Siege of Fort Crozon

Siege of Fort Crozon
	Part of the Anglo–Spanish War ; and the French Wars of Religion
	; Pointe des Espagnols – present day area where siege took place
Date	1 October – 19 November 1594
Location	Present day Pointe des Espagnols, France48°20′24.57″N 4°32′6.95″W / 48.3401583°N 4.5352639°W
Result	Anglo-French victory
Belligerents
England; Kingdom of France	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Jean VI d'Aumont; John Norreys; Martin Frobisher †	Tomé de Paredes †; Juan del Águila
Strength
3,000 troops,; 10 ships & 1,200 sailors; 3,000 infantry,; 300 cavalry & 400 knights	400 (Crozon),; 4,000 (Relief)
Casualties and losses
700 killed & wounded or sick & dead to disease	(Crozon) 400; only 13 survivors; (relief) Unknown

The siege of Fort Crozon or the siege of El Leon was a land and sea engagement that took place as part of Spain's Brittany campaign late in the French wars of religion and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604).^[8] The siege was fought between 1 October and 19 November 1594 and was conducted by English and French troops against a Spanish fort constructed on the Crozon Peninsula near Brest.^[5] After a number of assaults were repelled, a Spanish relief force under Juan del Águila attempted to relieve the garrison, but it was delayed by French cavalry and could not reach the garrison in time.^[9]

An assault by the English using a deceitful ruse ended the siege when the defenders were all but put to the sword.^[3] The victory proved decisive in two ways. First, it denied the Spanish an important large independent base and port from which to operate in Brittany against the English and Dutch.^[10] Second, the Spanish had lost most of their support from the French Catholic League, and as a result enabled the French king Henry IV to declare war on Spain.^[7]

^ MacCaffrey p 193 One decisive victory which ensured the Spanish would not be able to establish an independent base in the province
^ Loades p 286 Although small scale the victory would prove decisive
^ ^a ^b McFee pp.264-67
^ List and Analysis of State Papers: Foreign Series: July, 1593-December, 1594 Vol 5. Public Record Office: Stationery Office Books. 1989. pp. 303–10. ISBN 9780114402181.
^ ^a ^b Nolan pp 215-17
^ ^a ^b Wernham pp 533-47
^ ^a ^b Loades p 284-86
^ Fissel pp 229-30
^ Cheyney, Edward Potts (1914). A History of England: From the Defeat of the Armada to the Death of Elizabeth; with an Account of English Institutions During the Later Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries, Volume 1. Longmans. pp. 300–03.
^ MacCaffrey p.193

[1] MacCaffrey p 193 One decisive victory which ensured the Spanish would not be able to establish an independent base in the province

[2] Loades p 286 Although small scale the victory would prove decisive

[McFee264-3] McFee pp.264-67

[State_Papers-4] List and Analysis of State Papers: Foreign Series: July, 1593-December, 1594 Vol 5. Public Record Office: Stationery Office Books. 1989. pp. 303–10. ISBN 9780114402181.

[Nolan215-5] Nolan pp 215-17

[Wernham533-6] Wernham pp 533-47

[Loades-7] Loades p 284-86

[Fissel-8] Fissel pp 229-30

[Cheyney-9] Cheyney, Edward Potts (1914). A History of England: From the Defeat of the Armada to the Death of Elizabeth; with an Account of English Institutions During the Later Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries, Volume 1. Longmans. pp. 300–03.

[MacCaffrey193-10] MacCaffrey p.193

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