Ambrogio Spinola

Ambrogio Spinola (1569-1630), Genoese military commander who fought for Spain in its wars against the Dutch Republic, the Dutch Wars of Independence. Born into the Genoese aristocracy, Spinola appears to have taken service with Genoa’s old ally Spain to help his family’s fortunes. In 1602 he financed a 9,000-strong army, marched to the Netherlands, and in 1604 defeated the Dutch commander, Maurice of Nassau, after a year-long siege at Ostend. He was subsequently appointed commander-in-chief of the Spanish armies in the Netherlands and deputy head of the Spanish government. In 1606 Spinola pledged his entire fortune so that banks would lend money to Spain to finance its campaign against the Dutch, but the money was never repaid and he suffered financial ruin. However, he continued to work for Spain, and helped negotiate a 12-year truce with Dutch forces in 1609. When Spain broke the truce in 1621, Spinola again commanded Spanish forces and achieved his most famous victory, the capture of the Dutch fortress of Breda in 1625.

His military career subsequently declined because of both opposition from Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimental, Count of Olivares, administrator for the young Spanish king Philip IV, and the success of the Dutch commander, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. In 1628 Spinola was posted to Italy, and died in the siege of Casale, while governor of Milan.