Siege of Venlo (1637)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Venlo was an important siege in the Eighty Years' War that lasted from 20 to 25 August, 1637. The Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, retook the city of Venlo from the United Provinces, which had taken control of it in 1632 during the offensive of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
against Maastricht
. Venlo remained in Spanish hands for the rest of the war, balancing along with Roermond
, surrendered to the Cardinal-Infante a week later, the loss of Breda
to the Dutch in October of the same year.
and in northern Brabant
rather than in an offensive against France. In late May, however, the offensive operations were suspended and a secondary thrust was launched into France. The invasion succeeded in capturing a large number of fortresses and menaced Paris
, but Ferdinand considered that more ambitious operations could risk his army and retreated. For the campaign of 1637 Olivares planned a renewed offensive against France, so Ferdinand began to mass his forces on the French border.
In July the statholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
, seized the moment and marched into northern Barbant in command of an army of 18,000 soldiers determined to besiege Breda. On 21 July 1637 some Dutch cavalry under Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz
attempted to surprise the garrison of Breda, but the gates were closed in time and the Dutch skirmishers driven back. From 23 July the Dutch captured a number of villages around the city and then started to dig a double line of circumvallation that would eventually reach a circumference of 34 km. An outer contravallation defended the besiegers from outside interference, and outside this area the low-lying countryside was inundated by damming a few rivers. The Cardinal-Infante, who had come with his army to Breda, found no way to relieve the city and decided to open an offensive against the Dutch in the Maas valley.
and Tilburg
and marched with his army to Hilvarenbeek
, where his troops crossed the Dommel
river over the bridge of Halder, located a league from Den Bosch, and camped in Helmond
, Neerwert, Heutsingben, and Rogelen. He ordered the Marquis Sigismondo Sfondrati to cross the Meuse
through the bridge of Gennep
with some companies and wend to Venlo, where he arrived the next day. By then the garrison had been warned, but Ferdinand decided to invest the town and entrusted this task to the Marquis of Sfondrati. They confronted the governor of Venlo, Nicolaas van Brederode, a bastard of the noble family of van Brederode
who has at his disposition 15 companies of infantry and some cavalry troops amounting to a total of 1,000 or 1,200 men.
Van Brederode judged that he had no enough troops to defend the inside and outside of the town, so he ordered his troops to guard the gates and the boulevards and assigned the rest to the burghers of the town. The Cardinal-Infante arrived at the camp the next day and divided his army into four corps. One was placed in command of the Count John of Nassau
and was quartered with the troops of the Count of Rietberg and other imperial troops, another marched to the north led by of the Count of Ribecourt, consisting of two regiments and troops from Fratras, Geldre, Gennep and Brion. Colonel Roveroy quartered his troops, the regiments of Faramont and Lodrons, south of the city, and the Count of Feria did it on the east with the Spanish Tercio
of the Marquis of Velada, the Old Tercio of the Count of Fuenclara
, all the baggage, and the court of the Cardinal-Infante.
When the camp was ready, trench
es began to be dug, both from the horn of Blerick and from three other locations. At the same time were made the approaches and at each quartes was built a battery of five cannons that began to beat the town incessantly. At first the garrison of Venlo and the burghers responded to this fire with their artillery, but when the Spanish advanced in their approaches and set fire to the town with their shells, the burghers rebelled against Van Brederode and went to City Hall
to demand to the magistrates that sued the governor for a cessation of hostilities. Meanwhile, the women climbed the walls and begged for mercy to the Spanish. Van Brederode decided then to send a drummer
called Corneille Poorter to negotiate the surrender with the Cardinal-Infante.
, defended by a Colonel called Carpentier, and after another heavy bombardment forced its garrison to surrender. 1,100 Dutch infantry soldiers and 2 companies of cavalry left the town with weapons and baggage, and were convoyed to Grave. Ferdinand considered then besieging then Grave, Nijmegen or perhaps Maastricht
, but advised by his commanders, he finally decided to cease the offensive alarmed by French advances in the south. The capture of Venlo and Roermond, nevertheless, was joyful received by the Southern Netherlands
populace and allowed Ferdinand to isolate Maastritch from the United Provinces. However, Frederick Henry refused to lift the siege of Breda despite this setback and the city finally surrendered to him on October 11. The loss of Breda supposed a considerable blow to Philip's IV
prestige, as Breda was a symbol of the Spanish power in Europe.
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
against Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
. Venlo remained in Spanish hands for the rest of the war, balancing along with Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, surrendered to the Cardinal-Infante a week later, the loss of 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...
to the Dutch in October of the same year.
Background
After recovery of the Dutch fortress of Schenk in April 1636, Spain adopted a defensive strategy in the Dutch front of the war between the United Provinces and France against Spain. In the first months of 1636, the Count-Duke of Olivares insisted the Cardinal-Infante to continue concentrating the war effort in exploting his gains in the Lower RhineLower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
and in northern Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
rather than in an offensive against France. In late May, however, the offensive operations were suspended and a secondary thrust was launched into France. The invasion succeeded in capturing a large number of fortresses and menaced Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, but Ferdinand considered that more ambitious operations could risk his army and retreated. For the campaign of 1637 Olivares planned a renewed offensive against France, so Ferdinand began to mass his forces on the French border.
In July the statholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
, seized the moment and marched into northern Barbant in command of an army of 18,000 soldiers determined to besiege Breda. On 21 July 1637 some Dutch cavalry under Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz
Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz
Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz was count of Nassau-Dietz and Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe....
attempted to surprise the garrison of Breda, but the gates were closed in time and the Dutch skirmishers driven back. From 23 July the Dutch captured a number of villages around the city and then started to dig a double line of circumvallation that would eventually reach a circumference of 34 km. An outer contravallation defended the besiegers from outside interference, and outside this area the low-lying countryside was inundated by damming a few rivers. The Cardinal-Infante, who had come with his army to Breda, found no way to relieve the city and decided to open an offensive against the Dutch in the Maas valley.
Siege
Ferdinand abandoned GoirleGoirle
Goirle is a municipality and town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Part of the suburban area of the city of Tilburg, it shares with it its phone area code and public transport system....
and Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
and marched with his army to Hilvarenbeek
Hilvarenbeek
Hilvarenbeek is a municipality and a town in the south of the Netherlands, along the border with Belgium.- Population centres :The municipality of Hilvarenbeek also includes the following villages with their own churches: Baarschot, Biest-Houtakker, Diessen, Esbeek and Haghorst.In addition, the...
, where his troops crossed the Dommel
Dommel
The Dommel is a creek in Belgium and the Netherlands, left tributary of the Dieze. It rises in north-eastern Belgium near Peer and flows into the southern part of the Netherlands. The Dommel takes in water from the Keersop, Tongelreep, Run, Gender and Kleine Dommel streams and merges at...
river over the bridge of Halder, located a league from Den Bosch, and camped in Helmond
Helmond
Helmond is a municipality and a city in the province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands.- Quarters and Neighbourhoods :*Quarter 11 Inner City**Neighbourhood 0 Centrum**Neighbourhood 2 Leonardus**Neighbourhood 3 Heipoort...
, Neerwert, Heutsingben, and Rogelen. He ordered the Marquis Sigismondo Sfondrati to cross the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
through the bridge of Gennep
Gennep
Gennep is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Aaldonk, Dam, De Looi, Diekendaal, Gennep, Heijen, Hekkens, Milsbeek, Ottersum, Smele, Ven-Zelderheide and Zelder.- The city of Gennep :...
with some companies and wend to Venlo, where he arrived the next day. By then the garrison had been warned, but Ferdinand decided to invest the town and entrusted this task to the Marquis of Sfondrati. They confronted the governor of Venlo, Nicolaas van Brederode, a bastard of the noble family of van Brederode
Van Brederode
The lords of van Brederode were a noble family from Holland that played an important role during the Middle Ages. The earliest documented members appear in the 13th century in the region of Santpoort, at Castle Brederode.-History:...
who has at his disposition 15 companies of infantry and some cavalry troops amounting to a total of 1,000 or 1,200 men.
Van Brederode judged that he had no enough troops to defend the inside and outside of the town, so he ordered his troops to guard the gates and the boulevards and assigned the rest to the burghers of the town. The Cardinal-Infante arrived at the camp the next day and divided his army into four corps. One was placed in command of the Count John of Nassau
John VIII, Count of Nassau-Siegen
John VIII of Nassau-Siegen , Count of Nassau-Siegen, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden and Dietz, marquis of Monte-Caballo, baron of Ronse and baron of Beilstein was a Dutch noble and military of the 17th century.John VIII was the second son of John VII, Count of Nassau and Countess Magdalena of Waldeck.He...
and was quartered with the troops of the Count of Rietberg and other imperial troops, another marched to the north led by of the Count of Ribecourt, consisting of two regiments and troops from Fratras, Geldre, Gennep and Brion. Colonel Roveroy quartered his troops, the regiments of Faramont and Lodrons, south of the city, and the Count of Feria did it on the east with the Spanish Tercio
Tercio
The tercio was a Renaissance era military formation made up of a mixed infantry formation of about 3,000 pikemen, swordsmen and arquebusiers or musketeers in a mutually supportive formation. It was also sometimes referred to as the Spanish Square...
of the Marquis of Velada, the Old Tercio of the Count of Fuenclara
Fuenclara
The Tercio of Fuenclara was a Spanish native Tercio who fought in the Battle of Nördlingen, in the Eighty Years' War....
, all the baggage, and the court of the Cardinal-Infante.
When the camp was ready, trench
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
es began to be dug, both from the horn of Blerick and from three other locations. At the same time were made the approaches and at each quartes was built a battery of five cannons that began to beat the town incessantly. At first the garrison of Venlo and the burghers responded to this fire with their artillery, but when the Spanish advanced in their approaches and set fire to the town with their shells, the burghers rebelled against Van Brederode and went to City Hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
to demand to the magistrates that sued the governor for a cessation of hostilities. Meanwhile, the women climbed the walls and begged for mercy to the Spanish. Van Brederode decided then to send a drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
called Corneille Poorter to negotiate the surrender with the Cardinal-Infante.
Aftermath
The Cardinal-Infante, surprised by the ease of the victory, left some troops in Venlo and continued his offensive. A week later his cavalry rapidly invested the town of RoermondRoermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, defended by a Colonel called Carpentier, and after another heavy bombardment forced its garrison to surrender. 1,100 Dutch infantry soldiers and 2 companies of cavalry left the town with weapons and baggage, and were convoyed to Grave. Ferdinand considered then besieging then Grave, Nijmegen or perhaps Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, but advised by his commanders, he finally decided to cease the offensive alarmed by French advances in the south. The capture of Venlo and Roermond, nevertheless, was joyful received by the Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
populace and allowed Ferdinand to isolate Maastritch from the United Provinces. However, Frederick Henry refused to lift the siege of Breda despite this setback and the city finally surrendered to him on October 11. The loss of Breda supposed a considerable blow to Philip's IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
prestige, as Breda was a symbol of the Spanish power in Europe.