The Siege of Breda of 1624-25 occurred during the Eighty Years' War. Following the orders of Ambrogio Spinola, Philip IV's army laid siege to Breda in August 1624. The strategically located city was heavily fortified and strongly defended by a garrison of 7,000 men, that the Dutch were confident would hold out long enough to wear down besiegers. Spinola launched his Breda campaign, rapidly blocking the city's defenses and driving off a Dutch relief army that had attempted to cut off the Spanish army's access to supplies. In February 1625, a second relief force, consisting of 7,000 English troops, was also driven off by Spinola. After a costly 11 month siege, Justin of Nassau surrendered Breda in June 1625. Only 3,500 Dutchmen and fewer than 600 Englishmen had survived the siege. The Siege of Breda is considered Spinola's greatest success and one of Spain's last major victories in the Eighty Years' War. The Eighty Years' War or Dutch War of Independence (1568-1648) was a revolt of the Seventeen Provinces against the political and religious hegemony of Philip II of Spain, the sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands.