Siege of Calais
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Calais began in 1346, towards the beginning of what would later be called the Hundred Years' War
. Edward III of England
, who was at the time claiming dominion over France as well, defeated the French navy at Sluys
in 1340, then went on to make raids throughout Normandy
, culminating at the Battle of Crécy
in 1346. By this point, the English army could no longer continue without new supplies, reinforcements, and aid from Flanders
, so they withdrew north. The English ships had already left the shores of Normandy
for England, and so Edward needed to seize a defensible outpost where his army could regroup, and be resupplied.
Calais
suited his purposes perfectly. It was highly defensible, with a double moat and city walls built a hundred years earlier. The citadel in the northwest corner of the city had its own moat, and further fortifications. In addition, the city lay on the English Channel
, meaning that once it was taken, it could be resupplied and defended easily by sea. Of course, as attractive as it was for Edward III, as a highly defensible position, this also made it quite difficult to seize.
In November, the English were supplied with cannon, catapults, and long ladders, but attempts to breach or scale the walls continued to fail. By February, Edward had given up on attacking the city, and decided to simply starve them out. One more French supply convoy succeeded in supplying the citizens, but the English navy repelled all further supply attempts. Still, King Philip continued his relentless assault. In the spring, both English and French armies had reinforcements, but Philip still could not hope to defeat the attackers; the marshland surrounding the city also defended its attackers.
By June, the supply of food and fresh water within the city was nearly depleted. A month later, after another convoy was stymied by the English fleet, 500 children and elderly were expelled from the city, so that the remaining healthy, adult men and women might survive. The English refused to allow these exiles to approach them, and so they starved to death just outside the walls.
On the 1st of August, the city lit fires signaling they were ready to surrender. Philip destroyed the encampment where his army had been planning to attack the English, so that it would not fall into enemy hands. Edward was persuaded by his advisors to allow the remaining citizens to live. After providing them with some provisions, he allowed them to leave the city.
In 1880, Calais commissioned a statue from Auguste Rodin
of the town leaders at the moment of their surrender to Edward. The Burghers of Calais
, completed in 1888, became one of Rodin's most renowned statues, and arguably, one of the most famous in the world.
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
. Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, who was at the time claiming dominion over France as well, defeated the French navy at Sluys
Battle of Sluys
The decisive naval Battle of Sluys , also called Battle of l'Ecluse was fought on 24 June 1340 as one of the opening conflicts of the Hundred Years' War...
in 1340, then went on to make raids throughout Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, culminating at the Battle of Crécy
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
in 1346. By this point, the English army could no longer continue without new supplies, reinforcements, and aid from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, so they withdrew north. The English ships had already left the shores of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
for England, and so Edward needed to seize a defensible outpost where his army could regroup, and be resupplied.
Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
suited his purposes perfectly. It was highly defensible, with a double moat and city walls built a hundred years earlier. The citadel in the northwest corner of the city had its own moat, and further fortifications. In addition, the city lay on the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, meaning that once it was taken, it could be resupplied and defended easily by sea. Of course, as attractive as it was for Edward III, as a highly defensible position, this also made it quite difficult to seize.
The siege
In September of 1346, Edward's men approached the city, and immediately began making preparations for a drawn-out siege. The city walls and moats would not be easily breached or crossed. The siege attracted aid from both England and Flanders, and while King Philip of France failed to interfere with the English supply lines or their army, Edward likewise failed to interfere with the supplying of the population of Calais by sailors loyal to France. For over two months not much was done by the English army; essentially a stalemate had been reached.In November, the English were supplied with cannon, catapults, and long ladders, but attempts to breach or scale the walls continued to fail. By February, Edward had given up on attacking the city, and decided to simply starve them out. One more French supply convoy succeeded in supplying the citizens, but the English navy repelled all further supply attempts. Still, King Philip continued his relentless assault. In the spring, both English and French armies had reinforcements, but Philip still could not hope to defeat the attackers; the marshland surrounding the city also defended its attackers.
By June, the supply of food and fresh water within the city was nearly depleted. A month later, after another convoy was stymied by the English fleet, 500 children and elderly were expelled from the city, so that the remaining healthy, adult men and women might survive. The English refused to allow these exiles to approach them, and so they starved to death just outside the walls.
On the 1st of August, the city lit fires signaling they were ready to surrender. Philip destroyed the encampment where his army had been planning to attack the English, so that it would not fall into enemy hands. Edward was persuaded by his advisors to allow the remaining citizens to live. After providing them with some provisions, he allowed them to leave the city.
Legacy
Calais fell under English control, and remained as such until 1558, providing a foothold for English raids in France. Calais was finally lost by the English monarch Mary 1In 1880, Calais commissioned a statue from Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
of the town leaders at the moment of their surrender to Edward. The Burghers of Calais
The Burghers of Calais
Les Bourgeois de Calais is one of the most famous sculptures by Auguste Rodin, completed in 1889. It serves as a monument to an occurrence in 1347 during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, an important French port on the English Channel, was under siege by the English for over a year.-History:The...
, completed in 1888, became one of Rodin's most renowned statues, and arguably, one of the most famous in the world.
See also
- Siege of Calais (1436)
- Siege of Calais (1558)Siege of Calais (1558)The Siege of Calais was fought in early 1558 during the Habsburg-Valois Wars. A French force commanded by the Duke of Guise captured the city of Calais from the English, who had ruled it since 1347.-See also:*Siege of Calais...
- Siege of Calais (1940)Siege of Calais (1940)The Siege of Calais was a battle for the port and town of Calais during the German blitzkrieg which overran northern France in 1940. It immediately preceded Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force through Dunkirk....
- Donizetti wrote an opera on the Siege of Calais - L'assedio di CalaisL'assedio di CalaisL'assedio di Calais is a melodramma lirico, or opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvatore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after Luigi Marchionni's play and, secondarily, Luigi Henry's ballet , both based on Pierre Du Belloy's play Le siège de Calais...