Siege of Calais (1596)

Siege of Calais (1596)
Part of the Franco-Spanish War (1595–1598) and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
Engraving the Siege of Calais of 1596 – collection Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Date 8–24 April 1596 Location Calais, Nord-Pas de Calais, France 50°56′53″N 1°51′23″E / 50.9481°N 1.8564°E / 50.9481; 1.8564 Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France Supported by:  England United Provinces	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Henry IV of France Sieur de Widessan † François d'Orléans	Archduke Albert Luis de Velasco Carlos Coloma
Strength
Calais: 1,500[1] Relief forces: Unknown	12,000–15,000[2]
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The siege of Calais of 1596, also known as the Spanish conquest of Calais, took place at the strategic port-city of Calais (present-day Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France), between 8 and 24 April 1596, as part of the Franco-Spanish War (1595–1598), in the context of the French Wars of Religion, the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), and the Eighty Years' War.^[3][4][5] The siege ended when the city fell into Spanish hands after a short and intense siege by the Spanish Army of Flanders commanded by Archduke Albert of Austria, Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Alberto de Austria).^[3][4] The French troops in the citadel of Calais resisted for a few days more but finally, on 24 April, the Spanish troops led by Don Luis de Velasco y Velasco, Count of Salazar, assaulted and captured the fortress, achieving a complete victory.^[4] The Spanish success was the first action of the campaign of Archduke Albert of 1596.^[2]