Siege of Deventer (1591)
Part of theEighty Years' War &Maurice's campaign of 1591
The siege of Deventer in 1591 - print byBartholomeus Dolendo
Date 1–10 June 1591 Location Deventer,Overijssel (present-day theNetherlands) Result Dutch-English victory[1]
Belligerents
Dutch Republic  England	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Maurice of Nassau Francis Vere	Herman van den Bergh
Strength
9,000 infantry 1,600 cavalry 28 guns	1,200
Casualties and losses
200[1]	All surrendered

Thesiege of Deventer was a siege of the city ofDeventer from 1 to 10 June 1591 during theEighty Years' War byDutch andEnglish troops underMaurice of Nassau in an attempt to retake it from itsSpanish garrison, commanded byHerman van den Bergh on behalf of the Spanish.^[2]

The city had first been captured by the States in 1579 but regained by the Spanish in the meantime after its betrayal by Englishturncoat governorWilliam Stanley.

After thecapture of Zutphen which surrendered on 30 May 1591 Maurice of Orange with his Anglo-Dutch army marched towards Deventer on the right bank of the riverIJssel. Maurice's force numbered 9,000 infantry and 1,200 cavalry, half of the force came from theBritish Isles - fourteen English companies under Sir Francis Vere and the tenScots companies under Colonel William Balfour.^[3]

On 1 June the Anglo-Dutch force surrounded the town and began entrenching. Eight days later a breach was made and Maurice allowed the honour of the assault to be made by the English. As they attacked they came across a bridge of boats but found it was too short and were unable to advance any further and withdrew after some loss.^[1]

Maurice was desirous of giving up the siege for fears of a Spanish relief army. Vere induced him to persist and the same evening the Spanish garrisonsallied to destroy the bridge but they were repulsed by the Englishpikemen.^[3]

On June 10 Van den Burgh having been wounded realised that no help was forthcoming, so he and the town capitulated - the garrison marched out on the following day.^[2]

For the English the capture of both Zutphen and Deventer were important in recovering the losses caused by the mistaken confidence which theEarl of Leicester had placed in traitors William Stanley andRowland York.^[1]

Maurice decided to strike atGroningen held byFrancisco Verdugo, but reports reached him that theDuke of Parma was preparing to move to reinforce that place with 20,000 men. Maurice realising he would be outnumbered withdrew to the north and marched toDelfzijl andtook the place July 2.^[4]

• Markham, C. R (2007).The Fighting Veres: Lives Of Sir Francis Vere And Sir Horace Vere. Kessinger Publishing.ISBN 978-1432549053.

52°15′N6°9′E / 52.250°N 6.150°E /52.250; 6.150

• Conflicts in 1591
• 1591 in the Dutch Republic
• 1590s in the Habsburg Netherlands
• 16th-century military history of the Kingdom of England
• 16th-century military history of Spain
• Battles of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
• Eighty Years' War (1566–1609)
• Sieges of the Eighty Years' War
• Sieges involving the Dutch Republic
• Sieges involving the Kingdom of England
• Sieges involving Spain
• History of Overijssel
• History of Deventer

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• Use dmy dates from July 2022
• Coordinates on Wikidata