Capture of Schenkenschans

Capture of Schenkenschans
Part of the Eighty Years' War
Date 27–28 July 1635 Location Schenkenschans (present-day the Netherlands) Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain	United Provinces
Commanders and leaders
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Eyndhouts	Unknown
Strength
500	120[1]
Casualties and losses
Minor	120 killed[1]

The Capture of Schenkenschans was a battle during the Eighty Years' War which saw a small detachment from the army under Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand capture the key fortress of Schenkenschans. The event leading up to the capture would be the Siege of Leuven in which the French and Dutch armies suffered a major defeat against the Spanish Army of Flanders. This would lead to a total collapse of the French and Dutch campaign in the Spanish Netherlands and result in a total counter-offensive led by Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand which resulted in large successes not only in taking back the territory lost but as well as in the offensive campaigns within France and the Dutch Republic.

Capture of the fortress

After the major defeat suffered by the French and Dutch in Leuven, the Spanish went on the offensive with the Cardinal-Infante leading the Spanish army into Dutch territory and taking several fortress and settlements, the most important of them being Schenkenschans. During said incursion, a detachment would be sent from Ferdinand's army towards Schenkenschans under his lieutenant colonel, Eyndhouts. He would have command of 500 German mercenaries. The garrison of Schenkenschans numbered only 120, but the fortress was nonetheless a great obstacle. The only reason why little resistance was put up against the Spanish is due to the fact that the attack was made during the night and was a surprise attack which shocked the garrison completely. In the ensuing combat, the Dutch garrison would be annihilated by the detachment.^[1] From finding out about the capture of Schenkenschans, Ferdinand would send over some more troops to the fortress and promote Eyndhouts. The Dutch army under Federick Henry, upon hearing the news of the loss of Schenkenschans, an important fortress, would prioritize seizing it back within the next year. A second conflict over the fortress would take place from July 30, 1635, to April 30, 1636, known more importantly as the Siege of Schenkenschans. The Cardinal-Infante's lieutenant colonel, Eyndhouts, would soon die in action on the 30th of November 1635 during the siege.^[2]

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