1.
French Wars of Religion
–
Approximately 3,000,000 people perished as a result of violence, famine and disease in what is accounted as the second deadliest European religious war. Unlike all other wars at the time, the French wars retained their religious character without being confounded by dynastic considerations. At the conclusion of the conflict in 1598, Huguenots were granted rights and freedoms by the Edict of Nantes. The wars weakened the authority of the monarchy, already fragile under the rule of Francis II and then Charles IX, apart from previously mentioned names, the wars have been variously described as the Eight Wars of Religion, or simply the Wars of Religion. However, the Massacre of Vassy in 1562 is agreed to begin the French Wars of Religion, during this time, complex diplomatic negotiations and agreements of peace were followed by renewed conflict and power struggles. Humanism, until the late 1520s, served as a ground for the French Protestant Reformation. The spirit of the Renaissance interested Francis I and he encouraged the study of the classics by establishing royal professorships in Paris, equipping more people with the knowledge necessary to understand the classics. Francis I had no qualms with the religious order. Through the Concordat of Bologna, Pope Leo X increased the power of the king over the church, nomination of clergy depended upon the kings choice, in France, unlike in Germany, the nobles supported the policies and the status quo of their time. The establishment of the college and the spread of the printing press served the purposes of the Reformation. The printing press made mass production of inexpensive and fueled the spread of knowledge in all disciplines. Interest in the classics soared and literature was available to a wider audience. The accessibility coupled with romanticism for the knowledge from the past that built empires, precise language and eloquence were valued among scholars and true understanding of the classics meant studying them from the originals. Theological and religious thoughts were disseminated at an unprecedented pace, ideas about the Reformation were widespread in France by 1519. John Froben, a humanist printer, published a collection of Luther’s works, in one correspondence, he reported that 600 copies of such works were being shipped to France and Spain and were sold in Paris. The humanist perspective on understanding Scriptures had theological and ecclesiastical implications, studying Scriptures in the original flourished in the Renaissance period. This contrasted the heavy reliance of the church on the Vulgate - the Latin translation of the Bible. The Meaux Circle was formed by a group of humanists including Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples and Guillaume Briçonnet, bishop of Meaux, in the effort to reform preaching, the Meaux circle was joined by Vatable, a Hebraist and Guillaume Budé the classicist and librarian to the king
French Wars of Religion
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Depiction of the
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre by
François Dubois
French Wars of Religion
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After an initial period of tolerance,
Francis I started the repression against Protestants.
French Wars of Religion
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Massacre of Mérindol in 1545 as imagined by
Gustave Doré (1832–1883).
French Wars of Religion
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Contemporary woodcut of the
executions of Protestants at Amboise.
2.
Amboise conspiracy
–
It was one of the events directly leading up to the Wars of Religion that divided France from 1562 to 1598. At the death of Henry II in 1559, the Protestants of France looked forward to a relaxation of stringent policies against their religion, but the young king, Francis II, retained his fathers policy. Among the kings advisors were his wifes uncles, Francis, Duke of Guise and Charles of Guise, Cardinal of Lorraine, a group of provincial aristocrats decided to take matters into their own hands, by kidnapping the King and arresting the brothers Guise. Chief among the conspirators was Godefroy de Barry, seigneur de La Renaudie, paulon de Mauvans, whose brother had been executed, rallied the Huguenots of Provence at Mérindol,12 February 1560, promised 2,000 men and sent 100 to Nantes. Gaspard de Coligny, later also a leading Huguenot, discouraged the nobles of Normandy from involving themselves in the plot, leading Protestant bourgeois of Orléans, Tours and Lyon were apprised of developments. Under the circumstances, increasingly specific rumors of the reached the Cardinal of Lorraine well ahead of time. On 12 February a detailed report was received through Pierre des Avenelles, on the 22nd, the Guises decided to transfer King and court from Blois to the château of Amboise, a more defensible site, and strengthened the castles defenses. The conspirators delayed their plan of action from 1 March to the 16th, but the first of the plotters contingents arrived in the village early, on 17 March 1560, the conspirators, led by La Renaudie, attempted to storm the Château. Though the court was thrown into panic, the forces were easily defeated. La Renaudie, caught on 19 March, was drawn and quartered, the early colonist of Brazil, Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon became actively involved against the Protestants, and participated in the repression of the Amboise conspiracy. In late October 1560, Louis of Bourbon, Prince of Condé was arrested on the suspicion of having been the architect of the plot but was released due to a lack of conclusive evidence. During the events he had preserved a distance from the plot but had stood at the ready at Orléans, le capitaine muet and he was one of the principal leaders of the Huguenots during the French wars of religion. The Edict of Amboise in 1563 ended the first phase of the French Wars of Religion
Amboise conspiracy
–
Contemporary woodcut of the executions at Amboise
3.
Massacre of Vassy
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The tragedy is identified as the first major event in the French Wars of Religion. The series of battles that followed concluded in the signing of the Edict of Amboise the next year, the events surrounding the Massacre of Wassy became widely known by a series of forty engravings published in Geneva seven years later. After the ascent of Henry II to the French throne, followers of the teachings of John Calvin. Catherine de Medici, regent of Charles IX, proposed the Edict of January with the hopes that Calvinism and Catholicism could co-exist in France and that fighting would cease. On 1 March 1562, Francis, the second Duke of Guise, travelling to his estates, stopped in Wassy and he found a large congregation of Huguenots holding religious ceremonies in a barn that was their church. Some of the party attempted to push their way inside and were repulsed. Events escalated, stones began to fly, and the Duke was struck, outraged, he ordered his men to fortify the town and set fire to the church, killing 63 unarmed Huguenots and wounding over a hundred. The major engagements of the war occurred at Rouen, Dreux, at the Siege of Rouen, the crown regained the city at the cost of Antoine de Navarre, who died of his wounds. The Battle of Dreux, saw the capture of Condé by the Guises and Montmorency, the popular unrest caused by the assassination, coupled with the fact that Orléans was holding out in the siege, led Catherine to mediate a truce and the Edict of Amboise. List of massacres in France St. Bartholomews Day Massacre Virtual Museum of Protestantism, The protestant Museum in the Wassy barn
Massacre of Vassy
–
Massacre de Vassy in 1562, print by Hogenberg end of 16th century.
4.
Battle of Dreux
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The Battle of Dreux was fought on 19 December 1562 between Catholics and Huguenots. The Catholics were led by Anne de Montmorency while Louis I, though commanders from both sides were captured, the French Catholics won the battle. This was the first major engagement of the French Wars of Religion, the Protestant army encountered the Catholic royal army on the road to Dreux while attempting to move north into Normandy. Although the Catholics were superior in numbers and their infantry was much more experienced they were lacking in heavy cavalry. This made them cautious about engaging with the Huguenots particularly on this battlefield which was open and gently sloping, in an effort to negate this advantage, the royal army set up a defensive position between the two villages of Blainville and Épinay. The Protestant army was organised into two lines, the first was made up of their cavalry, largely gendarmes and German reiters heavy cavalry. The second line contained their infantry which was a mixture of mercenary Landsknechts, the idea was that the cavalry would bear the brunt of the fighting and the inferior infantry would be used as an anchor for the battle line and a rallying point. The battle itself was divided into four main movements, only the Swiss managed to hold in the centre despite taking very high casualties. Much of the Protestant cavalry now pursued their enemies back towards their baggage train which they proceeded to loot. During the second phase of the battle, the majority of the combat was borne by Swiss who were attacked by cavalry. Although they routed the Landsknechts and almost recaptured the Catholic artillery they were broken by a final charge by fresh Huguenot gendarmes. Seeing this many more of the Protestant cavalry moved off to loot the Catholic baggage train in the rear leaving their infantry without cavalry support. It was at this moment, during the phase, that Guise and Saint-André. They swept aside the Huguenot French infantry, who were armed with few pikemen. The remaining Protestant cavalry, now exhausted after several hours of combat, retreated in good order. In the fourth and final phase of the battle, it appeared that the Catholic army had won, however, behind the woods near Blainville, Coligny had rallied about a thousand French and German horse and re-emerged to attack again. This could have changed the course of the battle again as the few hundred Catholic heavy cavalry left were in no position to face this attack. However, Guise had ordered his final reliable infantry regiment, a veteran French unit under Martigues and they poured arquebus fire into the advancing Huguenots who, having used their lances earlier, could not break the pikemen
Battle of Dreux
–
Battle of Dreux
5.
Battle of Saint-Denis (1567)
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The Battle of Saint-Denis was fought on 10 November 1567 between Catholics and Protestants during the French Wars of Religion in Saint-Denis near Paris, France. Anne de Montmorency with 16,000 Royalists fell on Condés 3,500 Huguenots, the Huguenots surprisingly held on for some hours before being driven off. The Protestants were defeated, but the Catholic commander Anne de Montmorency was mortally wounded, the Protestants fell back to the east to link up with German mercenaries
Battle of Saint-Denis (1567)
–
Battle of Saint-Denis, 1567.
6.
Battle of Jarnac
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The forces met outside Jarnac between the right bank of the Charente River and the high road between Angoulême and Cognac. The Huguenots made a last stand at Triac and were ultimately defeated, under the leadership of Gaspard de Coligny, however, a significant portion of the Huguenot army managed to escape. Minor participants on the Huguenot side were the English volunteer Walter Raleigh, on 25 June, the two armies met again at the Battle of La Roche-lAbeille, resulting in a Protestant victory. The Battle of Moncontour in October of the year would provide the Catholics with a more definitive victory. A tapestry of the battle and the assassination of Louis I of Bourbon is in the collection of the Musée National de la Renaissance in Ecouen
Battle of Jarnac
–
Battle of Jarnac.
7.
Battle of Orthez 1569
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The Battle of Orthez was fought during the French Wars of Religion, at Orthez on Wednesday August 24,1569. Huguenot forces under the leadership of Gabriel de Montgomery defeated Royalist forces under General Terride in French Navarre, following the battle, Huguenot forces killed many of their Catholic prisoners. In the later half of the century, all Aquitaine above the Garonne except for Bordeaux was in Protestant hands. At that time, Orthez was the largest and most dynamic city of Béarn and it was a market town which served as the main funnel for products making their way to Bayonne for export. One wealthy Protestant, Adrien-Arnaud de Gachassin had gifted his mansion in Orthez to Jeanne d Albret in 1555, the Huguenots were therefore desirous of capturing the important and wealthy town of Orthez. The Protestant forces of Montgomery and Montamat had left Castres around noon on July 27,1569 and they pillaged along the way, passing through Mazères in Foix. The troops crossed the Garonne and the Gave at Coarreze and by August 9, on August 11, the troops were on the move again and now headed for Orthez. By August 15, after a siege, Montgomery had weakened Orthez greatly. On August 24, Huguenots captured the town and massacred many of the imprisoned Catholics, among the victims were Terride, Bassillon, governor of Navarrenx, as well as other leadership and troops in Terride’s defenses, local clergy and people of Orthez. A special death was contrived for the clergy - they were thrown to their deaths from the heights of Orthezs Le Pont-Vieux over the Gave de Pau, in addition, the local Moncade castle was destroyed as well as the town’s churches and many homes. Massacre of religious opponents characterised much of the Wars of Religion, Jeanne III dAlbret, queen of Navarre, and considered “queen of the Huguenots” played a leading role during the French Wars of Religion in the vast territory of Guyenne in southwestern France. Her goal was to create a Protestant Guyenne by force of arms, doubtless, however, the Huguenots were so enraged from the persecution inflicted on them by the Catholics that they could not be restrained from the massacre. In all, both events fit into the picture of the Wars of Religion
Battle of Orthez 1569
–
Le Pont-Vieux over the
Gave de Pau in
Orthez. The opening in the parapet of the bridge is the point from which the Catholic priests of
Orthez were thrown to their deaths during the massacre.
Battle of Orthez 1569
–
Jeanne d'Albret, a leading Huguenot figure.
8.
Battle of Moncontour
–
The Battle of Moncontour occurred on 3 October 1569 between the Catholic forces of King Charles IX of France and the Huguenots during the Third War of the French Wars of Religion. Coligny broke off the Siege of Poitou, and joined with German allies, moved south, henry, Duke of Anjou, attacked before Coligny could join with Gabriel, comte de Montgomery. The Swiss pikemen shattered the Huguenot landsknechts, Coligny regrouped, marched east into the Rhone and marched on Paris. French Wars of Religion The Cambridge Modern History, the Battle of Moncontour Voyage of the Battle of Moncontour,1569
Battle of Moncontour
–
Battle of Moncontour, 1569.
9.
Siege of Mons (1572)
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In the spring of 1572, after the capture of Valenciennes by a Protestant force under Louis of Nassau, the Dutch commander continued with his offensive and took Mons by surprise on 24 May. On 23 May Louis of Nassau arrived at Mons with 1,000 infantry and 500 cavalry, Louis took control of the city, and a few days later, was reinforced by about 4,500 infantry and cavalry under the command of the Count of Montgomery. On 23 June Fadriques forces arrived at Mons and laid siege to the city, Louis sent a message to Genlis, urging that he should join to the army of his brother, William of Orange, but Genlis ignored the message, and advanced against the Spaniards. On 19 July Genlis and his forces encamped near Mons, in a circular plane, Don Fadrique, aware his arrival, advanced towards him with 4,000 infantry,1,500 cavalry, and 3,000 armed villagers for the occasion. Genlis sent a detachment to reconnoitre, but after seeing the advance of the Spanish forces, Don Frederic de Toledo is coming upon us, they cried. The Spanish cavalry of Philip of Noircarmes, without delay, charged against the French army, followed by infantry, the attack caused panic among the French Huguenots, and then, the Spanish infantry shattered the French army. The Spanish victory was complete, and the army of Genlis was entirely routed, about 2,000 French soldiers were killed or wounded, and 700 captured, including 70 nobles and officers. The leader of the French army, Adrien de Hangest, was also captured, the Captain Francisco de Bobadilla was honored with carrying the news of the victory to the King Philip II, for the proven value during the battle. Meantime, the Prince of Orange with his new army continued to advance towards Mons, on 23 July, after the capture of Roermond, his troops mutinied. On 27 August, with guarantees of payment of some cities in Holland, crossed the Meuse, advancing over Diest, Termonde, Oudenaarde and Nivelles. On 11 August Gaspard de Coligny, with the approval of the King Charles IX, had written to the Prince, the result was St. Bartholomews Day massacre on 23 August. In early September, Don Fernando, Duke of Alba, arrived at Mons with reinforcements, on 10 September arrived near Mons, and Alba, knowing the Oranges arrival, positioned his troops for a possible attack. After the failed attack, the Prince retreated to the village of Harmignies, in this raid 600 rebels were killed, for only 60 Spaniards. Hundred of horses were captured, and a part of the tents. During the action, William of Orange himself was in profound slumber, and was saved by the barking of his Spaniel dog, with a heavy heart, William wrote to his brother Louis of his forlorn condition and inability to relieve Mons. The Prince retreated with his army to Nivelles and Mechelen, marching to the Rhine, thereafter he made his way almost alone to Holland, the only province which still remained true to him. After the defeat of the army of French Huguenots under Adrien de Hangest, even the French Huguenots under his command mutinied as a consequence for the support of the King of France to the massacre of St. Bartholomew. On 19 September Louis of Nassau surrendered Mons to the Duke of Alba, Louis of Nassau would be received by the Duke of Alba, the Duke of Medinaceli and Don Fadrique
Siege of Mons (1572)
–
Mons in 1572 by
Frans Hogenberg.
Siege of Mons (1572)
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Old map of the
fortress-city of
Mons.
Siege of Mons (1572)
–
Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba " The Iron Duke ", by
Antonis Mor.
Siege of Mons (1572)
–
William of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt, by
Adriaen Thomasz Key.
10.
Siege of Sancerre
–
In 1529, John Calvin followed Protestant Reformer Melchior Wolmar to Bourges to continue his law studies under Andrea Alciati, an Italian who had been invited by Francis I to teach in France. Calvins ideas became popular in Bourges and the doctrine of the Reformation spread throughout the region, calvinism became influential in Sancerre in 1540. In May 1562, Gabriel, comte de Montgomery, the Huguenot captain, captured Bourges during the First Civil War, the Catholics counter-attacked with reprisals and the campaign spread. Sancerre, spared during the first round of the conflict, was attacked in 1564 by Count Sciarra Martinengo, a Venetian, who was governor of Orléans, and Claude de La Châtre, governor of the Berry. Lacking bombard artillery, but armed with slings, the city withstood the attack for five weeks until Martinengo and Châtre withdrew. Another attack against Sancerre was tried in 1568 but the troops were forced the withdraw when confronted by the garrison, following the St. Bartholomews Day Massacre on August 24,1572 many Protestants fled to the hilltop stronghold. When Sancerre refused to receive the garrison of Charles IX, Honorat de Bueil. After massing an army of 7,000 men, Claude de La Châtre. The arsenal of weapons included bombards, arrows, lances, stones, the siege was one of the last time times in European history where slings, the Arquebuses of Sancerre, were used in warfare. Greatly outnumbered, and fearing genocide, the Sancerrois taunted their attackers, We light here, We fight here, go, the Catholic forces, armed with 18 guns, bombarded the 400-year-old ramparts until the wall collapsed on the attackers, killing 600 men. After the assault failed, Châtre withdrew to Saint Satur and a blockade was started, the city suffered terrible famine and population was reduced to eating rats, leather and ground slate. There were even isolated reports of cannibalism, some 500 people, including most of the children, died. The siege was compared to the Siege of Jerusalem and became a Protestant cause throughout Europe, Poland offered to elect Henri, Duke of Anjou, Queen Catherine de Medicis fourth son, to the throne of Poland with the understanding that France would ameliorate the Huguenots. The Duke of Anjou was fighting at La Rochelle when he received word that he had been elected King of Poland, the announcement gave the Duke a pretext to abandon the losing siege, which had been repulsed 29 times in four months and decimated the principal army of France. On June 6,1573 Charles IX signed the Peace of La Rochelle ending the Fourth Civil War, on August 25,1573, one day after the anniversary of the Saint Bartholomews Day Massacre, the last of the Siege of Sancerre survivors left the fortress. Châtre entered the empty city on August 31, and commanded the peasantry from the areas to demolish the ramparts. In payment of damages and taxes for the siege, King Charles IX accepted 2000 litres of wine as compensation, Bourges, Vierzon, and Mehun sided with the League, while Sancerre, now greatly diminished, and the aristocracy of the county supported the king. The fighting ended after Protestant Henri de Navarre was crowned King of France in 1594, the medieval Chateau de Sancerre was destroyed in 1621 to prevent further resistance
Siege of Sancerre
–
Siege de Sancerre, early 17th century print by Claude Chastillon.
11.
War of the Three Henrys
–
The War of the Three Henrys was the eighth and final conflict in the series of civil wars in France known as the Wars of Religion. The war was instigated by Philip of Spain to keep his enemy, France, from interfering with the Spanish army in the Netherlands, for the first part of the war, the royalists and the Catholic League were uneasy allies against their common enemy, the Huguenots. Henry sent Joyeuse into the field against Navarre, while he intended to meet the approaching German. At the Battle of Coutras, Navarre defeated the army led by Joyeuse. It was the first victory won by the Huguenots in the battlefield, for his part, Henry III successfully prevented the junction of the German and Swiss armies. The Swiss were his allies, and had come to invade France to free him from subjection, but Henry III insisted that their invasion was not in his favor, but against him, forcing them to return home. The Germans, led by Fabien I, Burgrave of Dohna, wanted to fight against the Duke of Guise and he recruited some of the retreating Swiss, who had no scruple fighting against Guise. But at the Battle of Vimory, Guise took the Germans by surprise, in Paris, the glory of repelling the German and Swiss Protestants all fell to the Duke of Guise. The kings actions were viewed with contempt and they thought that the king had invited the Swiss to invade, paid them for coming, and sent them back again. The king, who had performed the decisive part in the campaign. The Catholic League had put its preachers to good use, in the meantime, the governments of Normandy and Picardy were vacated by the deaths of Joyeuse and Conde. Guise demanded Normandy for himself, and Picardy for his kinsman Aumale, the Catholic League was mobilized to resist the royal appointees in these provinces. Guise was forbidden from entering the capital, Guise ignored the prohibition and entered Paris. In the normal course of affairs this would have cost him his life, further, after the Day of the Barricades, an uprising planned in part by the Spanish diplomat Bernardino de Mendoza, the king decided to flee to Blois. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the called the Estates-General in the midst of intrigue. Henri of Guise planned to assassinate the king and seize the throne, open war erupted between the royalists and the Catholic League. Charles, Duke of Mayenne, Guises younger brother, took over the leadership of the League, at the moment it seemed that he could not possibly resist his enemies. His power was limited to Blois, Tours, and the surrounding districts
War of the Three Henrys
–
Henry of Navarre
War of the Three Henrys
–
Henry III of France
War of the Three Henrys
–
Henry of Guise
12.
Battle of Arques
–
It was a victory for Henry IV. At the death of Henry III of France, the Huguenot Henry of Navarre became by birthright the successor to the French throne. At that time, the army was in a shambles. In order to accomplish this task, he divided his troops into three commands, Henri I dOrléans, Duke of Longueville for Picardy, Jean VI dAumont for Champagne, on 6 August 1589, Henry set up camp with 8,000 men at the port of Dieppe. The Duke of Mayenne sought to back this key strategic port from Henrys forces. He drew together 35,000 troops, plus Cambrésis militias, Lorraine troops led by the Marquis de Pont-à-Mousson and a contingent of Spanish troops to attack the city. Between 15 and 29 September 1589, the troops of the Catholic League launched several attacks on Arques and the surrounding areas, the attacks were extremely deadly for both sides, and soon Henry IVs side found itself undermanned. Henrys rescue came from the sea on 23 September,4,000 English soldiers under Roger Williams sent by Queen Elizabeth had left England in several waves over three days, seeing these reinforcements, the Duke of Mayenne decided to retreat, leaving Henry IV victorious. Ce 22 de Septembre 1589. -HENRI This article is based in part on a translation of the article Bataille dArques from the French Wikipedia on 14 March 2007, jouanna, Arlette and Jacqueline Boucher, Dominique Biloghi, Guy Thiec. Histoire et dictionnaire des Guerres de religion, artillery, An Illustrated History of Its Impact ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1851095568 List of French wars and battles
Battle of Arques
–
Henri IV at Arques
Battle of Arques
–
The ruins of the château of Arques, today.
13.
Day of the Barricades
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Despite a royal interdict, the duc de Guise had returned to Paris in the wake of a betrayed conspiracy that had been set for 24 April, for he could not afford to be seen to desert his followers. Rumors were spread that the heads of the Catholic party of the House of Guise were to be arrested, the barricades so hastily erected in the streets from materials at hand were the first appearance of that staple of French revolutions. The militia formed the backbone of the revolt, the troops were immobilised in the various quartiers. The royal forces withdrew to the Louvre, as all the gates of Paris were closed save the Porte Saint-Honoré. The following day,13 May 1588, the king was prevented from going to the Sainte-Chapelle, the staunchly Catholic populace of Paris harbored genuine animosity towards king Henri III for several reasons. First, his unacceptable mignons and his court were perceived as effete. Finally, the Parisians were alarmed due to the troops posted in the city, thus, the emotions were easy to exploit. From his strong position, Guise forced the King to sign at Rouen the Édit dunion, two weeks later the duc de Guise was named lieutenant général of the kingdom. However, on 23 December of that year, the duc de Guise was assassinated in Blois and his brother Louis II de Lorraine the following day, pierre Matthieu recalled the events of the Journée des barricades in his La Guisiade. Days of the Barricades in Riga 1968 days of the barricades in France Les Misérables – the barricade in the Hugo story is a symbol of the whole, the Revolt of Paris,1588, Aristocratic Insurgency and the Mobilization of Popular Support
Day of the Barricades
–
The
Duke of Guise during the Day of the Barricades, by Paul Lehugeur, 19th century.
14.
Battle of Ivry
–
The Battle of Ivry was fought on 14 March 1590, during the French Wars of Religion. The battle was a victory for Henry IV of France, leading Huguenot and English forces against the Catholic League by the Duc de Mayenne. Henrys forces were victorious and he went on to lay siege to Paris, the battle occurred on the plain of Épieds, Eure near Ivry, Normandy. Ivry-la-Bataille is located on the Eure River and about thirty miles west of Paris, Henry IV had moved rapidly to besiege Dreux, a town controlled by the League. As Mayenne followed intending to raise the siege, Henry withdrew and he deployed his army on the plain of Saint André between the towns of Nonancourt and Ivry. Henry had been reinforced by English troops sent in support by Queen Elizabeth I, Henry had 12,000 foot soldiers and 3,000 men on horseback. Included in this force were 2,000 Spanish pikemen and cavalry had been brought over from Flanders under Philip, Count of Egmont, At first light on 14 March 1590, before the battle, the king famously spurred his troops, Companions. If you today run at risk with me, I will also run at risk with you, look at his and our enemies. Hold your ranks, I beg of you, and if the heat of battle makes you leave them, think also of rallying back and you will find it among those three trees that you can see over there on your right side. If you lose your ensigns, cornets or flags, do never lose sight of my panache, you always find it on the road to honour. The action began with a few deadly cannon volleys from the six pieces of the royal artillery, the cavalry of the two sides then clashed with a dreadful force. The Duke of Mayenne followed up with the troops of the Guelders. The mercenaries, who were sympathetic to the Protestant cause, fired in the air. Aumont soon overcame the Leagues light horse and their royalist counterparts retreated under the attack of a Walloon squadron backed up by two squadrons from the League. It was then the turn of the Jean VI dAumont, the Duc de Montpensier, however, the decisive event took place elsewhere on the battlefield, the King charged the Leagues lancers, who were unable to get far enough back to use their weapons. Mayenne was driven back, the Duke of Aumale forced to surrender, the Duke of Mayenne had lost the battle. Henry pursued the losers, many of whom surrendered for fear of falling into worse hands, the countryside was full of Leaguers and Spaniards in flight, with the kings victorious army pursuing and scattering the remnants of the larger groups that dispersed and re-gathered. Henry defeated Mayenne at Ivry so that he would become the only claimant to the throne of France
Battle of Ivry
–
Henry IV at the Battle of Ivry, by
Peter Paul Rubens (
Uffizi)
15.
Siege of Paris (1590)
–
Paris at the time was a large walled city of around 200, 000–220,000 people. On 7 May, Henrys army surrounded the city, imposing a blockade, Henry had at this point only around 12, 000–13,000 troops, facing an enemy of around 30, 000–50,000. Owing to the amount of heavy siege artillery that Henry had brought. The citys defence was placed in the hands of the young Charles Emmanuel, Henry set up his artillery on the hills of Montmartre, and bombarded the city from there. In July his force was swelled by reinforcements to 25,000, Henry tried to negotiate the surrender of Paris, but his terms were rejected and the siege continued. On 30 August, news reached the city that a Spanish-Catholic relief army under the general Don Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma, was on its way. The Duke of Parma and his troops were able to send supplies into the city. An estimated 40, 000–50,000 of the population died during the siege, after repeated failures to take the capital city of Paris, Henry IV converted to Catholicism, reportedly declaring that Paris is well worth a Mass. The war-weary Parisians turned on the Catholic Leagues hardliners when they continued the conflict even after Henry had converted, Paris jubilantly welcomed the formerly Protestant Henry of Navarre in 1593, and he was crowned King of France. He later issued the Edict of Nantes in an attempt to end the strife that had torn the country apart. War of the Three Henrys Religion in France Edict of Nantes Anglo-Spanish War List of French monarchs List of wars and disasters by death toll Horne, seven Ages of Paris, Portrait of a City
Siege of Paris (1590)
–
Henry IV of France by
Frans Pourbus the younger.
Siege of Paris (1590)
–
Coat of arms of the city of
Paris.
16.
Battle of Craon
–
Craon was besieged by the army of Henry of Navarre, but the defenders, supported by a Catholic relief force recruited by Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, resisted. At the end, Craon was liberated by the Spaniards under Don Juan del Águila, the commander of the Catholic League of France in the region, the Duke of Mercœur, Governor of Brittany, ordered his chief lieutenant, Urbain de Laval Boisdauphin, to strengthen Craon. The Duke of Mercœur had the support of the Catholic King, Philip II of Spain, on 8 February 1592, Henry of Navarre decided to take the city of Craon. His cousins, the Duke of Montpensier and François de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, Montpensier arrived with his army on 14 April 1592, aided by 1,200 English troops and 800 German mercenaries, and laid siege to the town. Then on 20 May 1592, Mercœur and Sablé arrived with their armies to defend Craon, the defense of the city of Craon by the Catholic troops against the French troops of Montpensier and Conti was heroic. On May 22,1592, the Spanish-Catholic army reached Craon under Don Juan del Águila, the Spanish-Catholic troops charged against the left flank, taking by surprise the Anglo-French besiegers. At the same time the besieged angrily attacked the right flank, under cover of night, Montpensier retired to Laval and Rennes. The Spaniards captured all the artillery, ammunition carts, flags, equipment, the English soldiers captured, were not given quarter, and were all executed, in part in retaliation for the cruelty received from the English in the wrecks of the Spanish Armada. Just a few later, Laval fell in the hands of the Catholic League. On May 23,1592, the Prince of Conti retreated into the Chateau-Gontier, the Duke Mercœur and the Marquis of Sablé entered into Laval and took the Chateau-Gontier. Boisdauphin took command of Laval, and Louis Champagné became Governor of Chateau-Gontier, Catholic League Brittany Duchy of Brittany Edict of Nantes War of the Three Henrys French Wars of Religion Pierre Miquel. Club France Loisirs ISBN 2-7242-0785-8 Abbé Angot, un soldat catholique de la bataille de Craon. Martínez Laínez, Fernando/Sánchez de Toca, José María, the Wars of Religion in France, 1559-1576. Sir John Norreys and the Elizabethan Military World ISBN 0-85989-548-3 Chisholm, Hugh
Battle of Craon
–
François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, commander of the
French Royal army.
Battle of Craon
–
Coat of arms of
Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur.
Battle of Craon
–
Urbain de Laval Boisdauphin, Marquis de Sablé, commander of the
Catholic League.
17.
Battle of Blaye
–
In April 1593, a Spanish naval force of 16 warships commanded by Admiral Pedro de Zubiaur and General Joanes de Villaviciosa Lizarza set out to relieve Blaye. On 18 April the English naval force was defeated and dispersed by Zubiaurs fleet, soon after, another Anglo-French fleet of 11 to 19 warships from Bordeaux, supported by about 40 small vessels, arrived at Blaye, trying to block the Spanish fleet. After a fierce and unequal battle, amid an intense storm, in the end, many ships of both fleets were dispersed by the storm, and the Spanish fleet managed to return safely to the port of Pasajes. For his part in the fighting, Pedro de Zubiaur was decorated by King Philip II of Spain, Battle of Craon Battle of the Bay of Biscay Siege of Fort Crozon Battle of Cornwall French Wars of Religion Catholic League of France Fernández Duro, Cesáreo. Armada Española desde la unión de los reinos de Castilla y Aragón, a Spaniard in Elizabethan England, The Correspondence of Antonio Pérezs Exile. ISBN 0-900411-84-8 Mac Caffrey, Wallace T. Elizabeth I, War and Politics, ISBN 978-0-691-03651-9 Ortega y Medina, Juan Antonio. El conflicto anglo-español por el dominio oceánico, en el IV Centenario del fallecimiento de Pedro Zubiaur, un marino vasco del siglo XVI
Battle of Blaye
–
View of the
Gironde Estuary from the ruins of the Citadel of Blaye (2010)
18.
Edict of Nantes
–
In the edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity. The edict separated civil from religious unity, treated some Protestants for the first time as more than mere schismatics and heretics and it marked the end of the religious wars that had afflicted France during the second half of the 16th century. The later Edict of Fontainebleau, which revoked the Edict of Nantes in October 1685, was promulgated by Louis XIV and it drove an exodus of Protestants and increased the hostility of Protestant nations bordering France. The Edict aimed primarily to end the long-running, disruptive French Wars of Religion, Henry IV also had personal reasons for supporting the Edict. Toleration in France was a notion, and the religious settlement was dependent upon the continued support of the crown. Re-establishing royal authority in France required internal peace, based on limited toleration enforced by the crown, since royal troops could not be everywhere, Huguenots needed to be granted strictly circumscribed possibilities of self-defense. The Edict of Nantes that Henry signed comprised four basic texts, including a principal text made up of 92 articles, the Edict also included 56 particular articles dealing with Protestant rights and obligations. For example, the French state guaranteed protection of French Protestants travelling abroad from the Inquisition and this crucifies me, protested Pope Clement VIII, upon hearing of the Edict. The final two parts consisted of brevets which contained the military clauses and pastoral clauses and these two brevets were withdrawn in 1629 by Louis XIII, following a final religious civil war. Such an act of toleration was unusual in Western Europe, where standard practice forced subjects to follow the religion of their ruler — the application of the principle of cuius regio, eius religio. While it granted certain privileges to Huguenots, the edict upheld Catholicisms position as the religion of France. Protestants gained no exemption from paying the tithe and had to respect Catholic holidays, the authorities limited Protestant freedom of worship to specified geographic areas. The Edict dealt only with Protestant and Catholic coexistence, it made no mention of Jews, or of Muslims, the original Act which promulgated the Edict has disappeared. A copy of the first edict, sent for safekeeping to Protestant Geneva, the provincial parlements resisted in their turn, the most recalcitrant, the parlement of Rouen, did not unreservedly register the Edict until 1609. The location of the signing is mooted, the Edict itself states merely that it is given at Nantes, in the month of April, in the year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight. By the late 19th century the Catholic tradition cited the signing in the Maison des Tourelles, home of prosperous Spanish trader André Ruiz, the subsidies had been reduced by degrees, as Henry gained more control of the nation. By the peace of Montpellier in 1622, concluding a Huguenot revolt in Languedoc, the brevets were entirely withdrawn in 1629, by Louis XIII, following the Siege of La Rochelle, in which Cardinal Richelieu blockaded the city for fourteen months. In October 1685, Louis XIV, the grandson of Henry IV, renounced the Edict and this act, commonly called the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, had very damaging results for France
Edict of Nantes
–
The Edict of Nantes, April 1598.
Edict of Nantes
–
Henry IV of France by
Frans Pourbus the younger.
Edict of Nantes
–
Louis XIV, by
Hyacinthe Rigaud
19.
Siege of Doullens
–
Villars was taken prisoner and executed, and the Duke of Bouillon fled to Amiens with the rest of the French army. Finally, few days after, on 31 July, the Spanish troops stormed Doullens, in 1595, Henry IV of France officially declared the war against Spain, who was attempting to reconquer large parts of northern France from the hostile Franco-Spanish Catholic forces. Meanwhile, the Count of Fuentes and his forces,5,000 Spanish troops, advanced over France, reinforced by 3,000 more troops from Hainaut and Artois, Fuentes continued with his offensive, and on July 14, arrived at Doullens and started the siege. The French garrison of Doullens, unlike Le Catelet, hoping that reinforcements would arrive soon, on July 16, Valentín Pardieu de la Motte, one of the Spanish commanders, while studying the defences of Doullens, was killed by a lucky shot. On July 24, the French forces arrived near Doullens, villars, at the head of the French relief army, rushed to relieve the town instead of waiting for the reinforcements of Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers. Fuentes positioned part of his army, about 2,000 to 3,000 men, under Don Carlos Coloma, to intercept the French forces. Villars launched a cavalry attack against the Spaniards, creating confusion among the Spanish troops. Then, the French troops were surrounded by the Spaniards, and Fuentes punished them severely, massacring their infantry, villars was taken prisoner, and despite to offering to pay ransom for his life, was executed of a shot through the head. This defeat reduced further the Kings forces in Picardy, and the Duke of Bouillon fled to Amiens with what was left of the French army, Fuentes now turned against Doullens again, and after 2 failed attempts, took the city on July 31. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people died in a few hours, with Doullens secured, and reinforced with 1,500 men under Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy, Fuentes advanced with the bulk of the army over the important fortress-city of Cambrai. Henry IV, who was in Lyon, was determined to save the city of all costs, even he appealed to the United Provinces for armed assistance, but the response was very slow. After a heavy bombardment, the Spanish troops captured the city, the Governor of Cambrai, Jean de Monluc, Seigneur de Balagny, retired to the citadel, but surrendered on 7 September. Doullens was under Spanish control until the Peace of Vervins in 1598, French Wars of Religion Siege of Calais Catholic League of France List of Governors of the Spanish Netherlands R. B. The Return of the Armadas, The Last Years of the Elizabethan War against Spain 1595-1603, seven Ages of Paris, Portrait of a City. La prise de Doullens par les Espagnols en 1595, the French Wars of Religion 1559–1598. ISBN 0-582-28533-X Rene de La Croix, de Castries, Duc, the Lives of the Kings & Queens of France. Europa en la época de Felipe II, 1559-1598, dynasty and Piety, Archduke Albert and Habsburg Political Culture in an Age of Religious Wars. ISBN 2-503-50724-7 DBNL Chapter 31 The Eighty Years War La prise de Doullens par les Espagnols en 1595 by Arthur Demarsy
Siege of Doullens
–
View of the citadel of
Doullens.
Siege of Doullens
–
André de Brancas, Amiral de Villars, by Léopold Massard.
Siege of Doullens
–
Portrait of Don
Carlos Coloma by
Anthony van Dyck.
Siege of Doullens
–
Portrait of Don
Pedro Henríquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes.
20.
Siege of Calais (1596)
–
The Spanish success was the first action of the campaign of Archduke Albert of 1596. Henry IV was attempting to reconquer parts of northern France from hostile Spanish-French Catholic forces. In 1595, the Spanish army led by Don Pedro Henríquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes, took the initiative, conquering a great number of French towns, castles and villages, including Doullens. In the spring of 1596, the French army led by Henry IV laid siege to La Fère and he made his entry in Brussels on February 11,1596, and his first priority was the conflict with Henry IV of France. The French troops at Calais, were completely by surprise by the Spanish forces led by Archduke Albert. However, while the two bickered, the work of Spanish troops was crucial, which made it impossible for the English to help. The city fell to the Spaniards after ten days of siege, on Wednesday,24 April, the Spanish troops led by Don Luis de Velasco stormed the citadel. All fought with courage but the French forces could not match the skill and experience of the professional Spanish. The French lost thousands of men in the assault, and a part were taken prisoners. The Spanish lost around 200 dead and wounded, the Governor of Calais, Seigneur de Widessan, and some of his captains, were executed. Into the citadel, the Spaniards took a valuable treasure, composed, among other things, by an amount of gold and silver coins, horses. With the capture of the citadel the whole city was under Spanish control, the conquest of the city by the Spanish Army of Flanders, led by Archduke Albert, was a resounding victory, and a severe blow to Henry IV of France, and his Protestant allies. Calais was of importance, for it gave Spain an excellent port to controlling the English Channel. Having left behind a garrison, Albert advanced with the army over the nearby stronghold of Ardres. The French defenders offered stiff resistance, but on 23 May were forced to surrender to the superiority of the Spanish forces. The day before of the Spanish capture of Ardres, La Fère finally fell to Henry IVs troops, the next target of Albert was Hulst, in the Dutch front. Calais was under Spanish control during two years, when it was ceded by Spain to French control after the Peace of Vervins in 1598, Siege of Calais Siege of Doullens Battle of the Lippe List of Governors of the Spanish Netherlands Wagner, John A. /Walters, Susan. ISBN 978-1-59884-298-2 Thomas P. Campbell/Pascal-François Bertrand/Jeri Bapasola, tapestry in the Baroque, Threads of Splendor
Siege of Calais (1596)
–
Engraving of the Siege of Calais of 1596. Collection
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
Siege of Calais (1596)
–
Port-city of Calais by
Wenceslaus Hollar.
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
Siege of Calais (1596)
–
Archduke Albert, Governor-General of the
Spanish Netherlands, by
Frans Pourbus.
Siege of Calais (1596)
–
Photography of La Porte de Neptune. Citadel of
Calais.
21.
Siege of Amiens (1597)
–
The Siege of Amiens was a siege and battle fought during the Franco-Spanish War and the Anglo-Spanish War between 13 May and 25 September 1597. The Spanish, who had sent an army in March, had captured the city of Amiens easily in a ruse. Henry IV of France, after recovering from the shock of the capture, immediately and quickly built up an army which included a large English force, Amiens ultimately fell back into Henrys hands with the surrender of the entire Spanish force. As result of the victory, Henry was in a position to enact the Edict of Nantes. The siege was the last major event in the Franco-Spanish War as well as the French Wars of Religion. Only weeks after the disaster at the Battle of Turnhout in Brabant, Cardinal Albert agreed, the plan was to hide 500 infantry and horsemen in small groups close to the city. Governor Tello sent sixteen men dressed as peasants into the city, on the morning of 11 March, these men entered the Gate of Montrescu, the first group carried sacks of walnuts and apples, which accidentally capsized at the city gate. When French guards grabbed the nuts, the peasants brought out pistols, one guard dropped the gates, but it could not close, because the peasants had unhitched a wagon filled with wood. The 500 hidden Spanish infantry and the cavalry timed it just right to storm into the city, with barely any resistance the city was soon under Spanish control. The people of Amiens still have the nickname Walnut eaters after this incident, Henry, who had spent the winter in Paris, was awakened that night at the Louvre and by morning had donned his armour. The situation was now serious as the road now open to Paris across the Somme valley. At the time a proposal was being made between France and Spain. Taking back Amiens would afford Henry a large bargaining position whilst at the time making sure peace was his ultimate objective. In effect the siege of Amiens would decide the war between France and Spain, Henry relied heavily on outside resources, money and troops especially from the English. Queen Elizabeth I after much dithering reluctantly agreed to the release of her troops after considering bargaining for Boulogne or an indemnity in money, the latter of which was agreed. On 13 May Henry quickly brought an army of 4,000 French and Swiss infantry and 700 French cavalry under Charles de Gontaut, duc de Biron to Amiens. In a form of high diplomacy Henry gave the Huguenots hopes of substantial rights, most were veterans from the fighting in Flanders and most of whom had fought at Turnhout earlier in the year. This army cut off the lines from Doullens and began to lay siege to the city
Siege of Amiens (1597)
–
Henry IV before Amiens. Anonymous, Versailles Museum
22.
Huguenot rebellions
–
The uprising occurred a decade following the death of Henry IV, who, himself originally a Huguenot before converting to Catholicism, had protected Protestants through the Edict of Nantes. His successor Louis XIII, under the regency of his Italian Catholic mother Marie de Medici, the Huguenot rebellions came after two decades of internal peace under Henry IV, following the intermittent French Wars of Religion of 1562–98. The government was replaced by a French-style parliament in which only Catholics could sit, feeling their survival was at stake, the Huguenots gathered in La Rochelle on 25 December 1620. In 1621, Louis XIII moved to eradicate what he considered an open rebellion against his power, after a lull, combat resumed with numerous atrocities in 1622, with the terrible Siege of Nègrepelisse in which all the population was massacred and the city was burnt to the ground. In La Rochelle, the fleet of the city under Jean Guiton started to harass royal vessels, the Royal fleet finally met head-to-head with the fleet of La Rochelle in the Naval battle of Saint-Martin-de-Ré on 27 October 1622 in an inconclusive encounter. Meanwhile, the Treaty of Montpellier was negotiated, putting an end to hostilities, the Huguenot fortresses of Montauban and La Rochelle could be kept, but the fortress of Montpellier had to be dismantled. The year 1624 saw the arrival of Cardinal Richelieu to power as chief minister, Louis XIII did not, however, uphold the terms of the Treaty of Montpellier, sparking renewed Huguenot resentment. The threat of a siege on the city of La Rochelle was obvious. In February 1625, Soubise led a second Huguenot revolt against Louis XIII, from there he sailed up to Brittany where he led a successful attack on the royal fleet in the Battle of Blavet, although he could not take the fort after a three weeks siege. Soubise then returned to Ré with 15 ships and soon occupied the Ile dOléron as well, through these deeds, he was recognized as the head of the Huguenots, and named himself Admiral of the Protestant Church. The French Navy on the contrary was now depleted, leaving the central government very vulnerable. The Huguenot city of La Rochelle voted to join Soubise on 8 August 1625 and these events would end with the defeat of the fleets of La Rochelle and Soubise, and the full Capture of Ré island by September 1625. The third and last Huguenot rebellion started with an English military intervention aimed at encouraging an upheaval against the French king. The rebels had received the backing of the English king Charles I, Buckingham ultimately ran out of money and support, and his army was weakened by diseases. The English intervention ended with the unsuccessful Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, after a last attack on Saint-Martin they were repulsed with heavy casualties, and left in their ships. The English intervention was followed by the Siege of La Rochelle, Cardinal Richelieu acted as the commander of the besieging troops. Residents of La Rochelle resisted for 14 months, under the leadership of the mayor Jean Guitton, during the siege, the population of La Rochelle decreased from 27,000 to 5,000 due to casualties, famine and disease. Rohan continued to resist in Southern France, where the forces of Louis XIII continued to intervene in 1629, in the Siege of Privas, the inhabitants were massacred or expelled, and the city was burnt to the ground
Huguenot rebellions
–
Henri, duc de Rohan (1579-1638) was chosen as the leader of the rebellion.
Huguenot rebellions
–
Huguenot regions (purple) and royal intervention (red) between 1620 and 1622.
Huguenot rebellions
–
Re-establishment of the Catholics in Béarn, Melchior Tavernier, 1620.
Huguenot rebellions
–
Louis XIII in the failed
Siege of Montauban in 1621.
23.
Capture of Saumur
–
The Capture of Saumur was the military investment of the Huguenot city of Saumur accomplished by the young French king Louis XIII in May 1621, following the outburst of the Huguenot rebellions. Although the Huguenot city was faithful to the king, Louis XIII nevertheless wished to control over it. The Governor of the city Duplessy-Mornay was tricked out of his command of Saumur, Louis XIII then continued his campaign southward against the Huguenots, and moved to the Protestant stronghold of Saint-Jean-dAngély led by Rohans brother Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise. This led to the month-long Siege of Saint-Jean-dAngély, and to a succession of sieges in the south of France. Louis XIIIs campaign ended in a stalemate, leading to the 1622 Peace of Montpellier, which temporarily confirmed the right of the Huguenots in France
Capture of Saumur
–
The Huguenot leader
Philippe de Mornay was tricked out of his command of
Saumur.
Capture of Saumur
–
Saumur was easily invested as its Governor was tricked out of his command.
24.
Blockade of La Rochelle
–
The Blockade of La Rochelle took place in 1621-1622 during the repression of the Huguenot rebellion by the French king Louis XIII. In June 1621, Louis XIII besieged and captured Saint-Jean dAngély, Louis XIII chose however to move south with his main force for the Siege of Montauban. Meanwhile, Louis XIII ordered the Duke of Épernon to blockade La Rochelle by sea as well as by land. On the sea, however, efforts were ineffective, as small ships could easily go through ships of the Royal Navy. At one point they attacked the harbour of Brouage and attempted to block it by sinking ships filled with stones at its entrance, in July 1621, dÉpernon established his headquarters on land in La Jarrie, in the vicinity of La Rochelle. In August, the shipowner Jean Guiton was named by the City Council as Admiral of the fleet of La Rochelle, with 16 sails and 90 cannons. In October, Razilly, leading a French fleet of 13 ships with 124 cannons, stationed seaward in the Pertuis Breton, Jean Guiton then managed to capture the Island of Oléron. On November 6, Jean Guiton attacked Brouage, where 25 royal ships were stationed, the Huguenots met with defeat however when Soubise was vanquished by Royal troops at the Riez marches on 16 April 1622. By that time the nearby Siege of Royan was also going on, the blockade of La Rochelle was strengthened under the leadership of the Count of Soissons. He started the building of the Fort Louis just outside La Rochelle in order to obtain a position over the approaches to La Rochelle. Another major encounter was the Naval battle of Saint-Martin-de-Ré in October 1622, as the conflict lengthened into a stalemate, however, the King and the Huguenots agreed to the 1622 Treaty of Montpellier, which maintained Huguenot privileges. Although La Rochelle demanded the destruction of Fort Louis, Louis XIII temporized and managed to maintain it. This constant threat to the city would be instrumental in encouraging later conflicts, especially the Capture of Ré island by Royal troops in 1625, French Wars of Religion Huguenot rebellions
Blockade of La Rochelle
–
Fort Louis was constructed just outside the walls of La Rochelle during the 1621-1622 blockade.
Blockade of La Rochelle
–
Jean Guiton.
Blockade of La Rochelle
–
The
Naval battle of Saint-Martin-de-Ré in front of
Île de Ré in October 1622, in which the fleet of La Rochelle fought against
Charles de Guise.
25.
Siege of Montpellier
–
The Siege of Montpellier was a siege of the Huguenot city of Montpellier by the Catholic forces of Louis XIII of France, from August to October 1622. It was part of the Huguenot rebellions, Louis XIII stationed his troops around Montpellier in July 1622. A treaty was agreed upon between Henri, Duke of Rohan, and Louis XIII, through his officer, Marshal Lesdiguières, outraged, Louis XIII revoked Lesdiguières command, and ordered his troops to set up a siege of the city. The besieging army was placed unter the command of Condé, etienne dAmeric led the defense of Montpellier in an energetic manner. Operations proved to be difficult for the troops of Louis XIII, on September 2 also,400 Huguenots under Galonges, the Commander of the Montpellier garrison, made a sortie and defeated 1000 royal troops. On October 2, the Huguenots were able to repel three assaults by royal troops numbering 5,000, the assault left from 300 to 400 dead in the royal camps, and many more wounded. At the same time, the army was plagued with sickness and was running short of supplies. Finally, Louis XIII authorized negotiations to be resumed, asking Lesdiguières to lead the army once more, on October 8, Rohan arrived in front of Montpellier with a relief army 4,000 veterans. He might have fought victoriously, but he desired to negotiate, Louis XIII finally entered Montpellier on 20 October 1622, bareheaded and unarmed. Royal troops entered the city, effectively occupied it, and started to dismantle its fortifications, the Citadel of Montpellier was built soon after by Louis XIII in order to better control the city
Siege of Montpellier
–
Military map of the Siege of Montpellier, 1622.
Siege of Montpellier
–
Condé initially led the siege.
Siege of Montpellier
–
Lesdiguières negotiated the peace between the King and the Huguenots at Montpelliers.
