Atmoran War of Independence

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Forty Years' War
Atmoran War of Independence
Burgomaster van der Werf offers his sword to the people of Leiden, by Mattheus Ignatius van Bree.jpg
Mayor of Leiden offering his sword to the people of Leiden, during the siege of Leiden.
Date21 May 1529 – 30 February 1571 (41 years, 9 months)
Location
Result Peace of Melverre
Belligerents
Cross of Saint Anna.png United Provinces Spain Hespira
Spain Loyalists

The Atmoran War of Independence (Dutch: Atmoraanese Vrijheidsoorlog; Hespirese: Guerra de Independencia Atmorana), also know as the Forty Years' War was a revolt of the provinces of Hespiranic Atmora against Hispirese Emperor John II, after the Fifteen Provinces rebutted the increasing land ceasation, taxes, and the Hespirese religious prosecution of the protestant Atmoran states.


Course of the war

Jurgen II being made Commander-in-Chief of All Atmoran Armies and Fleets, moved to Sint-Geleyn, a port under the control of Hespirese Royalists Frans van Valckenborgh, Count of Heusden and Baron Emiel van Kinschot. Capturing the port of Sint-Geleyn would allow the Atmoran States Army to cross across the Roer River to Eastern Lieseltania and Siletzia which were nominally under the control of Francisco Tserclaes de Narváez, Governor-General of Lieseltania. However, as Jurgen II moved to attack Sint-Geleyn Hespirese General Emilio de Sáenz y Valenzuela moved to besiege the Pruzhanese city of Leiden crossing the Roer in 17 June 1529. Jurgen II begun his siege of Sint-Geleyn in 19 June it wasn't till the 21 June that the Mayor of Leiden, Jan-Pieter Roeckelaere managed to get a message to Jurgen II of Emilio de Sáenz's siege.

Jurgen II dispatched Michiel van der Tas along with 1,000 soldiers to relieve Leiden, as General Tas's forces were nearing the city of Leiden the rearguard of Sáenz's led by Juan-Antanio de Nápoles spotted and engaged Tas near the village of Westeinde in 23 June. Nápoles's men of 2,700 engaged Tas's force of 1,000. Van der Tas and his men took up on a hill overlooking Westeinde. During the night Tas had sent a runner to city of Barendrecht asking for Lord Assendelft for reinforcements. Lord Assendelft responded to Tas's request taking with him 500 Heavy cavalry.