The
Battle of Gembloux took place at
Gembloux, near
Namur,
Low Countries, between the Spanish forces led by Don
John of Austria (
Spanish: Don Juan de Austria),
Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands, and a rebel army composed by
Dutch,
Flemish,
English,
Scottish,
German,
French and
Walloon soldiers under Antoine de Goignies, during the
Eighty Years' War and the
Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). On January 31, 1578, the Spanish cavalry commanded by John's nephew, Don
Alexander Farnese, Prince of Parma (
Italian: Alessandro Farnese,
Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio), after pushing back the Dutch cavalry, attacked the
Netherlandish army, causing an enormous panic amongst the rebel troops. The result was a crushing victory for the Spanish forces. The battle hastened the disintegration of the unity of the rebel provinces, and meant the end of the
Union of Brussels.