Siege of Danzig (1577)

This article is about the Siege of 1577. For other uses, see Sieges of Danzig.

Siege of Danzig
Part of Danzig rebellion
Date mid-1577 to December Location Danzig (Gdańsk), Royal Prussia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Result inconclusive
Belligerents
Royal Army	Danzigers
Strength
~10,000	~3,000

Map showing the fortifications of Danzig as they were over 100 years later

The Siege of the city of Danzig (Gdańsk) in 1577 by king Stephen Báthory of Poland ended militarily inconclusive.

The conflict begun as the city of Danzig, along with the Polish episcopate and a portion of the Polish szlachta, did not recognize the election of Bathory to the Polish throne and instead supported Emperor Maximilian. This led to a short conflict, known as the Danzig rebellion. Siege of Danzig was the last part of that conflict.

After a siege of six months, the Danzig army of 5,000 mercenaries, among them a Scottish regiment was utterly defeated in a field battle on December 16, 1577. However, since Stephen's armies (Polish, Hungarian and Wallachian forces) were unable to take the city itself, a compromise was reached: Stephen Báthory confirmed the city's special status and her Danzig law privileges granted by the earlier Polish kings. The siege was lifted in return for reparations and recognition of him as the sovereign. The city recognised him as ruler of Poland and paid a large sum of 200,000 złotys.

See also

• History of Gdańsk (Danzig)