Two years after the Dutch established Fort Zeelandia in southern Taiwan, the Spanish responded by establishing a fort at
Santissima Trinidad in 1629 and
Fort Santo Domingo in 1629. By 1641 the Spanish had become such an irritant to the Dutch in the south that it was decided to take northern Taiwan from the Spanish by force. In the usual courteous terms, Traudenius informed the Spanish governor of their intentions. The Spanish governor was not inclined to give in so easily, and replied in kind. Subsequently, on 24–27 November 1641, the Dutch launched an assault on the northern regions, but the Spanish positions were well-defended and the attacking troops were not able to breach the walls of the fortresses. They returned, thwarted, to Fort Zeelandia, but a second attack in 1642 was effective and the Spanish abandoned their
bases on Formosa. ==Sources==