Siege of Mons (1572)

Siege of Mons (1572)
Part of the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
Mons in 1572 by Frans Hogenberg.
Date 23 June – 19 September 1572 Location Mons, Hainaut, Spanish Netherlands Result Decisive Spanish victory Valenciennes recaptured by the Spanish forces Huguenot army destroyed William of Orange's army defeated and disbanded Louis of Nassau's forces at Mons capitulated on 19 September
Belligerents
Dutch Rebels  England French Huguenot forces	Spain
Commanders and leaders
William of Orange Louis of Nassau Adrien de Hangest  (POW)	Duke of Alba Fadrique de Toledo Julián Romero
Strength
Louis of Nassau: 6,000–6,500 men Adrien de Hangest: 10,000 men William of Orange: 14,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry	8,500 36 cannons

Decisive Spanish victory

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. 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. After three months of siege, and the defeats of the armies of Adrien de Hangest, Seigneur de 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, and his son, Don Fadrique de Toledo, Louis of Nassau's forces, isolated and without any hope of help, surrendered Mons to the Duke of Alba on 19 September.

In early May 1572 Louis of Nassau, one of the major commanders of the Dutch rebel forces, encouraged by the victory at Brielle by the Sea Beggars (1 April), and supported by the Huguenot leader Gaspard de Coligny, invaded the Spanish Netherlands with an army composed by German, English, Scottish and French soldiers, and took Valenciennes on 21 May. On 23 May Louis of Nassau arrived at Mons with 1,000 infantry and 500 cavalry, who encamped in the environs of the city. At the next day, after finding out the schedules of opening of the doors of Mons, Nassau entered the city by surprise with the cavalry, and then, the rest of his forces, defeating the small Spanish garrison. Louis took control of the city, and a few days later, was reinforced by about 4,500 infantry and cavalry under the command of the Count of Montgomery.

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