Siege of Mons (1572)

Coordinates: 50°27′N 3°57′E / 50.450°N 3.950°E / 50.450; 3.950
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Siege of Mons (1572)
Part of the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)

Mons in 1572 by Frans Hogenberg
Date23 June – 19 September 1572
Location
Mons, Hainaut, Spanish Netherlands
Result

Spanish victory[1][2][3]

Belligerents
Huguenot
forces		 Spain Spain
Commanders and leaders
Dutch Republic William of Orange
Dutch Republic Louis of Nassau
Jean de Hangest  (POW)
Julián Romero
Strength
Louis of Nassau:
6,000–6,500 men[8]
Jean de Hangest:
10,000 men[9]
William of Orange:
14,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry[10]		 8,500[11]
36 cannons

The siege of Mons of 1572 took place at Mons, capital of the County of Hainaut, Spanish Netherlands (present-day Belgium), between 23 June and 19 September 1572, as part of the Eighty Years' War, the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), and the French Wars of Religion.[1][6] In the spring of 1572, after the capture of Valenciennes by a Protestant force under Louis of Nassau, the Dutch commander continued with his offensive and took Mons by surprise on 24 May.[6][12] After three months of siege, and the defeats of the armies of Jean de Hangest, seigneur d'Yvoy and Genlis, and William the Silent, Prince of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), by the Spanish army led by Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba ("The Iron Duke"), Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands,[5] and his son, Don Fadrique de Toledo,[6] Louis of Nassau's forces, isolated and without any hope of help, surrendered Mons to the Duke of Alba on 19 September.[6][13][14]

Background

In early May 1572

Count of Montgomery.[5]

When the news reached the Spanish headquarters, Don

French allies, of one of their main bases.[3]

Meanwhile, William of Orange, Prince of Orange, had recruited in Germany an army of 14,000 soldiers of infantry and 3,000 of cavalry (11,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry according to other sources),[4] and on 7 July William crossed the Rhine, entering the Netherlands.[10]

Siege

Old map of the fortress-city of Mons
Siege of Mons by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, 1572 – Bor Nederlantsche Oorloghen

Louis of Nassau, aware of the progress of his brother, sent Jean de Hangest, seigneur d'Yvoy and Genlis, to France for more reinforcements, and in mid-July, Genlis, with an army of 10,000 men, crossed the border again, and marched towards Mons.[9] Louis sent a message to Genlis, urging that he should join with the army of his brother, William of Orange, but Genlis ignored the message, and advanced against the Spaniards.[19]

Battle of Saint-Ghislain

On 19 July

Huguenots, and then, the Spanish infantry shattered the French army.[4] The Spanish victory was complete, and the army of Genlis was entirely routed.[20] About 2,000 French soldiers were killed or wounded, and 700 captured, including 70 nobles and officers (in the following days, more than 4,000 were captured).[4][19] The leader of the French army, Jean de Hangest, was also captured, and taken prisoner to Antwerp.[21] The Captain Francisco Arias de Bobadilla [es] was honored with carrying the news of the victory to King Philip II, for the proven value during the battle.[4]

Meantime, the

Termonde, Oudenaarde, and Nivelles.[4][22]

St. Bartholomew's Day

On 11 August

St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, the Catholic population sang anthems in honor of "the most Christian King of France".[24]

In early September, Don Fernando, Duke of Alba (who despite being a strong defender of Catholicism, described the massacre as an atrocity), arrived at Mons with reinforcements and took command of the operations.[24] The Prince of Orange continued to advance through the Netherlands, and some cities and villages were forced to open the doors to its passage for fear (Alba was specially angry for this), although some, such as Leuven, prevented the Orange's troops entering the city, in exchange for supplies.[22] On 10 September the army arrived near Mons, and Alba, knowing the Orange's arrival, positioned his troops for a possible attack.[24]

William of Orange's army

Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba "The Iron Duke", by Antonis Mor
Adriaen Thomasz. Key

On the same day, as expected, the Orange's cavalry attacked the flank of the Spanish army, but was repulsed by the Spanish

Duke of Medinaceli, causing multiple casualties in the Orange's cavalry.[25][26] After the failed attack, the Prince retreated to the village of Harmignies, about a league from Mons.[24]

On the night of 11 September the Spanish commander, Maestre de Campo

Julián Romero, entered the camp of William of Orange commanding 600 arquebusiers, remaining as a reserve, in rear, the same number, supported by units of infantry and light cavalry, whose purpose was to protect the withdrawal.[27] In this raid 600 rebels were killed, for only 60 Spaniards.[27] Hundred of horses were captured, and a great part of the tents and the supplies were destroyed and burned. During the action, William of Orange himself was in profound slumber, and was saved by the barking of his Spaniel dog, who slept beside him.[27]

With a heavy heart, William wrote to his brother Louis of his forlorn condition and inability to relieve Mons.[28] The Prince retreated with his army to Nivelles and Mechelen, marching to the Rhine, and finally the bulk of his troops, mutinous for lack of pay, dispersed towards Germany. Thereafter he made his way almost alone to Holland, the only province which still remained true to him.[28]

Surrender

After the defeat of the army of French

Huguenots under Jean de Hangest, and the withdrawal of the army of William of Orange, Louis of Nassau found himself isolated in Mons.[21] Even the French Huguenots under his command mutinied as a consequence for the support of the King of France to the massacre of St. Bartholomew.[29] On 19 September Louis of Nassau surrendered Mons to the Duke of Alba and the terms of the capitulation were agreed between the Dutch and the Spaniards.[29]

Immediate consequences

Portrait of Louis of Nassau by Adriaen Thomasz Key

Louis of Nassau would be received by the Duke of Alba, the Duke of Medinaceli, and Don Fadrique. The city would be evacuated on 21 September, and on 24 September the Duke of Alba entered Mons.

Governor of Hainaut, took command of the city.[29]

All towns that had accepted the authority of Prince William of Orange, many for fear of reprisals, returned to the allegiance to the Duke of Alba.[30] However, Alba advanced over Mechelen, one of the cities that lent support to the Orange's army, and where the Prince had left a small garrison.[30] In retaliation for the assistance provided by the city to the rebel army of William of Orange, and to satisfy the arrears of pay of the soldiers of the Spanish regiments, the Duke of Alba ordered the troops under the command of his son Don Fadrique to sack the city.[30][31]

After dealing with Orange's threat in the south, Alba sent his son Don Fadrique to the two rebellious provinces Gelderland and Holland. Fadrique started his campaign by the capture of the fortress-city of Zutphen in Gelderland.[30] On his way to Amsterdam, Don Fadrique came across Naarden, which surrendered on 22 November 1572.[30]

Long-term consequences

The loss of Mons proved irreversible. The

Dutch Revolt never got another chance to rally the Walloon Protestants to its cause, which remained confined to the North. Nine years later Mons became part of the staunchly Catholic Union of Arras which accepted the Spanish rule, and Protestantism there was stamped out. Thus, the Dutch rebels losing the chance to gain Mons was an important step towards the division of what had been the single Habsburg Netherlands into two distinct entities - ultimately the present Netherlands and Belgium
.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c David J.B. Trim p.162
  2. ^ Macgregor pp.211–212
  3. ^ a b c d e Duffy. Siege Warfare: Fortress in the Early Modern World
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Los Tercios de Flandes. Giménez Martín
  5. ^ a b c Tracy pp.78–79
  6. ^ a b c d e Jaques p.676
  7. ^ With hope of French aid end at the St. Bartholomew's Eve massacre and the repulse of a relief army at Havré, the city surrendered. Jaques p. 676
  8. ^ Macgregor p.205
  9. ^ a b c Macgregor p.207
  10. ^ a b Macgregor pp.205–206
  11. ^ Macgregor pp.207–214
  12. ^ a b The Eighty Years War (1568-1648)
  13. ^ Hernán/Maffi p.24
  14. ^ Without French assistance, William of Orange, leading a German mercenary army to aid his brother, was driven back into Germany; the garrison of Mons was thus cut off and –eventually– forced to accept the terms. Trim p.162
  15. ^ Elliott p.140
  16. ^ Tracy p.82
  17. ^ Macgregor p.204
  18. ^ Mons was the capital of Hainaut, and an important town, protected by lofty walls, a triple moat, and a strong citadel. Macgregor p.203
  19. ^ a b c d e Macgregor p.208
  20. ^ The panic this caused among the French Huguenots was not easily allayed, and before they were aware, Noircarmes was charging upon them at the head of his cavalry, and the infantry arriving directly after, the army of Genlis was entirely routed. Macgregor p. 208
  21. ^ a b c d Trim p.162
  22. ^ a b c Macgregor p.209
  23. ^ Calvin's book was "Praelectiones in librum prophetiarum Danielis". Geneva and Laon, 1561. Holt (2005) p.81
  24. ^ a b c d Macgregor p.210
  25. ^ Jaques (2007) p.676
  26. ^ Viéndolos en lugar tan peligroso, hiciera con más razón juicio del ser soldados muy arriesgados que no generales. Giménez Martín.
  27. ^ a b c Macgregor p. 210–211
  28. ^ a b Macgregor p.211
  29. ^ a b c d Macgregor pp.212–213
  30. ^ a b c d e Israel p.178
  31. ^ Macgregor p.214

References

External links

50°27′N 3°57′E / 50.450°N 3.950°E / 50.450; 3.950

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