Siege of La Rochelle (1572-1573)

Siege of La Rochelle (1572–1573) (Siège de La Rochelle 1572–1573)
Part of the French wars of religion
The Siege of La Rochelle by the Duke of Anjou in 1573 ("History of Henry III" tapestry, completed in 1623).
Date November 1572 - July 1573 Location La Rochelle Result Stalemate
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	La Rochelle  England (support)
Commanders and leaders
Duke of Anjou Comte de Montgomery P.O.W
Strength
Siege army: 28,000.	Defending army: 1,500. Huguenot refugees.
Casualties and losses
Siege Army: 12,000 (including sickness and desertion) 73% casualty rate among officers.	Almost entire army and all refugees dead

Siege Army:
12,000 (including sickness and desertion)

The Siege of La Rochelle of 1572–1573 was a massive military assault on the Huguenot-held city of La Rochelle by Catholic troops during the fourth phase of the French Wars of Religion, following the August 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The conflict began in November 1572 when inhabitants of the city refused to receive Armand de Gontaut, baron de Biron as royal governor. Beginning on 11 February 1573, the siege was led by the Duke of Anjou (the future Henry III). Political considerations following the duke's election to the throne of Poland in May 1573 resulted in negotiations, culminating on 24 June 1573, that lifted the siege on 6 July 1573. The Edict of Boulogne signed shortly thereafter brought an end to this phase of the civil war.

The siege of La Rochelle was contemporaneous with Catholic assaults on the cities of Sommières (led by Henri I de Montmorency) and Sancerre.

Since 1568, La Rochelle had been the main base of the Huguenots in France. A city of 20,000 inhabitants and a port of strategic importance with historic links to England, La Rochelle benefited from administrative autonomy (lack of seigneur, bishop or parlement) and had become overwhelmingly Huguenot (Calvinist).

After the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre and other massacres across France in the fall of 1572, numerous Huguenots fled to the city of La Rochelle as a last refuge. The city was well fortified, with access to the sea.

The conflict started in November 1572 when inhabitants of the city refused to receive Armand de Gontaut, baron de Biron as royal governor. Charles IX ordered the city to be besieged. In the middle of November, François de la Noue, sent by Charles IX to negotiate with the city, was invited by the inhabitants to take up their defense. With the king's acceptance, La Noue joined the besieged city, but was unable to effect a solution to the crisis, and on 12 March 1573 he left the city, to watch the subsequent events from the royal camp.

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