The Siege of Breda occurred from 1624 to 1625 during the Dutch Revolt, when the Spanish general Ambrosio Spinola captured the Dutch rebel stronghold of Breda.
By the early 17th century, the key commanders in the Spanish-Dutch war were Ambrogio Spinola and Maurice of Nassau. Maurice, son of William the Silent, is credited with major improvements in the organization of Dutch forces. Spinola, a Genoese, entered the conflict by bringing troops from Italy at his own expense and was financially ruined by the war. Yet Spinola defeated Maurice repeatedly up to 1609, when a truce was agreed to, and again after 1621 when war resumed. The siege of Breda, a key Dutch border fortress, is considered the peak of Spinola's career. He surrounded the fortress with a ring of redoubts, rather than trench lines, and defended these against attempted breakouts and relief forces. Maurice of Nassau died of disease during the siege. The garrison and citizens suffered much hardship; at one point, when scurvy had taken hold, a mass cure was achieved by distribution of a placebo. By June 1625, however, conditions inside Breda were desperate. Informed of this from an intercepted message, Spinola proposed generous surrender terms. The Dutch were allowed to withdraw and the citizens remained unharmed. As was usual in this war of interminable sieges, this victory had little practical result.
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