DuringtheDutchrevoltagainstSpainin1590theDutchleader,CountMaurice,capturedthestrategicallyimportantcityofBredawithavariationontheideaoftheTrojanHorse.
LeariningthatboatscarryingpeatwereadmittedtothecastleatBredawithoutbeingsearched,Mauricesoughtoneofhisfather'sownservantswhooperatedapeatboatandpersuadedhimtocarryonlythreeloadsofpeatinsteadofthenineheusuallydeliveredtothegarrison.SecretedunderthelayersofpeatweresomeeightypickedsoldiersunderthecommandofaCaptainHeraugieres.On21Februarytheboatenteredthecastlewithoutarousingsuspicion.AftermidnightthesurfacelayersofpeatwerepulledasideandoutcrepttheDutchsoldiers.TheyseizedthecastleatarushandsignalledtoMaurice'smainforces,whichadvancedtocapturethecity.
一五九○年，荷蘭人起義反抗西班牙統治，荷軍領袖莫里斯伯爵活用木馬屠城戰略，攻取了兵家必爭的布雷達市。
莫里斯發覺，船隻運送泥炭塊入布雷達城堡，不必經過搜查，於是找自己父親手下一名操舟運泥炭塊給城上駐軍的僕人，說服他把泥炭塊數量由九大份減為三大份，並在泥炭塊下暗藏精兵約八十人，由埃羅吉雷斯上尉指揮。二月二十一日，他們的船開入城堡，沒有引起懷疑。子夜後，泥炭塊表層撥開了，伏兵爬出來，突襲守軍，奪得城堡，然後發出信號。莫里斯大軍馬上挺進，拿下了布雷達市。