The Battle of Bocumu - the battle of January 17, 1585, in the framework of the Eighty Years War , in which the Spanish forces defeated the Dutch army near the village of , Friesland .
| Battle of Boxyme | |||
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| Main conflict: Eighty Years War | |||
 Battle of Bocksumer, art. F. Hohenberg | |||
| date | January 17, 1586 | ||
| A place | Boksum, Friesland , Republic of the United Provinces | ||
| Total | Spanish victory | ||
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Content
Background
In the period 1580 - 1594, Friesland was the object of Spanish invasions. The base of these raids was controlled by the Spaniards Groningen . At the end of 1585, Friesland's William Ludwig of Nassau-Dillenburg, the Shtgalter, went to Zealand to elect William of Orange's successor. This gave the chance to the commander of the Spanish troops in Groningen, Francisco Verdugo, to take control of Friesland. In the area of Ninord began the formation of the Spanish army.
Spanish raid
On January 13, 1586, an army of 3,000 Spanish soldiers and 700 cavalrymen entered Friesland in the region of Jaur and Hega and headed for and Caudum . The hard rains contributed to the success of the raid: thanks to them, the Spaniards easily crossed the frozen lakes. After plundering the neighborhood, the Spaniards went to Het-Bildt and Dongeradel, but the thaw made the Spanish commander Johannes van Taxis turn back: the weather prevented further progress, and Taxis was also worried about Groningen’s defense in his absence.
Battle
Wilhelm Ludwig of Nassau-Dillenburg, learning of the invasion, gave the order to form an army of 1,300 soldiers and Frisian volunteers led by the Danish Stein Maltesen. The scouts informed Maltessen of the numerical superiority of the Spaniards, and he decided to take up a defensive position in the village of Boksum. The Dutch have not finished digging trenches when the Spanish army approached on January 17 . The cavalry of the Spaniards suddenly attacked the Dutch positions out of thick fog. Friezes and the Dutch panicked and fled, suffering heavy losses. A Dutchman in the Spanish service Oswald van den Berg captured the Dutch flag during the battle, but was killed by the allies, who took him for the Dutch standard-bearer [1] . Friezes lost at least 500 people.
Implications
After the victory, the Spaniards preferred to return to their base in Groningen. Moreover, almost all captured weapons and trophies they had to throw because of the thaw, which turned the roads into a swamp. The Spaniards brought about 300 prisoners to Groningen.
Notes
- J AJ van der Aa, Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek: BERGH (Oswald Graaf van den) (1911–1937) 393–394.
Literature
- (nid.) AJ van der Aa, Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek (1911–1937) 393–394.