1590) | |||||||
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Part of the Eighty Years' War and the Cologne War | |||||||
The Siege of Rheinberg of 1590 by Peter Ernst von Mansfeld. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Provinces England Electorate of Cologne (Gebhard Truchsess) | Spain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Maarten Schenck Francis Vere (From 1590) |
Duke of Parma Count of Mansfeld |
On 19 August 1597 the Dutch army led by Maurice of Nassau captured Rheinberg for the States in his successful campaign of 1597,[8] but the following year the Spanish Army of Flanders led by Don Francisco de Mendoza retook the strategic place, forcing the garrison to surrender.[9]
See also
Notes
- Wilson p.210
- Israel p.29
- He (Duke of Parma) then moved north to capture Rheinberg in February 1590, a Cologne enclave that provided access across the Rhine and facilitated the subsequent campaigns to outflank the Dutch Republic from the east. Wilson p.210
- Hennes pp.177–179
- Brodek pp.400–401
- 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.29
- Luc Duerloo p.46
- Israel pp.29–30
- Juan Valera p.521
References
- Hennes, Johann Heinrich. Der Kampf um das Erzstift Köln zur Zeit der Kurfürsten. Köln: DuMont-Schauberg. 1878. (in German)
- 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. ISBN 978-0-674-03634-5
- 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. ISBN 978-0521543927
- Juan Valera. Homenaje a Menéndez Pelayo. Estudios de Erudición Española. Madrid, 1899. (in Spanish)
- Jonathan I. Israel. Conflicts of Empires: Spain, the Low Countries and the Struggle for World Supremacy 1585–1713. London. 1997. ISBN 1-85285-161-9