History
There were several motives for the siege of Breda. The parts of Brabant under royal rule would be better protected if Breda were conquered, because the Dutch regularly used the town as a base for raiding Spanish Brabant. In addition, neighboring towns occupied by the States, such as Bergen op Zoom, would be easier to conquer with a foothold in Breda.
Another important reason was the reduced prestige of the Spanish army. In 1590, Breda was captured from the Spanish using the stratagem with the peat boat. The Spanish army, consisting of Spaniards, but also Italians, did not behave heroically during this event: despite their numerical superiority, they fled ignominiously after the surprise by the soldiers of the state. The conquest of a well-defended city like Breda could erase this disgrace. In addition, Spinola personally felt that the failure of the Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom (1622) was a blot on his escutcheon.
Furthermore, Spain wanted to have a strong position in potential peace negotiations. A conquest of Breda would enable Spain to put forward stronger demands about religious freedom for Catholics in the Republic and the lifting of the blockade of the Scheldt.
Read more about this topic: Siege Of Breda (1624)
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