Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma's troops surrounded the city of Neuss, an important Protestant garrison in the Electorate of Cologne.

Cloedt had a garrison of 1600 men, mostly Germans and Dutch soldiers; some had military experience, but many were recent recruits.

In June, the Duke of Parma approached the city and surrounded its landed fortifications; he was supported by Karl von Mansfeld, Francisco Verdugo, and Salentin VII of Isenburg-Grenzau.

[2] Parma had an impressive force at his command; in addition to Mansfeld's 2000 troops, he had another 6,000 or so foot and Tercios, plus 2,000 mounted, experienced Italian, Spanish, and some German soldiers, plus some 45 cannons, which Parma distributed on the redoubt across the river, and on the heights some short distance from the city walls.

With the ninth assault, the outer wall was breached, and soldiers poured into the city, the Italians from one end, and the Spanish from the other.

Parma had nearly unfettered access to the Electorate's northern regions, called the Niederstift, from which he could mount an attack on the rebellious provinces of the Netherlands.