The year 1672 is to prove a calamitous one for the Dutch Republic, becoming known as the "disaster year" (Dutch: rampjaar) because of the Franco-Dutch War and the Third Anglo-Dutch War, in which the Netherlands are invaded by France under Louis XIV, England, Münster, and Cologne.

A French army of one hundred and thirty thousand (one hundred and eighteen thousand foot and twelve thousand five hundred horse), exceptionally accompanied by Louis himself, in two months marches through Liège, ...

...bypasses the strong Dutch fortress of Maastricht, and advances along the Rhine, taking the Rhine fortresses of Cleves.

Bernhard von Galen, bishop of Münster, invade the Netherlands on June 1, 1672 in several places, taking several towns (including Enschede, ...

...Almelo and ...

...Borculo) and ...

...laying siege to Groenlo, where his forces are joined by those of France and Cologne.

Groenlo is well-supplied with food, garrisoned with twenty-two cannon on new gun-carriages and six hundred troops (made up of ten infantry companies and 1 cavalry company, led by the infantry lieutenant-colonel Gustaff Tungel) and defended by bulwarks and a moat (which had proved their effectiveness in a 1627 siege).

However, vastly outnumbered by the French force of over one hundred thousand, it is only able to hold out for ten days, ...

...after which the besiegers move onto Deventer and other cities, in what becomes the 'Rampjaar' for the Dutch Republic.

Louis crosses the Lower Rhine into the Betuwe on June 12, thus invading the Republic itself and outflanking the IJssel Line.

As a result the province of Overijssel withdraws its troops from the already small Dutch field army to protect its own cities; soon after, it capitulates to Galen, ...

...who then marches north to occupy Drenthe and ...