Battle of Blavet

Battle of Blavet (1625)

The Blavet harbour ("Port du Blavet"), modern Port-Louis, in which Soubise seized the Royal fleet.

Date	17 January 1625
Location	Blavet
Result	Huguenot victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of France

French Huguenot forces

Commanders and leaders

Duke of Nevers

Duke of Vendôme

Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise (Commander)

Strength

6 great warships

12 small warships
300 soldiers
100 sailors

The Battle of Blavet (French: Bataille du Blavet) was an encounter between the Huguenot forces of Soubise and a French fleet under the Duke of Nevers in Blavet harbour (Port de Blavet, modern Port-Louis), Brittany in January 1625, triggering the Second Huguenot rebellion against the Crown of France.

An important Huguenot rebellion against the pro-Catholic King of France Louis XIII had taken place a few years before, in 1621-1622, ending in stalemate and in the sealing of the Treaty of Montpellier.

Resentment was breeding on the Huguenot side however as king Louis XIII was not respecting the clauses of the Treaty of Montpellier. Not a single condition is said to have been respected, as Toiras was reinforcing the fortification of Fort Louis, instead of dismantling it, right under the walls of the Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle, and as a strong fleet was being prepared in Blavet for the eventuality of a siege of the city. The threat of a future siege on the city of La Rochelle was obvious, both to Soubise and the people of La Rochelle.

At the same time the Huguenots and Soubise were very defiant of the Crown, displaying intentions to become independent on the model of the Dutch Republic: "If the citizens, abandoned to their guidance, were threateneed in their rights and creeds, they would imitate the Dutch in their resistance to Spain, and defy all the power of the monarchy to reduce them." (Mercure de France)

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