Siege of Steenwijk (1580–1581)

Siege of Steenwijk (1580–81)
Part of the Eighty Years' War & Anglo–Spanish War
The failed Spanish siege of Steenwijk under Count Rennenberg in 1580/1581, by Jan Luyken
Date October 18, 1580 – February 23, 1581 Location Steenwijk (present-day Netherlands) Result Anglo-Dutch victory
Belligerents
Dutch Rebels England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Johan van den Kornputand John Norreys	George van Lalaing
Strength
1,200 (by December)	6,000 infantry, 1,200 cavalry
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy

The Siege of Steenwijk took place from October 18, 1580 – February 23, 1581 during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War, between a besieging Spanish force under turncoat George van Lalaing against a Dutch rebel garrison at Steenwijk under Johan van den Kornput. An English and Dutch rebel force under John Norreys successfully relieved the town on January 24, and the Spanish in addition to ill-health and lack of supplies subsequently lifted the siege in February.

In March 1577, the Spanish brought a contingent of soldiers from Wallonia to maintain their rule in the rebellious province of Overijssel. In March 1580, amidst outrage amongst the Protestant Dutch over the betrayal of George van Lalaing (Count of Renneberg and former Stadholder of Groningen) - who had turned to be in the service of Spain - the occupation force, their wages overdue, went over to the side of the Dutch rebels.

The province of Overijssel only had a small number of Dutch rebel troops—a company of soldiers led by Captain Olthof—but in October a second company led by Johan van den Kornput and consisting of 600 soldiers arrived at Steenwijk. In 1578, Kornput had provided vital strategic assistance to Lalaing (before his betrayal) during the siege of Deventer. Subsequently, the city was forced to surrender and came into States hands.

On October 18, 1580, the day after Kornput arrived in Steenwijk, a Spanish army of over 6,000 infantry and 1,200 cavalry under Lalaing laid siege to Steenwijk.

A bombardment in November destroyed about seventy houses, testing the city residents, who were already suffering because the harvest that year had been poor. Two relief attempts by the rebel Dutch were frustrated by the besiegers in late November. The Dutch rebel forces then asked John Norreys, who was in Brabant, to help relieve the beleaguered garrison. Promoted to the rank of general officer, Norreys marched to Steenwijk with two thousand men.

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