Having concluded a truce with Spain in 1609, the Dutch found themselves threatened by the success of Austria and Spain (both Habsburg dominions) in the Thirty Years War but also befriended by France which was seeking to limit Spanish power. The war was led at first by Maurice, Prince of Orange, but he died in 1625, shortly before his own estates at Breda fell into Spanish hands. Maurice’s brother, Frederick Henry, took command and forced the Spanish out of the crucial fortress of Maastricht in the south-east of Dutch territories. The Dutch fleet was also successful against Spain off the coast of Cuba in 1628, and decisively at the Battle of the Downs off the English coast in 1639. Prince Frederick Henry died in 1647, but the Dutch …
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Dutch-Spanish War". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 February 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4167, accessed 23 November 2024.]
