Siege of Breda (1581)

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In 1581 Spanish troops under the command of Claude de Berlaimont, lord of Haultepenne, took Breda by surprise thanks to a sentry who had been bribed by a follower of the king, Charles de Gavre, who was kept a prisoner at the castle. The corrupt sentry allowed the Spanish troops to enter the castle.

Despite the resistance by Breda’s citizens, the attackers succeeded in taking the most important city gates and launched an attack on the city hall, the tower and the church. The defenders surrendered on the condition that the city would not be looted. At 10.00 a.m. fighting stopped and the sack and massacre started. Some 584 citizens lost their lives during this relatively short event.