Francisco Verdugo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don
Francisco Verdugo
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A portrait of Francisco Verdugo engraved by Hillebrant van Wouw
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| Born | 1537 Talavera de la Reina |
| Died | 22 September 1595 (aged 57–58) Antwerp |
| Allegiance | Spanish Habsburg |
| Service/ |
Army of Flanders |
| Years of service | 1566–1595 |
| Rank | Maestre de Campo |
| Commands held | Governor and Captain-General of Friesland and Groningen |
| Battles/wars | Battle of St. Quentin (1557) Siege of Haarlem (1572–73) Battle of Noordhorn (1581) Battle of Boksum (1586) Battle of Zutphen (1586) Reduction of Groningen (1594) |
| Other work | Commentario de la guerra de Frisa |
Francisco Verdugo was an important Spanish military leader. He was born in 1537 in Talavera de la Reina, Spain. He played a big part in the Dutch Revolt, which was a war where the Dutch fought for their independence from Spain. Verdugo became a top general in the Spanish Netherlands. He was also the last Spanish governor, or Stadtholder, of several Dutch provinces like Friesland and Groningen from 1581 to 1594.
Contents
Life of Francisco Verdugo
People described Francisco Verdugo as a brave and experienced soldier. He started his military career as a musketeer. A musketeer was a soldier who used a musket, a type of gun. He fought in the Siege of Haarlem. Over time, he rose through the ranks to become a governor.
Early Military Career
When Verdugo was 20 years old, he took part in the Battle of Saint-Quentin in 1557. This was an important battle during the Italian War of 1551–1559.
In 1573, he was made Governor of Haarlem. As an Admiral of the Spanish Fleet, he helped the Spanish army conquer Flanders. In 1576, he became a Councillor of State. This meant he was an important advisor to the government.
New Roles and Marriage
In 1577, Juan of Austria arrived in Brussels. He was the half-brother of King Philip II of Spain. With Juan of Austria's arrival, Verdugo was promoted. He became Governor of Breda, then Thionville, and later the Citadel of Namur.
In 1578, when he was 41, Verdugo married Dorothea von Mansfeld. She was one of the daughters of Count Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort.
Governor of Dutch Provinces
In 1578, Verdugo was sent to Friesland to support the governor there. By 1581, he was appointed Governor and Captain General. This meant he was in charge of the Dutch provinces of Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, and Overijssel.
Key Battles and Challenges
In 1581, Verdugo won the Battle of Noordhorn. He defeated a Dutch army led by the English general John Norreys. However, in 1582, he had to stop the siege of Lochem when a relief force arrived to help the city.
In 1586, he successfully led Spanish forces at the Battle of Zutphen. After this, he began to lose ground to the Dutch forces. These forces were led by Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange and William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg.
By 1595, Verdugo only controlled the city of Groningen and Twente. He could not stop Coevorden from surrendering in September 1592. The next year, he tried to retake Coevorden. But he had to pull back when an Anglo-Dutch relief force arrived.
Finally, he could not prevent Groningen from falling on July 22, 1594. Because of this, Archduke Ernest of Austria called him back from Friesland.
Later Life and Death
After being called back, Verdugo wrote a book. It was called Commentario de la guerra de Frisa. In this book, he explained and defended his actions during the war in Friesland.
There were plans to make him governor of the citadel at Antwerp. However, he died before this could happen. Francisco Verdugo passed away on September 22, 1595. He was buried next to his wife in the Convent of Sancti Spiritus in Luxembourg.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Verdugo para niños
