Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom (1622)
| Siege of Bergen op Zoom (1622) | |||||
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| Part of the Eighty Years' War | |||||
.jpg) Bergen op Zoom, circa 1620 | |||||
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| Belligerents | |||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||
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Maurice, Prince of Orange Ernst von Mansfeld |
Ambrosio Spinola Hendrik van den Bergh Luis de Velasco | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| unknown | 20.600 men | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| unknown | 5.000 men | ||||
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Bergen op Zoom Location within North Brabant  Bergen op Zoom Bergen op Zoom (Netherlands) | |||||
The Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom (1622) was a battle during the Eighty Years' War.
On 18 July 1622, the Spanish general Ambrosio Spinola laid siege to the Dutch city of Bergen op Zoom.
The population was divided between Protestants, who favored resistance and Catholics, who favored a Spanish conquest.
Spinola tried a feigned manoeuver by sending a part of his army under Hendrik van den Bergh to Cleves, and an other part under Luis de Velasco to Steenbergen, which was consequently conquered by Velasco.
But the city did not fall because it was supplied by sea. Furthermore, the Dutch Navy regularly bombarded the Spanish, causing many casualties. The young Michiel de Ruyter was one of these gunners.
The Dutch called on the German mercenary armies of Mansfeld and Christian of Brunswick to relieve the city. The Spanish sent their Palatian Army under Córdoba to intercept them, resulting in the Battle of Fleurus, Belgium on 22 August. Although the Germans lost thousands of men there, in the end Córdoba could not hinder their orderly departure towards Bergen.
The Spanish, by now de facto led by Velasco, had to lift the siege on 2 October, as a result of the arrival of an army under the Dutch Stadtholder Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange and Ernst von Mansfeld. Maurice of Nassau and his army relieved the city on the next day. The siege cost Spinola 5000 troops.