Siege of Salvador (1638)

The siege of Salvador was a siege that took place between April and May 1638, during the Dutch–Portuguese War and Eighty Years' War. The governor of the Dutch colony in Brazil, John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, commanding the army of the Dutch West India Company, with vastly superior forces and a supporting fleet under Johan van der Mast, put the city of Salvador under siege. The Portuguese and Spanish defenders, commanded by Giovanni di San Felice, Count of Bagnolo, and Luís Barbalho, managed to resist the Dutch attacks until they gave up taking the city and withdrew with several casualties.^[7]

DateApril – May 1638

Location

Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

12°58′S 38°30′W

Result Portuguese-Spanish victory^[1][2]

Quick facts Date, Location ...

Siege of Salvador
Part of the Dutch invasions of Brazil
Dutch burning sugar mills at Bahia
Date April – May 1638 Location Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 12°58′S 38°30′W Result Portuguese-Spanish victory[1][2]
Belligerents
Portugal Spain	Dutch Republic West India Company
Commanders and leaders
Giovanni di San Felice Luís Barbalho	Jan Moritz van Nassau-Siegen[2] Johan van der Mast[3]
Strength
1,000[3]	4,600 (3,600 Dutch troops and 1,000 Brazilian auxiliaries)[4] or 6,000[5] 30[2] or 45[4] ships
Casualties and losses
Light	500 killed[6] 30 captured[2] Large amount of abandoned military equipment[6]
Location within Brazil Show map of Brazil Siege of Salvador (1638) (South America) Show map of South America

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