Siege of Antwerp (1584-1585)

From Freepedia

For the siege of Antwerp in 1914, during World War I, see siege of Antwerp

The Siege of Antwerp took place during the Eighty Years' War from July 1584 until August 1585. At the time Antwerp was the largest Dutch city and the cultural, economic and financial centre of the Seventeen Provinces and of north-western Europe. On November 4, 1576, the Spanish soldiery plundered the city during what was called the Spanish Fury. Thousands of citizens were massacred and hundreds of houses were burnt down. Antwerp became even more engaged in the rebellion. The city joined the Union of Utrecht (1579) and became the capital of the Dutch revolt, which no longer was only a protestant rebellion but a revolt of all Dutch provinces.

Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, sent by Philip II of Spain to restore peace and orthodoxy, had allready recaptured Brussels and most of the cities of Flanders as the siege of Antwerp began.

Parma made a 730 meter long ships bridge on the river Scheldt to isolate the town from the Dutch fleet. On August 17, 1585, the city surrendered. Protestant rebels could (or must) leave the town, before the Spanish army entered, ten days later. Of the pre-siege population of 100,000 people, only 40,000 remained at the end, ending golden century of Antwerp. The majority of the population fled to the north, resulting in the golden century of the Seven United Provinces.

Some say that Antwerp was betrayed by the northern provinces by keeping Queen Elizabeth I of England waiting for too long, preventing her sending troops to help Antwerp. The fleet on the river Scheldt waiting for running the Spanish blockade, was kept there, blocking the city now under Spanish controle and cutting it off from the sea and from international trade.