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Siege of Haarlem
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In the Eighty Years' War the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands was put under a bloody siege by a Spanish army that wanted to reclaim the rebellious city for Philip II, the Spanish king.
PretextThe city of Haarlem had a moderate view in the religious war that was going on in the Netherlands at that time. The city managed to escape from the Reformed iconoclasm in 1566 that affected other cities in the Netherlands. When the city of Brielle was conquered by the Geuzen revolutionary army on April 1, the Haarlem municipality did not immediately start supporting the Geuzen. Initially, most city administrators -- unlike many citizens -- did not favor open revolution against Philip II of Spain, who had inherited rule of the Netherlands from his father, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
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In the Eighty Years' War the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands was put under a bloody siege by a Spanish army that wanted to reclaim the rebellious city for Philip II, the Spanish king.
PretextThe city of Haarlem had a moderate view in the religious war that was going on in the Netherlands at that time. The city managed to escape from the Reformed iconoclasm in 1566 that affected other cities in the Netherlands. When the city of Brielle was conquered by the Geuzen revolutionary army on April 1, the Haarlem municipality did not immediately start supporting the Geuzen. Initially, most city administrators -- unlike many citizens -- did not favor open revolution against Philip II of Spain, who had inherited rule of the Netherlands from his father, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. However, after much political debate the city officially turned against Philip II on July 4, 1572.
The ruler of Spain was not pleased, and sent an army up north under command of Don Fadrique (Don Frederick in Dutch), son of the Duke of Alva. On November 17, 1572 all citizens of the city of Zutphen were murdered by the Spanish army, and on December 1 the city of Naarden suffered the same fate.
From Amsterdam, still a pro-Spain city, the message came that perhaps negotiations with Don Fadrique were possible. The city administration sent a deputation of 4 people to Amsterdam. The cities defenses were commanded by city-governor Wigbolt Ripperda, a commandor put in charge by the William the Silent, the Prince of Orange. He strongly disapproved of negotiating with the Spanish army, and called the city guard together in De Doelen, and convinced them to stay loyal to the Prince of Orange. The city's administration was replaced with pro-Orange members.
When the deputation came back from Amsterdam, they were convicted as traitors and sent to the Prince. The Sint-Bavokerk (Saint Bavo Church) was cleared of Roman Catholic symbols the same day.
Under siegeOn December 11, 1572 the Spanish army put Haarlem under siege. The city was not very strong, military speaking. Although the city was completely surrounded by citywalls, they were not in a very good shape. The area around the city could not be inundated, and offered the enemy a lot of places the set up a camp. However, the existence of the Haarlemmermeer (a great lake) nearby, made it difficult for the enemy to cut off the transportation of food into the city completely.
In the Middle Ages it was not usual to fight in the winter, but the city of Haarlem was crucial and Don Fadrique stayed and put the town under siege. The first two months of the siege the situation was in balance. The Spanish army was digging tunnels, to reach the city walls and blow them up. The defenders made tunnels to blow up the Spanish tunnels. The situation became worse for Haarlem on March 29, 1573. The Amsterdam army, faithful to the Spanish king, occupied the Haarlemmermeer and effectively blocked Haarlem from the outside world. The hunger in the city grew, and the situation became so tense that on May 27 many (Spanish-loyal) prisoners were taken from the prison and murdered.
In the early days of the battle, the Spanish army tried an assault of the city walls, but this attempt to quickly conquer the city failed due to the insufficient preparation by the Spanish army, which had not expected much resistance. This initial victory gave the defenders' morale a big boost.
On December 19 no less than 625 shots were fired at the defensive wall between the Janspoort to the Catherijnebridge. This forced the defenders to put up a completely new wall.
Two city gates, the Kruispoort and the Janspoort collapsed from the fighting.
Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer, a very strong woman, helped defending the city.
In the beginning of July William I of Orange put together an army of 5000 soldiers near Leiden, to rescue Haarlem. However, the Spanish trapped them at the Manpad and defeated the army.
SurrenderAfter seven months the city surrendered on July 13, 1573. Usually, after such a siege, there would be a period of time that the soldiers of the victoring army could pillage the city, but the citizens were allowed to buy themselves and the city free for 240,000 guilders.
Many soldiers of the army that defended the city were slaughtered; many of them were drowned in the Spaarne river. Governor Ripperda and his lieutenant were beheaded. Don Fadrique thanked God for his victory in the Sint-Bavokerk. The city would have to host a Spanish garrison.
Although ultimately the city could not be kept for the Prince of Orange, the siege showed other cities that the Spanish army was not invincible. This idea, and the great losses suffered by the Spanish army, helped the cities of Leiden and Alkmaar in their sieges. The latter city would later defeat the Spanish army, a major breakthrough in the Dutch Revolt. In the Sint-Bavo church the following words can still be read:
In dees grote nood, in ons uutereste ellent
Gaven wij de stadt op door hongers verbant
Niet dat hij se in creegh met stormender hant.
In this great need, in our uttermost misery,
we gave up the city, forced by hunger,
not that he took her by storm.
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