Siege of Hulst (1596)

Siege of Hulst (1596)
Part of the Eighty Years' War & the Anglo–Spanish War
Engraving of the Siege of Hulst of 1596 by Frans Hogenberg. Collection Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
Date Middle of July –18 August 1596 Location Hulst, Zeeland, Low Countries (present-day the Netherlands) Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
United Provinces  England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Count of Solms Maurice of Nassau William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg	Archduke Albert Manuel de Vega Luis de Velasco
Strength
Hulst: 3,700 Relief forces: 7,000	12,000 to 15,000
Casualties and losses
500 killed or wounded 3,000 surrendered	1,300 to 2,000 dead 800 to 3,000 wounded

The Siege of Hulst of 1596 was a Spanish victory led by Archduke Albert that took place between mid-July and August 18, 1596, at the city of Hulst, Province of Zeeland, Low Countries (present-day the Netherlands), during the Eighty Years' War, the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). After a short siege, during which Maurice of Orange launched a failed attempt to relieve the city – the garrison of Dutch and English troops fell into Spanish hands on August 18, 1596.

From 1590 until 1594 the Dutch under the leadership of Maurice of Orange had achieved great military successes and expanded its territory capturing numerous strategic towns and cities; including Hulst. In 1595 Maurice commenced a campaign with the objective to expel the Spanish troops from all cities above the Rhine in the east of the Netherlands. However, at the Siege of Groenlo Cristóbal de Mondragón arrived with a relief force, forcing Maurice to break up the siege. The following year began badly for the Dutch and English as the important port Calais fell to Spain after the French garrison surrendered. The Spanish under Albert of Austria returned to Flanders and conducted a counter offensive and was solicited by the burghers of Bruges to lay siege to Ostend with an offer of 1,200,000 guilders towards the expenses. This however was not to be as Maurice had heavily reinforced the garrison with fresh troops and supplies.

Albert's force marched from Antwerp past the Scheldt and into Brabant with nearly 15,000 infantry and cavalry under their new commander Sieur de Rosne a French refugee who had replaced Francisco Verdugo and Mondragón both of whom had died. Albert was indecisive about whether to besiege Bergen op Zoom or Breda. Nevertheless, Albert had in fact worked up a ruse and to the Dutch there was confusion about where he would strike. Maurice's small depleted army of 5,000 went to Brabant – the vast majority of the veteran English and Scottish regiments, 4,000 in all under Sir Francis Vere were at Cadiz which they were sacking. The Dutch public however funded enough money for some 2,000 soldiers. With Maurice's army thinly stretched Albert realised he could strike at Hulst without hindrance.

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