Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Capture of Delfzijl
open-in-new
<h2 id="events">Events</h2> <h3>Background</h3> <p>In early 1591, Maurice had begun a campaign to push the Spanish out of the Netherlands - the <a href="/facts/States_General_of_the_Netherlands/ekUD6R8K">States General of the Netherlands</a> wanted <a href="/facts/Nijmegen/TFpELGNF">Nijmegen</a> to be taken, but complications arose of its capture, so surrounding towns and cities such as <a href="/facts/Zutphen/l4ThjVIv">Zutphen</a> and <a href="/facts/Deventer/QlFDTJul">Deventer</a> had to be taken before any siege took place. The strategy was to draw the Spanish troops and make them think the real objective was elsewhere. <a href="/facts/Siege_of_Zutphen_(1591)/dN4bq8w0">First Zutphen</a> and <a href="/facts/Siege_of_Deventer_(1591)/ATv5ukWb">then Deventer</a> were both taken by Dutch troops under Maurice and English troops under <a href="/facts/Francis_Vere/LAQEyun0">Francis Vere</a> respectively.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> The next target was <a href="/facts/Groningen/NN8RGePD">Groningen</a> in the North as two years before <a href="/facts/William_Louis%2c_Count_of_Nassau-Dillenburg/7yq5JJWs">William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg</a>, had captured a <a href="/facts/Sconce_(fortification)/5wo0WWSb">sconce</a> at <a href="/facts/Zoutkamp/lh8tY7Bp">Zoutkamp</a>, providing an initial impetus to eventually besiege Groningen. This was soon abandoned by Maurice as it was still considered too strong to besiege, and in addition the threatened approach of the <a href="/facts/Alexander_Farnese%2c_Duke_of_Parma/KuySHb2Q">Duke of Parma</a> with his army.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <h3>Capture</h3> <p>Maurice instead went directly to the North - his target was the town and fortress of Delfzijl which lay on the shores of the <a href="/facts/Dollart/pzsj90IP">Dollart</a>, a large inlet dividing the province of Groningen from the German district of <a href="/facts/Emden/YUl0qQX7">Emden</a>, a Spanish supply base.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> On June 26, 1591, the Anglo-Dutch army came before the fortress - they had used 150 boats along the waterways to transport their heavy artillery.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> The Spanish garrison in Delfzijl numbered only 300 troops and ten guns and both sides knew they were in for a short siege. Siege positions were established in front of the town and when the guns were all in position, they opened fire.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> Sure enough after a heavy bombardment in the first few days of the siege the Spanish garrison, realising no relief was forthcoming, had had enough and began negotiations for surrender on 2 July.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Maurice eventually agreed and the Spanish garrison surrendered and was allowed to leave (except for the disloyal and defectors) under terms for Groningen.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h3>Aftermath</h3> <p><a href="/facts/Francisco_Verdugo/MYLmDwkp">Francisco Verdugo</a>, the Spanish governor in the province of Groningen, was enraged when they arrived there.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> He ordered the captains beheaded and then humiliated the soldiers. Twelve soldiers were chosen by a <a href="/facts/Sortition/WSWzQfzj">lot</a> to be imprisoned; five of these were also beheaded later.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p><p>Maurice, after taking Delfzijl, reinforced the fortifications there according to the original plans of <a href="/facts/Johan_van_den_Kornput/gNgsfLkI">Johan van den Kornput</a> and placed a small garrison of Dutch and English inside. In early 1594, the garrison was able to repel a Spanish attack led by Francisco Verdugo.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p><p>Maruice then marched from Delfzijl and advanced towards <a href="/facts/Hulst/K4kgS1F7">Hulst</a> and Nijmegen. Maurice and the Dutch and English army instead had to come before Knodsenburg where they defeated the Duke of Parma attempting to <a href="/facts/Siege_of_Knodsenburg/KLdfytCu">besiege the place</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> Citations Bibliography <ul><li>Wernham, Richard Bruce (1980). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=5tMLAQAAIAAJ"><i>List and Analysis of State Papers, Foreign Series: June 1591-April 1592, Volume 1; Volumes 3-4</i></a>. H.M. Stationery Office. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 9783601002314.</li> <li>Tracy Borman (1997). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=67y9GwAACAAJ"><i>Sir Francis Vere in the Netherlands, 1589-1603: A Re-evaluation of His Career as Sergeant Major General of Elizabeth I's Troops</i></a>. University of Hull.</li> <li>Julsing, Johan (2006). <i>Het geheime dagboek van de Groninger stadssecretaris Johan Julsing 1589-1594 Volume 2 of Groninger bronnen reeks (Dutch)</i>. Uitgeverij Van Gorcum. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 9789023242345.</li> <li>Markham, C. R (2007). <i>The Fighting Veres: Lives Of Sir Francis Vere And Sir Horace Vere</i>. Kessinger Publishing. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1432549053.</li> <li>van der Hoeven, Marco (1997). <i>Exercise of Arms: Warfare in the Netherlands, 1568-1648 Volume 1 of History of warfare</i>. BRILL. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 9789004107274.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Julsing pp 117-18 <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Kuypers, F.H.W. (1871). Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche artillerie van af de vroegste tijden tot op heden, Volume 2 (Dutch). p. 233. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=3WlNAAAAcAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=3WlNAAAAcAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Markham 175 <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>van der Hoeven p 40 <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Kuypers, F.H.W. (1871). Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche artillerie van af de vroegste tijden tot op heden, Volume 2 (Dutch). p. 233. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=3WlNAAAAcAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=3WlNAAAAcAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Markham 175 <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Wernham, Richard Bruce (1980). List and Analysis of State Papers, Foreign Series: June 1591-April 1592, Volume 1; Volumes 3-4. H.M. Stationery Office. ISBN 9783601002314. <a href="9783601002314" target="_blank">9783601002314</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Markham 175 <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Kuypers, F.H.W. (1871). Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche artillerie van af de vroegste tijden tot op heden, Volume 2 (Dutch). p. 233. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=3WlNAAAAcAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=3WlNAAAAcAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Wernham, Richard Bruce (1980). List and Analysis of State Papers, Foreign Series: June 1591-April 1592, Volume 1; Volumes 3-4. H.M. Stationery Office. ISBN 9783601002314. <a href="9783601002314" target="_blank">9783601002314</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Julsing pp 117-18 <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Julsing pp 117-18 <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Wernham, Richard Bruce (1980). List and Analysis of State Papers, Foreign Series: June 1591-April 1592, Volume 1; Volumes 3-4. H.M. Stationery Office. ISBN 9783601002314. <a href="9783601002314" target="_blank">9783601002314</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Julsing pp 117-18 <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Markham 175 <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>