Siege of Breda ( 1624 ) The Siege of Breda of 1624 – 25 occurred during the Eighty Years ' War . The siege resulted in Breda , a Dutch fortified city , falling into the control of the Army of Flanders . Following the orders of Ambrogio Spinola , Philip IV ' s army laid siege to Breda in August 1624 . The siege was contrary to the wishes of Philip IV . The city was heavily fortified and defended by a garrison of 7 , 000 men . Spinola rapidly blocked its defences and prevented a Dutch relief army under the leadership of Maurice of Nassau from blocking access to his supplies . In February 1625 , a second relief force , consisting of 7 , 000 Englishmen under the leadership of Horace Vere and Ernst von Mansfeld , was also driven off by Spinola . After a costly eleven - month siege , Justin of Nassau surrendered Breda in June 1625 . Only 3 , 500 Dutchmen and fewer than 600 Englishmen had survived the siege . The Siege of Breda is considered Spinola ' s greatest success and one of Spain ' s last major victories in the Eighty Years ' War . The siege part of a plan to isolate the Republic from its hinterland . Although political infighting hindered Spinola ' s freedom of movement , Spain ' s efforts in the Netherlands continued thereafter . The siege of 1624 captured the attention of European princes and , for an interval , Spanish armies regained the formidable reputation they had held in the past centuries . The capture in 1629 of a Spanish treasure fleet by Piet Heyn led to the capture of the fortress city of ' s - Hertogenbosch , with the Stadtholder , Frederick Henry , Prince of Orange , breaking the land blockade . In 1637 , after a four - month siege , Breda was recaptured by Frederick Henry . In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia ceded it to the Dutch Republic . Reasons . There were several motives for the siege of Breda . Because the Dutch regularly used the town as a base for raiding Spanish Brabant , the parts of Brabant under royal rule would be better protected if the city were conquered . In addition , neighbouring towns occupied by the States , such as Bergen op Zoom , would be easier to conquer with a foothold in Breda . The reduced prestige of the Spanish army was an important reason . In 1590 , Breda was captured from the Spanish using the stratagem with the peat boat . The Spanish army , consisting of Spaniards and Italians , did not behave heroically during this event . Despite their numerical superiority , they fled ignominiously after the surprise by the opposing soldiers . The conquest of a well - defended city like Breda could erase this disgrace . In addition , Spinola personally felt that the failure of the Siege of Bergen - op - Zoom ( 1622 ) was a blot on his reputation . Furthermore , Spain wanted to have a strong position in potential peace negotiations . The conquest of Breda would enable Spain to put forward stronger demands concerning religious freedom for Catholics in the Republic and lifting the blockade of the Scheldt . Location . Vesting Breda . Breda was one of the strongest cities in the defence of the Republic between the States of Holland and royal Brabant . The city was strategically located on a navigable river , Mark , and near several roads . Henry III of Nassau , Lord of Breda from 1509 to 1538 , had been commissioned by Charles V to travel through Europe . In Italy , he came into contact with modern defences . Thus , in 1531 he inspired the construction of the medieval walls of Breda . They were later replaced by a fortification . In 1587 and 1622 , the defences were further expanded . The Breda fortress consisted of a very high earthen thoroughfare with 15 bastions and a moat . The 55 to 117 meter wide canal was five feet deep and was provided with water from Mark . Access to the city was made possible by four brick gates . Crescent ravelin s were applied in the ditches . Hornwork was placed on the gates and at the . Stakewall were built to complicate assault by horsemen and foot soldiers and simultaneously prevent desertion . The fortifications were in excellent condition and served as a prime example of fortifications . Around Breda , forests formed an obstacle for riders and artillery and the high water level of the Mark posed challenges to the infantry . The rivers Mark and and other streams also hampered besiegers . By using an near the Ginnekense gate , the area south of Breda could be put underwater if opened . The north side had a lock near Terheijden that functioned . Because the States of Holland and West Friesland knew that Spain might attempt to conquer Breda , they left the city with enough food , supplies , and weapons for an eight month siege . The city council refused to store more food than was necessary for a nine month siege . Nobody knew what tactics Spain would apply . Therefore , the possibility of a direct assault was also considered . To prevent this , a State army was stationed near Breda . Garrison in Breda . The garrison in Breda consisted of 17 companies in peacetime , each of which consisted of 65 men and 5 infantry squadrons of 70 riders each . When it was probable that the city would become besieged , the squadrons were supplemented by another 30 riders each ; the infantry was supplemented with 28 companies of 135 men . To save food , three squadrons sent to Geertruidenberg shortly before a siege . The castle held approximately around 100 people of the 5 , 200 soldiers . The male inhabitants of Breda between 20 and 70 years , about 1 , 800 men , were armed to support the soldiers . The governor of the city was Justin of Nassau , an illegitimate son of William I , Prince of Orange . His deputy was Dyrcx Cornelis van Oosterhout , but his role was insignificant during the siege . In addition to the soldiers , others stayed in the city . Ordinary citizens , farmers , spouses and children of soldiers , came to the town to seek protection against the Spanish army . The soldiers ' wives were responsible for cooking and washing for the soldiers and caring for the sick and wounded . The total number of inhabitants in the city is estimated at 13 , 111 . They are believed to have been housed in about 1 , 200 homes . Spanish Army . Conflicting and incomplete data does not allow for an accurate calculation of the size of the Spanish army . On 30 September the number was probably around 40 , 000 soldiers and on about 2 May 1625 , approximately 80 , 000 soldiers . 25 , 000 were encamped along the supply corridor , another 25 , 000 men were used for the containment of the city , and 30 , 000 served as general reserves . According to the text on the map by Blaeu , “ [ This was ] so large an army , as had not been seen in the Netherlands in living memory . ” The composition of the Spanish army was diverse , as shown in the table above . The army consisted primarily of infantry , with a small number of riders . Members of the infantry were equipped with either a rapier and a five metre long pike , or a rapier with a musket ; members of the cavalry was equipped with either a lances and two pistol s , or a musket and two pistol s . The infantry was mainly used for the lines to raise and to guard and defend against an army and State terror against sorties from the city . In the supply corridor , the foot soldiers deployed to protect the convoys . The cavalry was more mobile than the infantry and was therefore mainly used to inspect the area and to protect convoys . The cannon s could fire 10 shots per hour and were operated by gunner s . The exact number of the Spanish guns is not precisely known , but there were certainly more than 30 . Sapper s engaged in building bridges , maintaining roads , and other activities . The commander of the Spanish army was Ambrogio Spinola , 1st Marquis of the Balbases , a known military strategist from Italy . His deputies were the regimental commanders Hendrik , count van den Bergh , who was also commander of the supply corridor , and John VIII , Count of Nassau - Siegen . Spinola was the commander of the reserve forces until 31 October when he was succeed by Carlos Coloma . Because of the vastness of Breda , Spinola had his troops divided into four compartments . The four subjects with commanders were : In modern literature . The siege of 1624 – 1625 is the subject of the 1998 novel " El sol de Breda " ( " The Sun Over Breda " ) by the Spanish author Arturo Pérez - Reverte , as part of the " Captain Alatriste " series . The events of the siege – including both the gruelling fighting with the Dutch and the infighting among the Spanish , including a major mutiny by unpaid Spanish troops – are depicted from the point of view of a boy serving with the Spanish forces . The realistic depiction of war and soldiers ' daily life seems influenced by the writer ' s own long experience as a war correspondent . The siege appears in the film " Alatriste " adapted from the novel series .