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Siege of Antwerp (1584-1585)
Encyclopedia
This Siege of Antwerp took place during the Eighty Years' War from July 1584 until August 1585. At the time Antwerp was not only the largest Dutch
city but was also the cultural, economic and financial centre of the Seventeen Provinces
and of north-western Europe. On 4 November 1576, unpaid Spanish soldiery mutinied and plundered and burnt the city during what was called the Spanish Fury
. Thousands of citizens were massacred and hundreds of houses were burnt down. Antwerp became even more engaged in the rebellion. The city joined the Union of Utrecht
(1579) and became the capital of the Dutch Revolt
, which no longer was merely a Protestant rebellion but had become a revolt of all Dutch provinces.
sent Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma in 1579 to head the Spanish army in Flanders to regain Spanish control over the Low Countries
(Flanders, Brabant and the United Provinces). King Philip II assured himself that once the rebellion in the Low Countries was quelled, France would soon yield and Protestant England would then stand alone to bear the full might of the Catholic Habsburg Empire
. When the siege of Antwerp began (1585) most of Flanders
and Brabant had already been recaptured in the years preceding, including Brussels
. The Spanish army in Flanders
had been reinforced in the previous years both in quantity and quality and in 1585 had 61,000 men under arms.
estuary.
The second stage consisted of commencing a long siege of Antwerp and constructing a bridge across the Scheldt, effectively closing off the city's waterways. The bridge, a unique feat of siege engineering at its time, consisted of a strong fort (reinforced with cannons) on each side of the Scheldt with a bridge of connected pontoons (paintings show sizable rowing boats) running between them. (This bridge is believed to have been 730m long.) In response to the closure of the Scheldt by this bridge, the Dutch flooded the lowlands adjacent to the Scheldt, effectively submerging most roads in scattered areas and leaving Spanish forts either flooded or isolated on small islands. Despite the Dutch using these floodplains to try to regain control over the Scheldt (using low draft oar and sail boats with small cannon emplacements on them), the Spanish position largely held firm, as many of the Spanish forts had been equipped with cannon and high quality troops. Several attempts were made by the Dutch to steer "fire ships" into the Spanish pontoon bridge, but the troops stationed in the adjacent forts managed to push them off course with pikes - though with heavy loss of life when the fire ships exploded.
At one time, the rebels sent the Finis Bellis
("End of War"), a huge floating platform into which they put great hope, against the bridge, but the mission failed miserably. In the end the Dutch abandoned their efforts, considering Antwerp a lost cause.
troops within Antwerp to make sure the city would not fall into enemy hands. The moderateness of Parma's demands and the behaviour of his troops were a complete surprise given the bloodiness of the siege and the rampage of 1576: Parma issued strict orders not to sack the city and the Spanish troops behaved impeccably, while Antwerp's Protestant majority were given two years to settle their affairs before leaving. Some returned to Roman Catholicism but most moved north and ended what had been a golden century for the city. Of the pre-siege population of 100,000 people, only 40,000 remained. Many of Antwerp's skilled tradesmen were included in the Protestant migration to the north, laying the commercial foundation for the subsequent "Dutch Golden Age
" of the northern United Provinces
.
The blockage of the Scheldt to shipping remained in place and crippled the city's economy. It was maintained for the next two centuries (see Scheldt#History) and is an important and traumatic element in the history of relations between the Netherlands and (what was to become) Belgium
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
city but was also the cultural, economic and financial centre of the Seventeen Provinces
Seventeen Provinces
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...
and of north-western Europe. On 4 November 1576, unpaid Spanish soldiery mutinied and plundered and burnt the city during what was called the Spanish Fury
Sack of Antwerp
The sack of Antwerp or the Spanish Fury at Antwerp was an episode of the Eighty Years' War.On 4 November 1576, Spanish tercios began the sack of Antwerp, leading to three days of horror among the population of the city, which was the cultural, economic and financial center of the Netherlands. The...
. Thousands of citizens were massacred and hundreds of houses were burnt down. Antwerp became even more engaged in the rebellion. The city joined the Union of Utrecht
Union of Utrecht
The Union of Utrecht was a treaty signed on 23 January 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under the control of Habsburg Spain....
(1579) and became the capital of the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
, which no longer was merely a Protestant rebellion but had become a revolt of all Dutch provinces.
Spanish control
Relieved from fighting the Ottomans in the Mediterranean and with his treasury's coffers replenished with the help of an increasing inflow of silver from the Americas, King Philip II of SpainPhilip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
sent Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma in 1579 to head the Spanish army in Flanders to regain Spanish control over the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
(Flanders, Brabant and the United Provinces). King Philip II assured himself that once the rebellion in the Low Countries was quelled, France would soon yield and Protestant England would then stand alone to bear the full might of the Catholic Habsburg Empire
Habsburg Spain
Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
. When the siege of Antwerp began (1585) most of Flanders
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....
and Brabant had already been recaptured in the years preceding, including Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. The Spanish army in Flanders
Army of Flanders
The Army of Flanders was a Spanish Habsburg army based in the Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longest standing army of the period, being in continuous service from 1567 until its disestablishment in 1706...
had been reinforced in the previous years both in quantity and quality and in 1585 had 61,000 men under arms.
The siege begins
During the recapture of Flanders and Brabant, Parma noted the logistical side of the Spanish army in Flanders. What is dubbed the "Spanish Route" was a main road leading north, protected by forts built at strategic intervals, providing the army with a reliable flow of supplies. When the siege of Antwerp began Parma's army was well supplied. The first stage of the siege saw encirclement lines constructed around Antwerp and forts built along the ScheldtScheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
estuary.
The second stage consisted of commencing a long siege of Antwerp and constructing a bridge across the Scheldt, effectively closing off the city's waterways. The bridge, a unique feat of siege engineering at its time, consisted of a strong fort (reinforced with cannons) on each side of the Scheldt with a bridge of connected pontoons (paintings show sizable rowing boats) running between them. (This bridge is believed to have been 730m long.) In response to the closure of the Scheldt by this bridge, the Dutch flooded the lowlands adjacent to the Scheldt, effectively submerging most roads in scattered areas and leaving Spanish forts either flooded or isolated on small islands. Despite the Dutch using these floodplains to try to regain control over the Scheldt (using low draft oar and sail boats with small cannon emplacements on them), the Spanish position largely held firm, as many of the Spanish forts had been equipped with cannon and high quality troops. Several attempts were made by the Dutch to steer "fire ships" into the Spanish pontoon bridge, but the troops stationed in the adjacent forts managed to push them off course with pikes - though with heavy loss of life when the fire ships exploded.
At one time, the rebels sent the Finis Bellis
Finis Bellis
Finis Bellis was a Dutch rebel ship employed during the siege of Antwerp against the imperial Spanish forces....
("End of War"), a huge floating platform into which they put great hope, against the bridge, but the mission failed miserably. In the end the Dutch abandoned their efforts, considering Antwerp a lost cause.
Antwerp surrenders
On 17 August 1585, Antwerp surrendered. After the siege, the Dutch fleet on the river Scheldt was kept in position, blocking the city's access to the sea and cutting it off from international trade. Parma stationed experienced CastilianCrown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
troops within Antwerp to make sure the city would not fall into enemy hands. The moderateness of Parma's demands and the behaviour of his troops were a complete surprise given the bloodiness of the siege and the rampage of 1576: Parma issued strict orders not to sack the city and the Spanish troops behaved impeccably, while Antwerp's Protestant majority were given two years to settle their affairs before leaving. Some returned to Roman Catholicism but most moved north and ended what had been a golden century for the city. Of the pre-siege population of 100,000 people, only 40,000 remained. Many of Antwerp's skilled tradesmen were included in the Protestant migration to the north, laying the commercial foundation for the subsequent "Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
" of the northern United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
.
The blockage of the Scheldt to shipping remained in place and crippled the city's economy. It was maintained for the next two centuries (see Scheldt#History) and is an important and traumatic element in the history of relations between the Netherlands and (what was to become) Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
External links
- http://web.archive.org/web/20091026202818/http://www.geocities.com/losterciosespaoles/amberes.htm (In Spanish)