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 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 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]