Siege of Coevorden (1592)

Siege of Coevorden 1592
Part of the Eighty Years' War & the Anglo–Spanish War
Siege of Coevorden,1592, print by Johannes Janssonius
Date 26 July - 2 September 1592 Location Coevorden Present day the Netherlands Result Anglo-Dutch victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Maurice of Orange Francis Vere	Frederik van den Bergh (Coevorden) Francisco Verdugo Cristóbal de Mondragón
Strength
8,000	1,900 5,000 (relief)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	1,400 killed, wounded or from disease, 500 surrendered

The Siege of Coevorden was a siege that took place between 26 July to 2 September 1592 during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War at the city of Coevorden by a Dutch and English force under overall command of Maurice of Nassau. The city was defended by Frederik van den Bergh who had been commissioned for the defence by King Philip II of Spain.

A Spanish relief force under Francisco Verdugo and Cristóbal de Mondragón attempted to relieve the Spanish garrison. However a failed attack on the besiegers as well as desertions and disease meant the Spanish relief force had to retreat leaving Coevorden to its fate. As a result, on 2 September 1592, the garrison of Coevorden surrendered.

In 1591 Maurice of Orange, the Dutch Republics military commander had led a successful campaign, in which he had captured several important cities culminating in the capture of Nijmegen in October that year. During that campaign he had also captured Delfzijl, and meant Groningen the capital of Drenthe, being stripped of its main transit port. The ultimate goal of Maurice was to take that city in 1591 but the defensvies looked too strong. Therefore, in 1592 he began by besieging and taking Steenwijk so that Grongingen would grow weaker.

Maurice then wanted to move immediately to Coevorden, but the States-General did not want this to proceed. The Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, although wounded from his unsuccessful campaign in Northern France had returned to the Netherlands, near Zeeland and the States General wanted to recall Maurice there. However, the Republic's army consisting of 8,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry was well complemented by the addition of newly recruited German mercenaries as well as the English army under Francis Vere - fourteen companies of infantry and five troops of cavalry. Parma convalescing from his wound at the same time was in no fit condition to lead an army and the army itself was not at full strength.

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