Siege of Breda (1581)
Encyclopedia
In 1581 Spanish troops
under the command of Claude de Berlaymont
, lord of Haultepenne, took Breda
by surprise after a sentry was bribed by a follower of the king, Charles de Gavre, who was kept a prisoner at the castle
. The corrupt sentry allowed the Spanish troops to enter the castle.
Despite the resistance by Breda’s citizens, the attackers succeeded in taking the most important city gates and launched an attack on the city hall, the tower and the church. The defenders surrendered on the condition that the city would not be looted. At 10.00 a.m. fighting stopped and the sack and massacre started. Some 584 citizens lost their lives during this relatively short event. The event earned the nickname Haultepenne Fury.
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
under the command of Claude de Berlaymont
Claude de Berlaymont
Claude de Berlaymont , lord of Haultpenne was a Flemish military commander in Spain's Army of Flanders during the Eighty Years' War.-Family:...
, lord of Haultepenne, took Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
by surprise after a sentry was bribed by a follower of the king, Charles de Gavre, who was kept a prisoner at the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
. The corrupt sentry allowed the Spanish troops to enter the castle.
Despite the resistance by Breda’s citizens, the attackers succeeded in taking the most important city gates and launched an attack on the city hall, the tower and the church. The defenders surrendered on the condition that the city would not be looted. At 10.00 a.m. fighting stopped and the sack and massacre started. Some 584 citizens lost their lives during this relatively short event. The event earned the nickname Haultepenne Fury.