THE 80
YEARS WAR IN THE NETHERLANDS 1568-1648 (Peter Lenders)
the Spanish 17 provincies of the Low Countries
1. Introduction
Some characteristics of the War.
Why this period? Despite its length, this entire war hardly knew any regular battle of a respectable size. In the few battles that did occur, just a few thousand men aside were involved. Examples are Hardenberg (1580), Noordhorn (1581) and Amerongen (1585). The rest all being mere large and small skirmishes, raids etc. The rare, larger conflicts like Jemmingen (1568), Gembloux (1578) and Turnhout (1597) were no regular battles. Besides the battle at Mook (1574) the only large scale regular battle occurred at Nieuwpoort (1600) and is likewise often regarded as being representative for the tactics in the days of Prins Maurits of Nassau. Although this was a regular (e.g. face to face) battle, involving over 10.000 men aside, the circumstances still made it an unusual battle.
The early period of the war was also characterized by long lasting sieges by the Spaniards, like Haarlem (1572), Alkmaar (1573) and Leiden (1574). After the 12 Years Truce (1609-1621) the war was still more characterized by sieges, conducted by the Dutch under Maurits of Nassau and Frederik Hendrik, who both developed and practiced revolutionary siege tactics. The sieges of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 1629 and Maastricht in 1632 are outstanding examples. The war became one of campaigning and out-manoeuvring, using conquered towns as a base to consolidate the territory, while battle-like encounters hardly occurred.
The 80 Years War can hardly be taken as one coherent period for wargaming purposes. Dutch historians did already speak centuries ago of ‘De Nederlandse Opstand’ with which they roughly meant the period of William of Orange (The Silent). English historians have translated this as the Dutch Revolt. Most literature actually deals with the period up to the battle of Nieuwpoort and as a novice on the wargaming front one would almost assume that the 80 Years War ended after Nieuwpoort.
Military changes throughout the War.
Due to its length it almost looks more as an era than just a war. In fact this is true. It was a struggle for several causes, featuring freedom of Religion and acknowledgement of the traditional privileges of the Provinces that constituted The Netherlands. A struggle that dragged almost throughout an entire century, witnessing a complete change of military tactics. Especially on the Dutch side changes were extreme. On the Spanish side the tercio remained the nucleus of the army. Only its composition and strength changed during the decades of the war, while its tactics just slightly changed.
Gradually the musket replaced the arquebus (first after 1600) and the pike and cavalry lance became less dominant. Also the field gun started claiming a position of it’s own within the armies. This makes it almost impossible to just wargame the 80 Years War. Due to changing weapons composition of armies and tactics significantly changed.
One may split the 80 Years War into 3 main periods:
Some characteristics of the War.
Why this period? Despite its length, this entire war hardly knew any regular battle of a respectable size. In the few battles that did occur, just a few thousand men aside were involved. Examples are Hardenberg (1580), Noordhorn (1581) and Amerongen (1585). The rest all being mere large and small skirmishes, raids etc. The rare, larger conflicts like Jemmingen (1568), Gembloux (1578) and Turnhout (1597) were no regular battles. Besides the battle at Mook (1574) the only large scale regular battle occurred at Nieuwpoort (1600) and is likewise often regarded as being representative for the tactics in the days of Prins Maurits of Nassau. Although this was a regular (e.g. face to face) battle, involving over 10.000 men aside, the circumstances still made it an unusual battle.
The early period of the war was also characterized by long lasting sieges by the Spaniards, like Haarlem (1572), Alkmaar (1573) and Leiden (1574). After the 12 Years Truce (1609-1621) the war was still more characterized by sieges, conducted by the Dutch under Maurits of Nassau and Frederik Hendrik, who both developed and practiced revolutionary siege tactics. The sieges of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 1629 and Maastricht in 1632 are outstanding examples. The war became one of campaigning and out-manoeuvring, using conquered towns as a base to consolidate the territory, while battle-like encounters hardly occurred.
The 80 Years War can hardly be taken as one coherent period for wargaming purposes. Dutch historians did already speak centuries ago of ‘De Nederlandse Opstand’ with which they roughly meant the period of William of Orange (The Silent). English historians have translated this as the Dutch Revolt. Most literature actually deals with the period up to the battle of Nieuwpoort and as a novice on the wargaming front one would almost assume that the 80 Years War ended after Nieuwpoort.
Military changes throughout the War.
Due to its length it almost looks more as an era than just a war. In fact this is true. It was a struggle for several causes, featuring freedom of Religion and acknowledgement of the traditional privileges of the Provinces that constituted The Netherlands. A struggle that dragged almost throughout an entire century, witnessing a complete change of military tactics. Especially on the Dutch side changes were extreme. On the Spanish side the tercio remained the nucleus of the army. Only its composition and strength changed during the decades of the war, while its tactics just slightly changed.
Gradually the musket replaced the arquebus (first after 1600) and the pike and cavalry lance became less dominant. Also the field gun started claiming a position of it’s own within the armies. This makes it almost impossible to just wargame the 80 Years War. Due to changing weapons composition of armies and tactics significantly changed.
One may split the 80 Years War into 3 main periods:
- The Dutch Revolt ranging from 1568 until about 1590. The period of William of Orange.
- The period from 1590 until the 12 Year’s Truce in 1609. The period of Maurits of Nassau.
- The period starting with the end of the 12 Year’s Truce in 1621 until the Peace of Münster/Westphalia in 1648. The period of Frederik Hendrik
William of orange (or William the Silent)
Maurits of Nassau
Frederik Hendrik of Orange
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The first period (1568-circa 1590) sees a continuation of existing tactics, still featuring large tactical formations.
During this period William of Orange is the leading figure on the Dutch side and although battlefield tactics still feature large formations like before, William starts reorganising the administration of the army and gradually declines the company size as an administrative unit, to make the troops better manageable and controllable. One after the other governor, the representative of the Spanish crown who also was head of the Spanish army in The Netherlands, fails in getting full control over William of Orange and the revolting Provinces. Starting with great parts of the Provinces Holland and Zeeland in 1572, from then onwards the territory controlled by William is enlarged gradually. The second period (circa 1590 to 1609 (start of the 12 Years Truce), sees the introduction by William’s son Maurits of Nassau, assisted by his nephew Lodewijk of Nassau, of a change in both strategy and tactics, largely inspired by the Roman Classics. They lay more emphasize on smaller tactical units in the field and mobility of troops. They also develop more effective siege methods. They manage to transport troops fast from one place to another to exploit quickly the advantages of besieged and conquered places, but also to be able to quickly reach threatened places and areas. The lance is abolished as prime cavalry weapon. They also reform many secondary services within the army like training, payment, medical care etc. The third period (from 1621 up to 1648) even more emphasises on extensive siege warfare. Regular encounters on the battlefield between Dutch and Spanish troops even don’t occur anymore. |
So if you want to wargame the 80 Years War you actually have to make a choice to which part of the war you prefer. The main partition lies before and after the 12 Years Truce. But in the pre-Truce period you should chose between the Dutch Revolt (1566-1590) and the Maurits-era, which started in 1590.
So why did I choose this period?
Well, since I made my first steps into history on primary school I was fascinated by the achievements of the Sea-Beggars, William the Silent and his sons Prins Maurits of Nassau and Prince Frederik Hendrik. Fascinated by the unequal struggle they won against the mighty Spanish tercios of Philip II. Growing older I started examining the deeper backgrounds of the 80 Years War, at first political and later also military. As I started wargaming it almost was inevitable that the 80 Years War would become one of my favourites.
Besides chauvinism, I became also inspired by the colourful armies that opposed each other. Both sides just had a small nucleus of native troops and hired masses of mercenaries from Germany, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Walloon Provinces, Switzerland and Burgundy. Especially the German landsknechts in their pluderhosen during the first decades of the war fascinated me.
It also gave me an opportunity to dig into regional and local history in my own surrounding territory, which was an extra challenge for me. Also being very interested in the development of town defences from the middle ages into the modern period, the 80 Years War with its many sieges offered an outstanding opportunity to learn more about town defences.
So enough reasons for me I guess to make the 80 Years War my favourite wargame period.
As described above I have been ‘forced’ to make a choice which part of the war to game. My choice has become the Dutch Revolt with 25 mm on company-level and the Maurits-era up to the 12 Years Truce with 15 mm on army level.
Wargaming the 80 Years War
How can you translate such a divers period don to the wargames table and which rules and figures are best suited. These questions I’ll try to answer in the next chapter.
So why did I choose this period?
Well, since I made my first steps into history on primary school I was fascinated by the achievements of the Sea-Beggars, William the Silent and his sons Prins Maurits of Nassau and Prince Frederik Hendrik. Fascinated by the unequal struggle they won against the mighty Spanish tercios of Philip II. Growing older I started examining the deeper backgrounds of the 80 Years War, at first political and later also military. As I started wargaming it almost was inevitable that the 80 Years War would become one of my favourites.
Besides chauvinism, I became also inspired by the colourful armies that opposed each other. Both sides just had a small nucleus of native troops and hired masses of mercenaries from Germany, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Walloon Provinces, Switzerland and Burgundy. Especially the German landsknechts in their pluderhosen during the first decades of the war fascinated me.
It also gave me an opportunity to dig into regional and local history in my own surrounding territory, which was an extra challenge for me. Also being very interested in the development of town defences from the middle ages into the modern period, the 80 Years War with its many sieges offered an outstanding opportunity to learn more about town defences.
So enough reasons for me I guess to make the 80 Years War my favourite wargame period.
As described above I have been ‘forced’ to make a choice which part of the war to game. My choice has become the Dutch Revolt with 25 mm on company-level and the Maurits-era up to the 12 Years Truce with 15 mm on army level.
Wargaming the 80 Years War
How can you translate such a divers period don to the wargames table and which rules and figures are best suited. These questions I’ll try to answer in the next chapter.