| Siege of Huy (1595) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theEighty Years' War, theLuxemburg campaigns and theAnglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) | |||||||
 EngravingSiege of Huy byFrans Hogenberg. CollectionRijksmuseum Amsterdam. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Dutch Republic England |  Spanish Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles de Héraugière | Baron de la Motte | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,800[3] | Unknown | ||||||
Thesiege of Huy of 1595, also known as theassault of Huy, took place between 7 and 20 March 1595, atHuy,Archbishopric of Liège,Low Countries, as part of theEighty Years' War and theAnglo-Spanish War (1585–1604).[1][2] It concluded in a Spanish victory.
Despite the promises ofPrince Maurice of Orange to relieve Huy, the forces of the newGovernor-General of the Spanish Netherlands, DonPedro Henríquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes(Spanish: Conde de Fuentes), led by DonValentín Pardieu de la Motte, after a short siege and low resistance, captured the town and thecitadel from the combinedProtestant troops ofCharles de Héraugière.[1][2] Thirteen days later, on March 20, Héraugière, unable to keep the defense, agreed to terms of capitulation between the Protestant forces and the Spaniards.[4]
The Spanish forces were composed of two Spanishtercios led by DonLuis de Velasco and DonAntonio de Zúñiga, twoGerman regiments, threeWalloon regiments, and some pieces of artillery.[5] The majority of the Protestant forces were composed ofDutch troops, about 1,800infantry andcavalry, which included a regiment ofScots commanded by General Barthold Balfour, and a contingent ofHuguenots.[3][6]
Although Huy was declared neutral in the war during the occupation by the forces of Héraugière, the population endured great abuses by the Protestant soldiers. Several churches and many houses were looted.[4] The Spanish forces retired on March 23, leaving thecitadel of Huy in the hands of Captain Juan de Zornoza and 150 Spanish soldiers, until repair of the batteries and the return of the garrison of thePrince-Elector, Ernest of Bavaria.[5]
The occupation of Huy by the United Provinces, and consequently the violation of the rights of neutral zones, was the failure of a plan byPhilip of Nassau for control of an advantageous position from which to open a short route and aid the operations of the French troops commanded by theDuke of Bouillon in the borders ofLuxembourg.[7]