Siege of IJsseloord facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of IJsseloord
Part of Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
Dutch depiction of the siege of IJsseloord
Date 6 and 15 October 1585 Location Present day Arnhem, Netherlands 51°58′20″N 5°57′13″E / 51.972219°N 5.953522°E / 51.972219; 5.953522 Result Dutch-English victory
Belligerents
United Provinces England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Adolf Nieuwenaar John Norreys	Francisco Verdugo
Strength
3,000	Unknown

The Siege of IJsseloord was an important battle that happened near Arnhem, Netherlands, in October 1585. It was part of two bigger wars: the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). The Dutch and English armies won this battle. After just seven days, they captured a small fort called a sconce at IJsseloord. This victory helped them take control of Arnhem.

England's Queen Elizabeth I had recently signed a special agreement called the Treaty of Nonsuch. This agreement meant more English soldiers would join the fight. These English troops were led by John Norreys. They joined the Dutch forces, led by Adolf van Nieuwenaar. Together, they marched towards Arnhem with about 2,500 soldiers. Their goal was to take back the IJsseloord sconce. In the 1500s, IJsseloord was a very important spot. It connected the Rhine and IJssel rivers, making it a key point for controlling routes to Zutphen and Deventer.

The Battle Begins: Attacking the Sconce

In 1585, a Spanish commander named Francisco Verdugo had taken control of the IJsseloord sconce. On October 6, Adolf van Nieuwenaar and John Norreys arrived with their army. They had eighteen companies of English and German soldiers. They quickly surrounded the area and began their attack.

The attackers immediately started firing their nine cannons. They shot from two different directions, from the areas of Betuwe and the forested hill of Veluwe. The Spanish soldiers inside the fort quickly recovered from the heavy shelling. They even managed to fight off an early attack, killing Captain Willem van Doorn. However, the Spanish success did not last long.

Dutch and English Victory

On October 15, the Dutch and English forces received more help. Three ships arrived, bringing 500 more soldiers. They began to bombard the sconce again. They also sent two ships floating towards the fort to create a distraction. During this time, Thomas Vavasour showed great bravery.

As the attackers prepared for a final assault, the Spanish soldiers inside the fort realized they could not win. Their situation was hopeless. They decided to talk about surrendering. Nieuwenaar and Norreys agreed to their terms. Francisco Verdugo, the Spanish commander, tried to reach the fort to help. But it was too late. The siege was over. The Spanish soldiers were allowed to leave the fort with their flags, weapons, and armor.

With the sconce captured, Arnhem finally fell into Dutch and English hands. The next day, the leaders of Arnhem gave Nieuwenaar a silver cup. It was a gift to thank him for his service. Norreys, however, kept moving forward despite the bad weather. He headed towards Nijmegen with about 3,000 men. But Alexander Farnese, the Duke of Parma, stopped him. Parma had a much larger army of 9,000 foot soldiers and many cavalry. Norreys was forced to retreat, and both armies went to their winter camps.

The sconce stayed in Dutch hands for many years. But in August 1626, Count Van den Bergh took it back for Spain. This happened after his failed attempt to help during the siege of 's-Hertogenbosch. Today, the old sconce at Arnhem is mostly in ruins. Not much is left because a main road and a train line now cross through the area.