Battle of Jemmingen

1568 battle of the Eighty Years' War
53°15′N 7°23′E / 53.250°N 7.383°E / 53.250; 7.383Result Spanish victory[1]Belligerents Dutch rebels Spain Spanish EmpireCommanders and leaders Louis of Nassau Spain Duke of AlbaStrength 10,000 infantry
2,000 cavalry
16 guns 12,000 infantry
3,000 cavalryCasualties and losses 7,000 dead or wounded 80 dead
220 wounded
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Eighty Years' War
OriginsList of battles

1566–1572

Western Europe

  • Beeldenstorm
  • Valenciennes
  • Wattrelos
  • Lannoy
  • Oosterweel
  • Dahlen
  • Heiligerlee
  • Jemmingen
  • Jodoigne
  • Le Quesnoy

1572–1576

Western Europe

European waters

1576–1579

Western Europe


1579–1588

Western Europe

European waters

Ten Years, 1588–1598

Western Europe

  • 1st Bergen op Zoom
  • 2nd Geertruidenberg
  • 2nd Breda
  • 2nd Zutphen
  • 2nd Deventer
  • Delfzijl
  • Knodsenburg
  • 1st Hulst
  • Nijmegen
  • Rouen
  • Caudebec
  • 2nd Steenwijk
  • 1st Coevorden
  • 1st Luxemburg
  • 3rd Geertruidenberg
  • 2nd Coevorden
  • Groningen
  • 2nd Luxemburg
  • Huy
  • 1st Groenlo
  • Lippe
  • 2nd Lier
  • Calais
  • 2nd Hulst
  • Turnhout
  • 2nd Rheinberg
  • 1st Meurs
  • 2nd Groenlo
  • Bredevoort
  • Enschede
  • Ootmarsum
  • 1st Oldenzaal
  • 1st Lingen
European waters
  • 1st English Channel · Flanders
  • Bayona Islands
  • Gulf of Almería
  • 1st Cádiz
  • Azores

1599–1609

Western Europe

European waters

Twelve Years' Truce, 1609–1621

Western Europe

  • Aachen

East Indies


1621–1648

Western Europe

European waters

Americas

East Indies


PeaceAftermathHistoriography

After the Battle of Heiligerlee, the Dutch rebel leader Louis of Nassau (brother of William the Silent) failed to capture the city of Groningen. Louis was driven away by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba and defeated at the Battle of Jemmingen (also known as Battle of Jemgum, at Jemgum in East Frisia, now part of Germany) on 21 July 1568.

Forces

The Spanish army consisted of 12,000 infantry (4 tercios), 3,000 cavalry, and some cannons. Louis of Nassau opposed them with 10,000 infantry (2 groups), some cavalry, and 16 cannons.

Battle

After three hours of skirmishes, Louis' army left its trenches and advanced. Pounded by effective musket fire and intimidated by the Spanish cavalry, the advance turned into a general retreat towards the river Ems.

Aftermath

On 19 May 1571 a statue of the Duke, cast from one of the captured bronze cannons, was placed in Antwerp citadel. After the Sack of Antwerp in 1576, the city joined the Dutch Revolt and in 1577 the statue was destroyed by an angry crowd.

Notes

  1. ^ Laffin, John, Brassey's Dictionary of Battles, (Barnes & Noble, 1995), 212-213.

References

  • Laffin, John, Brassey's Dictionary of Battles, Barnes & Noble, 1995.

External links

  • The Battle of Jemmingen