Invasion of Ré Island and Siege of La Rochelle (1627–1628)

In July 1627, the Duke of Buckingham led an English invasion of Ré Island to support Huguenots in La Rochelle. The campaign ended in defeat after French forces repelled the English. Subsequently, French royal forces besieged La Rochelle, which began in September 1627 and concluded with the city's surrender in October 1628.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. La Rochelle served as the center of Huguenot seapower and a key point of resistance against the Catholic royal government. Following the 1598 Edict of Nantes, which granted Protestants autonomy, tensions rose. In 1626, France concluded a secret peace with Spain, while English agents attempted to organize a French rebellion to support the Huguenots.

Invasion of Ré Island. On 12 July 1627, an English force of 100 ships and 6,000 soldiers under the Duke of Buckingham invaded the Île de Ré. Their objective was to control the approaches to La Rochelle and encourage rebellion. The English attempted to capture the fortress-city of Saint-Martin-de-Ré but were repelled by the Marquis de Toiras and a French relief force after three months.

Siege of La Rochelle. French royal forces began surrounding La Rochelle in August 1627. On September 10, 1627, the first cannon shots were fired by La Rochelle against royal troops at Fort Louis, initiating the siege. The surrounding fortifications were completed in April 1628, manned by an army of 30,000. Despite English attempts to relieve the city, La Rochelle surrendered on 28 October 1628.

People involved

Sources

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