Battle of Oosterweel

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Date	March 13, 1567
Location	near Antwerp, present-day Belgium
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

Dutch rebels

Spain

Commanders

Jan de Marnix van Aldegonde †

de Beauvoir

Strength

2.500

1.000

Casualties and losses

700–800 dead

Unknown

Dutch Revolt

Oosterweel – Rheindalen – Heiligerlee – Jemmingen – Jodoigne – Brielle – Haarlem – Flushing – Borsele – Zuiderzee – Alkmaar – Leiden – Reimerswaal – Mookerheyde – Gembloux – Maastricht – 1st Breda – Antwerp – Boksum – Zutphen – 1st Bergen op Zoom – Gravelines – 2nd Breda – Turnhout – Nieuwpoort – Ostend – Sluys – Gibraltar – 2nd Bergen op Zoom –3rd Breda – Groenlo - Bay of Matanzas – 's-Hertogenbosch – Maastricht – 4th Breda – Kallo – The Downs – Hulst – Puerto de Cavite

The Battle of Oosterweel took place on March 13, 1567, and is traditionally seen as the beginning^[1] of the Eighty Years' War. The battle was fought near the village of Oosterweel, north of Antwerp. A Spanish professional army under General Beauvoir defeated an army of radical Calvinists rebels under Jan de Marnix.

The prisoners were considered rebels and all were killed. 700-800 Protestants died in total.

William the Silent, at that time burggraaf of Antwerp did not allow the Protestants of the city to come to their aid, problably because he realised civilians stood no chance against the Spanish professional soldiers.