Haarlem, Battle of

Seige of the town of Haarlem, capital of the province of North Holland, by 30,000 Spanish troops from 11 December 1572-12 July 1573 during the Netherlands War of Independence. Although severely outnumbered, the garrison put up a valiant resistance, inflicting a heavy toll on the Spanish who lost some 12,000 casualties. In revenge, the Spanish massacred the entire garrison and hundreds of civilians when the city eventually surrendered.

The garrison numbered only 4,000 troops but they were not only able to beat off successive assaults but mounted a sortie which captured a large quantity of food from the besiegers. However, the Dutch fleet, attempting to bring supplies, was defeated by a Spanish fleet on 28 May 1573. Facing starvation, the city, with its garrison now reduced to only 1,800 troops, surrendered on 12 July 1573.