Siege of Amiens (1597)

Siege of Amiens
Part of the Franco-Spanish War (1595–1598) & Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
Henry IV before Amiens Anonymous, Versailles Museum
Date 13 May – 25 September 1597 Location Amiens, Picardy, Kingdom of France 49°53′31″N 2°17′56″E / 49.892°N 2.299°E / 49.892; 2.299 Result Franco-English victory[1][2][3] Peace of Vervins[4]
Belligerents
Kingdom of France Kingdom of England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Henry IV of France Duke of Sully Duke of Mayenne Duke of Biron Thomas Baskerville Arthur Chichester	Albert VII Hernando Tello Portocarrero † Girolamo Caraffa Ernst von Mansfeld (relief)
Strength
12,000 infantry 3,000 cavalry[5] (4,200 English)[6]	29,000 infantry 3,000 cavalry[7] 5,500 (Amiens)[8] 25,000 (relief force)[5]
Casualties and losses
600 killed or wounded[9]	2,000 killed or wounded[10] 5,000 surrendered[11]

The siege of Amiens (French: Siège d'Amiens) was a siege and battle fought during the Franco-Spanish War (1595–1598), as part of both the French Wars of Religion and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), between 13 May and 25 September 1597.^[12] The Spanish, who had sent a large army in March, had captured the city of Amiens easily in a ruse.^[13] Henry IV of France, after the surprise of the capture, immediately and quickly built up an army which included a large English force and besieged Amiens on 13 May.^[14]

An attempted relief force sent under the command of Ernst von Mansfeld and the Archduke of Austria repeatedly failed to dislodge the besiegers and afterwards the Spanish relief force retreated.^[5] Amiens ultimately fell back into Henry's hands with the surrender of the entire Spanish force.^[15][16] As a result of the victory, Henry was in a strong position to enact the Edict of Nantes and to negotiate the peace of Vervins which was signed with Spain the following spring.^[17][18] The siege was the last major military event in the Franco-Spanish War as well as the French Wars of Religion.^[9][19]