Editing Battle of Turnhout (1597) (section)

==Aftermath==
[[File:Charles Rochussen - Anno 1597. Prins Maurits geeft het lijk van Varax na de slag bij Turnhout vrij - SA 4964 - Amsterdam Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Prince Maurice returns Varax's corpse after battle of Turnhout]]

Out of 4,000 Spanish soldiers and 500 horsemen nearly half were casualties; 2000 were killed or wounded. In addition thirty-eight [[Ensign (flag)|ensign]]s were taken and prisoners numbered around 600.{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2010|p=165}} Of the allied force only fifty were casualties including ten killed. The whole action was won by around 800 Dutch and English horsemen and the majority of the Dutch infantry were never brought into action.<ref name="Motley428"/> That night the victors rested in Turnhout; the next morning the castle there capitulated and the Dutch promptly burned parts of it. However, Maurice had to leave the town after several days before the arrival of Spanish reinforcements led by the Archduke Albert, including the Spanish infantry of Francisco Velasco and several cavalry units, joined by the survivors of the battle. The allied force then began their return march to Geertruidenberg.<ref name="Markham260"/> The victory at Turnhout therefore did not result in any long-term strategic gain as there was no follow up.{{sfn|Hadfield|Hammond|2014|p=133}}

On 8 February Maurice returned to [[The Hague]] - the captured Spanish flags were displayed in the [[Ridderzaal]] (the political headquarters of the States General) as a symbol of victory.<ref name="Gosman&Peeters"/> The prisoners were treated with kindness and the wounded were cared for, and the body of Varax was sent to the Archduke. In return Albert assured the Stadtholder that he would follow his generous example for the duration of the war.<ref name="Watson"/> The English under Vere and Sidney greatly distinguished themselves.<ref name="Markham260"/> Vere accompanied Sidney to [[Willemstad, North Brabant|Willemstad]], wrote his official despatches and gave them to one of Sidney's captains to deliver in England. Both generals spoke generously of each other - Vere thought that Sidney excelled in battle, being one of the first that charged. Sidney reported that the victory was only due to Vere.{{sfn|Hadfield|Hammond|2014|p=133}}

News of the victory was received in England with great rejoicing, and congratulations poured in on all sides. The satirist [[Stephen Gosson]] composed a [[sermon]] called the ''Trumpet of Warre'' a justification of war with Spain. The battle was even dramatised in [[London]], and introduced on the [[Stage (theatre)|stage]] known as the ''Overthrow of Turnholt''.<ref name="Dunthorne">Dunthorne p.50</ref> All of the officers who were present at the battle were impersonated.{{sfn|Hadfield|Hammond|2014|p=133}}

{{blockquote|He that played Sir Francis Vere got a beard resembling his, and a watchet satin [[doublet (clothing)|doublet]] with hose trimmed with silver lace. Sidney and the others were among the [[dramatis personæ]], and honorable mention was made of their services in seconding Sir Francis.<ref name="Markham260"/>}}

[[Queen Elizabeth I]] of England herself wrote to Vere on February 7, 1597, in the following terms:

{{blockquote|It is no news to hear, by the late defeat at Turnhout, that your presence and that of the other English in the service, has furthered both your own reputation and its success: yet we wish to signify our good liking of the report we hear of your services.<ref name="Markham260"/>}}

===Analysis===
At the time the battle was of great importance for the evolution of mounted warfare for two reasons:

The first impact was that Maurice's army had demonstrated the superiority of the new type of cavalry, the [[cuirassiers]] or [[reiters]], as used by [[Henry IV of France]] at the [[battle of Ivry]]. The cuirassiers wore half-armour and a light helmet and were armed with several pistols but also carried [[carbine]]s as well as a sword.<ref name="Manning">Manning p.56</ref> No [[lance]]s were carried, so instead of being arrayed in a thin line (''en haye'') to maximize the number of lances being deployed they charged in dense formations (eight ranks deep) and fired their pistols only at the moment of contact. This tactic, which had already defeated French [[Gendarme (historical)|gendarmes]] (lancers in full armour) at Ivry, proved to be effective as well against the lighter Spanish demi-lancers.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Graf von Bismarck|first1=Friedrich Wilhelm|last2=Beamish|first2=North Ludlow|title=On the Uses and Application of Cavalry in War: From the Text of Bismark, with Practical Examples Selected from Antient and Modern History|date=1855|publisher=T. & W. Boone|pages=328–29|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s28DAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA328}}</ref>

The second impact was that the Dutch and English cuirassiers, with the support of a few hundred musketeers, had destroyed a Spanish tercio without the help of their own heavy infantry. These lessons on the value of the cuirassiers were quickly learned and most European armies abandoned the use of [[lancers]] soon after, with only the Poles retaining them within their famed [[husaria]]. The Spaniards finally drew their own conclusions after their [[Battle of Nieuwpoort|defeat at Nieuwpoort]] three years later.<ref name="Leon">Leon p. 93</ref>
[[File:Overwinning 1597.png|thumb|280px|A commemorative Dutch medallion made after the battle in 1597 - ''The Battle of Turnhout and Spanish defeats, by Prince Maurice of Nassau'' (front), 1597, by Gerhard van Bijlaer. ''The troops of Prince Maurice chase after the Spanish'' (reverse).]]