Siege of Lingen (1605)

Siege of Lingen

Date	10–19 August 1605
Location	Lingen, Emsland, Lower Saxony (present-day Germany)
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

United Provinces

Spain

Commanders and leaders

Maerten Cobben

Maurice of Nassau

Ambrosio Spinola

Strength

Unknown

16,000–17,000

The Siege of Lingen of 1605 took place between 10 August and 19 August 1605, at Lingen, District of Emsland, Lower Saxony, between Spain and the United Provinces, during the Eighty Years' War.Prince Maurice of Nassau tried to preserve Lingen at all costs. The Dutch garrison led by Captain Maerten Cobben, expecting to be aided by Maurice's army, held out for nine days, but were finally forced to surrender. The siege was part of Spinola's successful campaign of 1605-1606.

After the devastating Siege of Ostend, on 2 July 1605, the Dutch headquarters received reports that Don Ambrosio Spinola with Spain's main army of Flanders was headed towards the strongholds of the Rhine, in Cologne. Maurice and his commanders, who had been secretly planning to lay siege to Antwerp, had to abandon all hope. The movements of Ambrosio Spinola, not only prevented the Dutch troops from landing near Antwerp, but also forced the Dutch to abandon their attempt to capture other minor towns. The States-General, alarmed for the Spanish advance, ordered to Prince Maurice to head for the Rhine with all of his troops.

Spinola's army was initially estimated between 7,000 or 9,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry, but a few days later, the new Dutch reports estimated the Spaniards numbered about 16,000–17,000 men. At the end of July, Leaving behind 50 infantry companies to guard Ijzendijke Maurice quickly moved the rest of his army,including 61 infantry companies and 6 cavalry companies, towards Deventer. He arrived there on 10 August. Two days earlier, on 8 August, Spinola reached and laid siege the fortified town of Oldenzaal. The Dutch garrison surrendered to the Spaniards the next day. On the same day, Spinola's army marched on Lingen.

...
Wikipedia