Siege of Groenlo (1627)

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Siege of Groenlo
Part of the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War
Siege of Groenlo in 1627 by Frederick Henry, including the circumvallation. Map J.Blaeu.
Date 20 July - 19 August 1627 Location Groenlo, Gelderland (present-day Netherlands) 52°3′N 6°37′E / 52.050°N 6.617°E / 52.050; 6.617 Result Dutch and English victory[1]
Belligerents
Dutch Republic England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Henry Edward Cecil	Matthijs Dulken (Grol) Hendrik van den Bergh (Spanish Army)
Strength
16,000 infantry 4,000 cavalry	1,200 infantry (Grol) 100 cavalry (Grol) 16,000 infantry (Spanish Army) 5,000 cavalry (Spanish Army)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The siege of Grol in 1627 was a battle between the Army of the Dutch Republic, commanded by Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, and the Spanish-controlled fortified city of Grol (now known as Groenlo), during the Eighty Years War and the Anglo–Spanish War in 1627. The Spanish Army, led by Hendrik van den Bergh, came to relieve Grol but too late. The siege lasted from 20 July until 19 August 1627, resulting in the surrender of the city to the Dutch army.^[2]

During the siege, a 16 km circumvallation line was made around Grol to prevent the enemy from leaving and to prevent the liberation of the city from outside. Ambrosio Spinola had used a similar technique during the Siege of Breda (1624), and after the successful siege of Grol Frederic-Henry would later use it in other sieges in the Netherlands, such as at the Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch. The success at Grol provided the first serious victory on land for the Republic after the Twelve Years' Truce.