Defining the Century: The (Staggering) Siege of Antwerp 1584/85 | Eighty Years' War

In 1584, the people of Antwerp made a drastic decision: they flooded the land surrounding their city. They resorted to this drastic measure because the Spanish general Alessandro Farnese was marching toward them with one goal—he was determined to conquer Antwerp. At the time, the city was not only a major economic hub but also the capital of the Dutch Revolt—the war for independence fought by the Dutch Republic against Spanish rule. For Farnese, stripping the insurgents of this vital stronghold would be the crowning achievement of a seven-year campaign against the rebellious provinces. The siege of Antwerp was worthy of an epic film. To starve the city into submission, the Spanish built a massive bridge across the 900-meter-wide Scheldt River, cutting Antwerp off from the outside world. In a desperate attempt to free themselves from this iron grip, the defenders flooded the entire region, deployed fireships intending to destroy the bridge, and even built a colossal warship to break through and reconnect with their allies. The siege was one of the defining events of the century, and was closely followed by contemporary observers. Later, even the famous German poet Friedrich Schiller wrote an account of the events. This is how modern historiography tells the story of the staggering siege of Antwerp. Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/sandrhomanhistory Paypal (thank you: paypal.me/SandRhomanhistory We also have Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sandrhoman Bibliography Sources Emanuel van Meteren, Belgische ofte Nederlantsche historie van onsen tijden, Delft 1599. Schiller, F., Merkwürdige Belagerung von Antwerpen 1584-1585, in: Schiller, F. (ed.), Die Horen 5 (1795). Literature Arnade, Peter, Beggars, Iconoclasts, and Civic Patriots: The Political Culture of the Dutch Revolt, New York 2008. Brugmans, H., Geschiedenis van Amsterdam II, 80-jarige oorlog 1544-1621, Utrecht/Antwerp 1972. Duffy, C., The Fortress in the Early Modern World 1494-1660, London 1979. Geyl, P., The Revolt of the Netherlands (1555-1609), New York 1958. Groen G. van Prinsterer et al (eds.), Archives ou correspondance inédite de la Maison d'Orange-Nassau, 26 vols., Leiden 1835-1915. Groen, P. (ed.), The Eighty Years War. From Revolt to Regular War 1568-1648, Leiden 2019. Groenveld, S., et. al, De Tachtigjarige Oorlog, opstand en consolidatie in de Nederlanden (ca. 1560-1650), Zutphen 2012. Israel, J., The Dutch Republic. It's Rise, Greatness and Fall, Oxford 1995. Nimwegen, O. van/Sicking, L., De Tachtigjarige Oorlog. Van opstand naar geregelde oorlog. 1568-1648, Amsterdam 2013. Nimwegen, O. van, The Dutch Army and the Military Revolutions, 1588-1688, Woodbridge 2010. Parker, G., The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road, 1567-1659: The Logistics of Spanish Victory and Defeat in the Low Countries' wars, Cambridge 2004. Thomassen, M. H. J. P., Krijgsbedrijven van Alexander Farnese in Limburg en aangrenzende gewesten, 1578-1579 (Vol. I.), Maastricht 1890.