1. Background

2. The Campaign

3. The Battle

4. Aftermath

5. References

The Battle of Jodoigne was fought on 20 October 1568 between Spanish and Dutch Rebel forces.

Background

In 1568, the Dutch Revolt had developed into war. During the summer, Louis and Adolf of the House of Orange had fought the Spanish, won the Battle of Heiligerlee, and then lost the Battle of Jemmingen.

Since his victory in July at Jemmingen, the Spanish commander Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba (or Alva) had enforced military discipline on the cities of the Netherlands, so even with protestant leanings there would be little welcome for Orange's army.^[2]

The Campaign

The problem for Orange was supplies. The small cities that do yield were insufficient to sustain the large army. He had hoped to support his army with supplies from Protestant Germany, that would pass through Liège. However, the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Gerard van Groesbeeck, opposed any help to Orange. The burgomasters of Liège also declined to allow raising of pioneers in the area. Orange had the audacity to write to the Prince Bishop of Liège extorting 100,000 ecus, which was also declined.^[6]

On 7 October Alva set out from Maastricht with his army. His commanders included: Don Fadrique de Toledo (Alva’s son), Don Fenand de Toledo (another son of Alva), Maitre de Camp Marquis de Cetenona Chiappin Vitelli, Berlaymont, Noircarmes, Conte de Meghem, Sre Francisco d’Yvarra (sent as an advisor by the Spanish King), and De La Cressionaire. Alva sent 10 enseigns ahead to reinforce Thilmont (Now Tienen, French: Tirlemont). His main army consisted of one squadron infantry under Conte de Meghem, one under Berlaymont and one initially under Alva’s own command, later delegated to Conte de Lalaine. The cavalry units were under their own colonels.

On 9 October the two armies exchanged fire near Tongres.^[7]

On 10 October Orange moved on to the fortified town of Saint Tron (Now: Sint-Truiden, French: St Trond, Limburgs: Sintruin) which, despite the presence in the city of troops sent by Liege, opens its doors.^[8] Orange pillaged the abbey of St Tron and compelled the abbot to pay twenty thousand crowns for his ransom.^[9]

On 12 October, in a minor skirmish, Alva attacks some stragglers of Orange's force, killed 600 of Orange’s army and captured about 100 wagons of baggage.

On 14 October the small village of Konichsem (or Coninxheim, now Koninksem, part of Tongres) was plundered. Alva further reinforced Tirlemont with Sr de Beauvoir, 6 companies of experienced Walloons, with 700 harquebuses, plus captain Monteros with his company of Spanish mounted harquebuses, to block the road to Brussels where the Conseil d’etat was located. Duc d’Arschot commands the defense at Brussels. Alva also called up 10 companies of Walloons under Jean de Croy, le comte du Roeulx. 15, 16 and 17 October saw more skirmishing around Tongres.^[11]

Moving camp 29 times, Orange sought to confront Alva in a decisive battle, but neither side could maneuver the enemy into battle in a particularly unfavorable position.^[13]

Meanwhile, an army of Huguenots, led by Francois de Hangest Sieur de Genlis & d'Abbecourt, had crossed the Meuse near the Fortress of Charlemont (French: Fort de Charlemont), near Givet). Orange and Genlis resolved to meet near Wavre.

The Battle

To get to Wavre, Orange had to move his army across the river Jaulche (Dutch: Grote Gete), which although only a small river had steep banks and was difficult to cross. To protect his crossing, Orange set a rear-guard, near Judoigne (Now French: Jodoigne, or Dutch: Geldenaken), under the command of Colonel Philip van Marbais Lord of Louverval, including 2,000 men with fire-lock weapons and 500 horse, most were Walloons or from Gascony, chosen to keep the Spanish occupied while the main army crossed the river.^[14]

Although many of the Spanish were wounded, only 80 died.^[20]

Aftermath

When Orange met Genlis, he found the Huguenot army was dissappointingly small, numbering about 2,000 infantry and 500 cavalry (estimates of the total vary between 2,000 and a probably exaggerated 5,800).^[21] That was not even enough to provide a decisive advantage over Alva. Seeking a way back to Germany before the winter, Orange would be refused passage through the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Orange and Alva would fight again at the Battle of Le Quesnoy. Orange's army would pass through France to Strasbourg, where Orange paid off most of his army.

To the north of the campaign, the town of Diest, owned by William of Orange, had sent provisions to support Orange's army. As punishment, the town had to fund a tercio of the Army of Flanders and some years later, in 1572, the Spanish King Philip II confiscated Diest, destroying its fortifications.^[23]

References

• Centropogon zamorensis
• Centro Poliesportivo Pinheiro
• Centropomid
• Centropomus niloticus
• Centro Properties
• Centro Properties Group / U.S.
• Centro Pro Unione
• Centropus
• Centropus andamanensis
• Centropus anselli
• Centropus ateralbus
• Centropus bengalensis
• Centropus bernsteini
• Centropus burchelli
• Centropus celebensis
• Centropus chalybeus
• Centropus cupreicaudus
• Centropus goliath
• Centropus grillii
• Centropus leucogaster
• Centropus melanops
• Centropus menbeki
• Centropus milo
• Centropus monachus
• Centropus neumanni