Battle of Zierikzee
Encyclopedia
The battle of Zierikzee was a naval battle between a Flemish
fleet and an allied Franco
-Hollandic
fleet which took place on 10 and 11 August 1304. The battle, fought near the town of Zierikzee
, ended in a Franco-Holland victory. The battle is part of a larger conflict between the Count of Flanders and his French feudal lord, King Philip IV of France
(1296-1305).
was an area that had been contested between the Count of Flanders
and the Count of Holland
since the 11th century. Originally granted in 1012 by Emperor Henry II
to the count of Flanders Baldwin IV
, by 1076 the area had become part of Holland but under Flemish overlordship. After the Flemish victory in the battle of the Golden Spurs
, the Flemish attacked John II Avesnes
, count of Holland, Zeeland and of Hainaut
and conquered Lessines
. The House of Dampierre
and the House of Avesnes
had been involved in a familial war for decades. In retaliation to the Flemish invasion of Hainaut John's son William
plundered Cadzand
.
In reaction on this raid, Guy of Namur
, son of Guy I of Flanders, formed a fleet at Sluis
, which sailed on 23 April 1303 to claim Zeeland for the Flemish. After Flemish landings near Arnemuiden
and Veere
the troops of William fled to Middelburg
which surrendered on 9 May 1303. After this the Flemings conquered the whole of Walcheren
and several other islands. Only Zierikzee
was held for the count of Holland. In July 1303 an armistice was arranged between the Flemings and the count of Holland.
Covered by an armistice in the north, the Flemings raised an army near Cassel, which entered France and attacked Saint-Omer
, Terwaan
and Tournai
. In August 1303 Philip IV of France
tried to raise an new army to counter this threat, but due to mutiny over backpay he was forced to conclude an armistice until May 1304 with the Flemings, which was later extended to June. The armistice gave the French the opportunity to raise a new army in peace for the next campaigning season.
In the Spring of 1304 the armistice between the Flemings and Holland was broken. William attacked and defeated the Flemings near Castle Blodenburg. A fleet led by William and his uncle Guy of Avesnes
, bishop of Utrecht however was defeated by the Flemings, the bishop being captured. After this victory, the Flemings invaded Holland and Utrecht. Seeing the Flemish succes John II
, Duke of Brabant
then joined the Flemish cause. Dordrecht
, led by Witte van Haemstede
, a bastardson of count Floris V
, brought the cities of Holland to the side of William and the Flemings retreated. After this Zierikzee, which was still held by Holland, was besieged.
, to aid the count of Holland. Grimaldi's fleet consisted out 30 French and 8 Spanish coggs and 11 Genuese galleys. This fleet was joined at Schiedam
by the small fleet of Holland, consisting out of 5 more ships. This combined fleet then set sail for Zierikzee. Guy of Namur could count of a motley fleet of 37 Flemish, English, Hanseatic, Spanish and Swedish ship as well as numerous smaller vessels.
In the evening of August 1304 the two fleets met on the Gouwe. As the river was silted, maneuvring was hindered which aided the smaller vessels of the Flemings. The Flemish tried a brander attack which failed when the vessels were blown back to the Flemish lines. At first the battle seemed to go to the Flemings as the larger French ships were grounding but when the tides changed the larger French ships came free and were able to join the fight and the battle turned to Grimaldi's advantage.
The next morning, the Flemish ships were seen to aimlessly float, apparently sabotaged by a traitor, who cut their moorings. As the Franco-Hollandic fleet was still in battle array, they were able to easily put down further Flemish resistance.
. On 22 August Count John II died and was succeeded as count of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland by his son William.
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
fleet and an allied Franco
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Hollandic
County of Holland
The County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
fleet which took place on 10 and 11 August 1304. The battle, fought near the town of Zierikzee
Zierikzee
Zierikzee is a small city, located on the former island of Schouwen in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 26 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis....
, ended in a Franco-Holland victory. The battle is part of a larger conflict between the Count of Flanders and his French feudal lord, King Philip IV of France
Philip IV of France
Philip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
(1296-1305).
Flemish invasion of Hainaut, Zeeland and France
The County of ZeelandCounty of Zeeland
The County of Zeeland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area in the Scheldt and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the current Dutch province of Zeeland, though it did not include the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen which was part of...
was an area that had been contested between the Count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
and the Count of Holland
Count of Holland
The Counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.-House of Holland:The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia...
since the 11th century. Originally granted in 1012 by Emperor Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
to the count of Flanders Baldwin IV
Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Baldwin IV of Flanders , known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death. He was the son of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders...
, by 1076 the area had become part of Holland but under Flemish overlordship. After the Flemish victory in the battle of the Golden Spurs
Battle of the Golden Spurs
The Battle of the Golden Spurs, known also as the Battle of Courtrai was fought on July 11, 1302, near Kortrijk in Flanders...
, the Flemish attacked John II Avesnes
John II, Count of Holland
John II of Avesnes was the oldest son of John I of Avesnes and Adelaide of Holland.-History:John II was Count of Hainaut from 1280 to his death, succeeding his grandmother, Margaret II...
, count of Holland, Zeeland and of Hainaut
County of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....
and conquered Lessines
Lessines
Lessines is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Lessines had a total population of 17,848. The total area is 72.29 km² which gives a population density of 247 inhabitants per km²...
. The House of Dampierre
House of Dampierre
The Dampierre family played an important role during the Middle Ages. They were Count of Flanders and later also Count of Nevers, Rethel, Artois and Franche-Comté. The senior line of the House died out with Margaret III...
and the House of Avesnes
House of Avesnes
The Avesnes family played an important role during the Middle Ages. The family has its roots in the small village Avesnes-sur-Helpe, in the north of France....
had been involved in a familial war for decades. In retaliation to the Flemish invasion of Hainaut John's son William
William I, Count of Hainaut
William I, Count of Hainaut was Count William III of Avesnes, Count William III of Holland and Count William II of Zeeland from 1304 to his death...
plundered Cadzand
Cadzand
Cadzand is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Sluis, about 8 km northwest of Oostburg. The village contains 804 inhabitants . Better known to many visitors is the nearby beach at Cadzand-Bad....
.
In reaction on this raid, Guy of Namur
Guy of Namur
Guy of Dampierre, Count of Zeeland, also called Guy of Namur , a younger son of Guy, Count of Flanders and Isabelle of Luxembourg, was Lord of Ronse....
, son of Guy I of Flanders, formed a fleet at Sluis
Sluis
Sluis is the name of both a municipality and a town located in the west of Zeelandic Flanders, in the south-western part of the Netherlands....
, which sailed on 23 April 1303 to claim Zeeland for the Flemish. After Flemish landings near Arnemuiden
Arnemuiden
Arnemuiden is a small city of around 5000 people in the municipality of Middelburg in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. It is located on the former island of Walcheren, about 3 km east of the city of Middelburg.It received city rights in 1574....
and Veere
Veere
Veere is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands, on Walcheren island in the province of Zeeland.-Population centres :Aagtekerke , Biggekerke , Domburg , Gapinge , Grijpskerke , Koudekerke , Meliskerke , Oostkapelle , Serooskerke , Veere , Vrouwenpolder , Westkapelle...
the troops of William fled to Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
which surrendered on 9 May 1303. After this the Flemings conquered the whole of Walcheren
Walcheren
thumb|right|250px|Campveer Tower in Veere, built in 1500Walcheren is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus...
and several other islands. Only Zierikzee
Zierikzee
Zierikzee is a small city, located on the former island of Schouwen in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 26 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis....
was held for the count of Holland. In July 1303 an armistice was arranged between the Flemings and the count of Holland.
Covered by an armistice in the north, the Flemings raised an army near Cassel, which entered France and attacked Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
, Terwaan
Thérouanne
Thérouanne is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Thérouanne is located 10 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D157 and D341 road junction.-Population:-History:...
and Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
. In August 1303 Philip IV of France
Philip IV of France
Philip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
tried to raise an new army to counter this threat, but due to mutiny over backpay he was forced to conclude an armistice until May 1304 with the Flemings, which was later extended to June. The armistice gave the French the opportunity to raise a new army in peace for the next campaigning season.
In the Spring of 1304 the armistice between the Flemings and Holland was broken. William attacked and defeated the Flemings near Castle Blodenburg. A fleet led by William and his uncle Guy of Avesnes
Guy of Avesnes
Guy van Avennes was Bishop of Utrecht from 1301 to 1317.-Family:He was descended from an important Hainaut family, the House of Avesnes...
, bishop of Utrecht however was defeated by the Flemings, the bishop being captured. After this victory, the Flemings invaded Holland and Utrecht. Seeing the Flemish succes John II
John II, Duke of Brabant
John II van Brabant , also called John the Peaceful, was Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg...
, Duke of Brabant
Duke of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, son of Godfrey III of Leuven . The Duchy of Brabant was a feudal elevation of the since 1085/1086 existing title of Landgrave of Brabant...
then joined the Flemish cause. Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
, led by Witte van Haemstede
Witte van Haemstede
Witte van Haemstede was a bastard son of Floris V, Count of Holland. His half-brother John I, Count of Holland, gave him the property of Haamstede, in Southern Holland. He married Agnes van der Sluys, sometime before 1307...
, a bastardson of count Floris V
Floris V, Count of Holland
Count Floris V of Holland and Zeeland , "der Keerlen God" , is one of the most important figures of the first, native dynasty of Holland . His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler...
, brought the cities of Holland to the side of William and the Flemings retreated. After this Zierikzee, which was still held by Holland, was besieged.
Battle of Zierikzee
Upon the end of the armistice between France and Flanders, Philip IV launched his army on Tournai and send his fleet, led by Rainier GrimaldiRainier I of Monaco, Lord of Cagnes
Rainier I of Monaco was the first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. He also held the title of Lord of Cagnes...
, to aid the count of Holland. Grimaldi's fleet consisted out 30 French and 8 Spanish coggs and 11 Genuese galleys. This fleet was joined at Schiedam
Schiedam
Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
by the small fleet of Holland, consisting out of 5 more ships. This combined fleet then set sail for Zierikzee. Guy of Namur could count of a motley fleet of 37 Flemish, English, Hanseatic, Spanish and Swedish ship as well as numerous smaller vessels.
In the evening of August 1304 the two fleets met on the Gouwe. As the river was silted, maneuvring was hindered which aided the smaller vessels of the Flemings. The Flemish tried a brander attack which failed when the vessels were blown back to the Flemish lines. At first the battle seemed to go to the Flemings as the larger French ships were grounding but when the tides changed the larger French ships came free and were able to join the fight and the battle turned to Grimaldi's advantage.
The next morning, the Flemish ships were seen to aimlessly float, apparently sabotaged by a traitor, who cut their moorings. As the Franco-Hollandic fleet was still in battle array, they were able to easily put down further Flemish resistance.
Consequences
As a result of the French victory, Guy of Namur was captured and the siege of Zierikzee was lifted. One week after the naval battle, on 18 August Philip IV himself was able to defeat the Flemish main army at the battle of Mons-en-PévèleBattle of Mons-en-Pévèle
The Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle was fought on 18 August 1304 between the French and the Flemish. The French were led by King Philip IV the Fair in person.- Prelude :...
. On 22 August Count John II died and was succeeded as count of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland by his son William.