Johann Baptista von Taxis (officer)

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Johann Baptista von Taxis (* 1546 ; † April 20, 1588 near Bonn ) was a colonel in the Spanish army in the Eighty Years' War .

Life

Johann Baptista was born in 1546 as the son of the Füssen postmaster Innozenz von Taxis († 1592) and his wife Benvenuta von Taxis.

He came to the Spanish Netherlands in August 1567 in the wake of the Duke of Alba’s army of 12,000 men . In May 1572, Alba and the Dutch nobleman Pieter de Quaderebbe sent him to Dordrecht to prepare for a possible invasion to defend the city. In the attempt, however, they were just able to escape the enemy.

In 1580, at the siege of Steenwijk , Taxis took over the Frisian regiment from the fallen Hans Mom. On November 17, 1582 he succeeded in taking Steenwijk . This was Taxis' first major stand-alone successful military operation. By treason, the Spaniards were able to take the city of Zutphen on September 23, 1583 . Taxis has been the governor here ever since. On June 23, 1585 he defeated the troops of the States General under the orders of Adolf von Neuenahr at the Battle of Amerongen .

Funeral procession for von Taxis in Cologne

Under Francisco Verdugo he took part in the Battle of Boksum on January 27, 1586 . A short time later on February 6th, Taxis and Verdugo defeated 1,500 English mercenaries near Leeuwarden . Under Verdugo, Taxis took part in the siege of Zutphen and the battle of Warnsveld again this year .

He was shot in the head on April 20, 1588 during the siege of Bonn . His body was dragged into the city, but by Charles III. de Croÿ ransomed. He was solemnly buried on April 26th in the Minoritenkirche in Cologne .

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personal data
SURNAME Taxis, Johann Baptista von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Tassis, Juan Baptista de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Colonel in the Spanish Army in the Eighty Years War
DATE OF BIRTH 1546
DATE OF DEATH April 20, 1588
Place of death near Bonn