Siege of Grave (1602)

Part of the Eighty Years' War & the Anglo–Spanish War

Map of the siege in 1602 from the Atlas van Loon

Date	18 July to 20 September 1602
Location	Grave (present-day the Netherlands)
Result	Anglo-Dutch victory

Belligerents

Dutch Republic

England

Spain

Commanders and leaders

Strength

20,000

1,500 (Grave),
8,000 (Spanish relief army)

Casualties and losses

Unknown

~1,000 captured

The Siege of Grave was a siege that took place between 18 July to 20 September 1602 as part of the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War. The Spanish held city of Grave was besieged by a Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Orange and Francis Vere respectively. After a siege of nearly two months the city surrendered when a Spanish relief army under Francisco López de Mendoza was defeated just outside the city by the besiegers. The defeat was severe enough to cause a major mutiny in the Spanish army.

Prince Maurice of Orange had been actively campaigning against the Spanish armies in the Southern Netherlands and had successfully made sure that Ostend then under siege by the Albert of Austria would be a key distraction while he took the rest of the Spanish garrisons that were still in the Republic. Maurice in his first objective successfully besieged and took Rheinberg an important stronghold on the Rhine from the Spanish in July 1601.

Meanwhile, Francis Vere had successfully defeated a massive Spanish assault in Ostend in January the same year. The veteran Englishman with his troops stuck in Ostend proved an issue - the states general demanded that Vere would be better served in the field with Maurice. After this had been agreed the garrison of Ostend was replaced by fresh troops along with a new governor - Frederick van Dorp. Vere left in March and was back in the field with a large portion of English troops (many newly recruited) numbering 8,000 men and many of them veterans from the siege at Ostend.

On arriving at the Hague, Vere at once joined the army of Maurice and as soon as both forces had assembled which then numbered nearly 20,000 men, they crossed the Waal at Nijmegen, and the Maas at Mook, advanced thence into the heart of Brabant. Maurice found his progress towards Tienen opposed by Francisco López de Mendoza, who was strongly entrenched - he refused to be tempted out while Maurice refused to engage or pass while leaving a large force in his rear. Maurice then turned back to the north with the intention of besieging Grave or Venlo; the former was chosen.

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Wikipedia