Siege of Ostend
| Siege of Ostend | |||||||||
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| Part of the Eighty Years' War & the Anglo–Spanish War | |||||||||
Siege of Ostend by Peter Snayers, oil on canvas. | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Dutch Republic England | Spanish Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Charles van der Noot (July 1601) Francis Vere (August 1601) Frederick van Dorp (March 1602) Peter van Gieselles (Dec 1603) † John van Loon (March 1604) † Jacques van der Meer (March 1604) † Coronel Uytenhoove (June 1604) (WIA) Charles Fairfax † Daniel d´Hertaing |
Archduke Albrecht (July 1601) Ambrosio Spinola (October 1603) Luis de Velasco Count of Bucquoy Frederik van den Bergh | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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2,500–8,000 (peak) Total: ~50,000 (by rotation) |
9,000–20,000 (peak) Total: ~80,000 (by rotation) | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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30,000 – 45,000 killed, wounded or succumbed to disease 3,000 surrendered | 60,000 – 70,000 killed, wounded or succumbed to disease | ||||||||
The siege of Ostend was a three-year siege of the city of Ostend during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War. A Spanish force under Archduke Albrecht besieged the fortress being held initially by a Dutch force which was reinforced by English troops under Francis Vere, who became the town's governor. It was said "the Spanish assailed the unassailable; the Dutch defended the indefensible." The commitment of both sides in the dispute over the only Dutch-ruled area in the province of Flanders made the campaign continue for longer than any other during the war. This resulted in one of the longest and bloodiest sieges in world history: more than 100,000 people were killed, wounded, or succumbed to disease during the siege.
Ostend was resupplied via the sea and, as a result, held out for three years. A garrison did a tour of duty before being replaced by fresh troops, normally 3,000 at a time keeping casualties and disease to a minimum. The siege included a number of assaults by the Spanish, including an unsuccessful assault by 10,000 Spanish infantry in January 1602 when governed by Vere. After suffering substantial losses, the Spanish replaced the Archduke with Ambrosio Spinola, and the siege settled down to one of attrition, with the strong points gradually being taken one at a time.
Ostend was eventually captured by the Spanish on 20 September 1604, and the city was completely destroyed; the overall strategy had changed since the siege had started. The loss of Ostend represented a significant strategic setback for the Dutch Republic and England, but the outcome of the siege also came at great cost to Spain. The three-year siege of Ostend, marked by heavy casualties and high costs, was further partially offset by the Dutch and English conquest of Sluis shortly before its conclusion, yielding limited long-term strategic value. In this regard, it has been described as a pyrrhic victory, as the financial burden contributed to Spain's bankruptcy in 1607, and led the subsequent Twelve Years' Truce.