Siege of Rheinberg (1633)

Siege of Rheinberg
Part of Eighty Years' War
Depiction of the siege of Rheinberg by Manteau Culenburgh
Date 11 June - 2 July 1633 Location Rheinberg, Germany Result Dutch victory Capitulation of the last major Spanish fortress near the Rhine
Belligerents
Dutch Republic	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Henry	Marquis of Aitona
Strength
20.000	1.700

The siege of Rheinberg was a 21-day long siege by Frederick Henry, the then Prince of Orange. The siege resulted in a Dutch victory in which the last and only major city under Spanish control near the Rhine fell into Dutch hands.

Background

Rheinberg was captured by the Spanish in 1606 after a siege between Spanish forces lead by Ambrogio Spinola against the opposing Dutch forces lead by Maurice of Nassau. After 1606, Rheinberg was the only town left under Spanish rule near the Rhine, and after Frederick Henry's Meuse campaign, the Spanish territory among the Meuse saw a significant decrease.

Frederick Henry headed towards Rheinberg with his army, while Aytona did the same with his smaller army of 14,000 men from Brabant to prevent the siege, but he was not in such a state to cross the Rhine. Aytona however did manage to conquer the cities of Maaseik, Weert and Stevensweert. Which isolated the Dutch garrison stationed in Maastricht, and the Spanish grip on Jülich and Geldern was also solidified.

Siege

Frederick Henry arrived at Rheinberg with a large army on 11 June. The city was poorly protected and had a weak garrison and city walls looked like they could have been climbed. The city was attacked from 3 different sides, the parts that were attacked were the hornworks on the Haagsche- and Ginnekenpoort, next to the castle. The attacks were defended from 2 forts, the Efferschans and Speyerschans. On the tenth day after opening the trenches, the attackers reached the covered road, and from the covered road they were able to capture the Ginnekenport after which they could entrench themselves. The attackers created a battery, in whuch they were able to undermine the bastion via a Gallery. The same method was used on the other sides of the attack, and at that moment breaches were created by laying mines. And were able to storm the city afterwards. Two major and the final attacks of the siege were carried out, after which the city surrendered.

Aftermath

On 2 July, the garrison stationed in Rheinberg surrendered. Two days later the garrison had to leave their wives and priests, and the 'Contribution' in Twente and the County of Zutphen came to an end as result. And because the city was Captured, the project called 'Fossa Eugenia' came to an end. The Fossa Eugenia was a canal project which was initiated in 1626, the purpose of the canal was to connect the Meuse and Rhine, and the secondary purpose was to cut off trade with the Northern Provinces, so the capture of Rheinberg and Venlo meant an end to this project.

Sources

• Israel, Jonathan (1997). Conflicts of Empires, Spain, the Low Countries and the Struggle for World Supremacy, 1585- (E-book ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8264-3553-8.
• Bosscha, Joannes (1870). Neerlands heldendaden te land, van de vroegste tijden af tot op onze dagen, Volumes 1-2 (E-book ed.). G.T.N. Suringar. p. 376.
• Ubachs JH, Pierre (2000). Handboek voor de geschiedenis van Limburg (E-book ed.).