Jul 5
A Fortress That Refused to Fall: The Siege of Ostend Begins
On July 5, 1601, Spanish forces led by Archduke Albert VII of Austria kicked off a massive siege of the port city of Ostend in Flanders. It wasn’t a small operation either—around 12,000 Spanish troops backed by 50 siege guns came up against a Dutch garrison of fewer than 2,000 men.
Even though they were heavily outnumbered, the Dutch defenders turned Ostend into a tough, well-fortified stronghold. The Spanish tried everything—constant bombardment, digging trenches, and repeated assaults—but the defenders just kept holding out. What was supposed to be a quick victory turned into a grinding, brutal siege that would drag on for years.