Battle of Wattrelos | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Eighty Years’ War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Dutch rebels | Spanish Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Jan Denys | Maximilian Vilain | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
200 infantry [2] |
150 infantry
[2] 50 cavalry [2] |
The Battle of Wattrelos [1] at the Flemish (now French) town of Wattrelos on 27 December 1566 between a Calvinist rebel army [3] (sometimes described as " Geuzen" [1]) and troops of the Spanish Netherlands government. It is sometimes considered as one of the first battles of the Eighty Years' War. [4]
The rebel army was composed of about 200 men from the sayetterie centre of Hondschoote and its surroundings in West Flanders. [2] They were Calvinists, [3] and their goal was to intervene in the Siege of Valenciennes, [1] where their fellow Calvinists were beleaguered by governmental troops under Philip of Noircarmes. [3]
Maximilian Vilain, baron of Rassenghien and since 1 June 1566 stadtholder of Walloon Flanders, [5] learned that the rebels had arrived at Wattrelos, about fifteen kilometres northeast of Lille. [2] He sent 50 light cavalry and 150 infantry in response. [2] On 27 December, these governmental forces surprised the rebels. [2] The rebels fled into a parish church, which Rassenghien's forces set on fire, so that many rebels burnt to death. [2]
Two days later, on 29 December 1566, Noircarmes defeated another rebel force in the Battle of Lannoy, also north of Lille. [1] In the night of 1 to 2 January 1567, Noircarmes' troops occupied Tournai and expelled the Calvinists there. [6]
Battle of Wattrelos | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Eighty Years’ War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Dutch rebels | Spanish Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Jan Denys | Maximilian Vilain | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
200 infantry [2] |
150 infantry
[2] 50 cavalry [2] |
The Battle of Wattrelos [1] at the Flemish (now French) town of Wattrelos on 27 December 1566 between a Calvinist rebel army [3] (sometimes described as " Geuzen" [1]) and troops of the Spanish Netherlands government. It is sometimes considered as one of the first battles of the Eighty Years' War. [4]
The rebel army was composed of about 200 men from the sayetterie centre of Hondschoote and its surroundings in West Flanders. [2] They were Calvinists, [3] and their goal was to intervene in the Siege of Valenciennes, [1] where their fellow Calvinists were beleaguered by governmental troops under Philip of Noircarmes. [3]
Maximilian Vilain, baron of Rassenghien and since 1 June 1566 stadtholder of Walloon Flanders, [5] learned that the rebels had arrived at Wattrelos, about fifteen kilometres northeast of Lille. [2] He sent 50 light cavalry and 150 infantry in response. [2] On 27 December, these governmental forces surprised the rebels. [2] The rebels fled into a parish church, which Rassenghien's forces set on fire, so that many rebels burnt to death. [2]
Two days later, on 29 December 1566, Noircarmes defeated another rebel force in the Battle of Lannoy, also north of Lille. [1] In the night of 1 to 2 January 1567, Noircarmes' troops occupied Tournai and expelled the Calvinists there. [6]