3-098-635 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Siege of Ostend, mid-17th century. The siege of Ostend, 5 July 1601-20 September 1604, was a three-year siege of the city of Ostend during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War. A Spanish force under Archduke Albrecht besieged the fortress being held initially by a Dutch force which was reinforced by English troops under Francis Vere, who became the town's governor. The campaign continued for longer than any other during the war. This resulted in one of the longest and bloodiest sieges in world history: more than 100,000 people were killed, wounded, or succumbed to disease during the siege.