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The Siege of Breda of 1624–25 occurred during the Eighty Years' War. The siege resulted in Breda, a Dutch fortified city, falling into the control of the Army of Flanders. Following the orders of Ambrogio Spinola, Philip IV's army laid siege to Breda in August 1624. The siege was contrary to the wishes of Philip IV. The city was heavily fortified and defended by a garrison of 7,000 men. Spinola rapidly blocked its defences and prevented a Dutch relief army under the leadership of Maurice of Nassau from blocking access to his supplies. In February 1625, a second relief force, consisting of 7,000 English troops under the leadership of Horace Vere and Ernst von Mansfeld, was also driven off by Spinola. After a costly eleven-month siege, Justin of Nassau surrendered Breda in June 1625. Only 3,500 Dutchmen〔 and fewer than 600 Englishmen had survived the siege.〔 The Siege of Breda is considered Spinola's greatest success and one of Spain's last major victories in the Eighty Years' War. The siege part of a plan to isolate the Republic from its hinterland. Although political infighting hindered Spinola's freedom of movement, Spain's efforts in the Netherlands continued thereafter. The siege of 1624 captured the attention of European princes and, for an interval, Spanish armies regained the formidable reputation they had held in the past centuries. The capture in 1629 of a Spanish treasure fleet by Piet Heyn led to the capture of the fortress city of 's-Hertogenbosch, with the Stadtholder, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, breaking the land blockade. In 1637, after a four-month siege, Breda was recaptured by Frederick Henry. In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia ceded it to the Dutch Republic. ==Reasons== There were several motives for the siege of Breda. Because the Dutch regularly used the town as a base for raiding Spanish Brabant, the parts of Brabant under royal rule would be better protected if the city were conquered. In addition, neighbouring towns occupied by the States, such as Bergen op Zoom, would be easier to conquer with a foothold in Breda.〔Rooze and Eimermann, p. B4〕 The reduced prestige of the Spanish army was an important reason. In 1590, Breda was captured from the Spanish using the stratagem with the peat boat. The conquest of a well-defended city like Breda could erase this disgrace. In addition, Spinola personally felt that the failure of the Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom (1622) was a blot on his reputation. Furthermore, Spain wanted to have a strong position in potential peace negotiations. The conquest of Breda would enable Spain to put forward stronger demands concerning religious freedom for Catholics in the Republic and lifting the blockade of the Scheldt. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Siege of Breda (1624)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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