Today in 1810, in Cadiz, Spain

The Siege of Cádiz began during the Peninsular War.

At the time, Cadiz was a large Spanish naval base of Cádiz and a French army laid siege to the base from 5 February 1810 to 24 August 1812.  Following the occupation of Seville, Cádiz became the Spanish seat of power, and was targeted by 70,000 French troops under the command of the Marshals Claude Victor and Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult for one of the most important sieges of the war.  Defending the city were 2,000 Spanish troops who, as the siege progressed, received aid from 10,000 Spanish reinforcements as well as British and Portuguese troops.

 

 

During the two and a half year siege, the Cortes Generales government in Cadiz (the Cádiz Cortes) drew up a new constitution to reduce the strength of the monarchy (a constitution eventually revoked by Fernando VII).

In October 1810, a mixed Anglo-Spanish relief force embarked on a disastrous landing at Fuengirola. A second relief attempt was made at Tarifa in 1811. However, despite defeating a detached French force of 15,000–20,000 under Marshal Victor at the Battle of Barrosa, the siege was not lifted.

Cadiz served as headquarters for the Spanish fleet.

In 1812, the Battle of Salamanca eventually forced the French troops to retreat from
Andalusia, for fear of being cut off by the allied armies.  Defeat at Cádiz contributed decisively to the liberation of Spain from French occupation, due to the survival of the Spanish government and the use of Cádiz as a jump off point for the Allied forces.

[February 5, 1810]

Today in 1419, in Upper Normandy, France

The city of Rouen surrendered to Henry V of England.

The capture of Rouen completed Henry V's conquest of Normandy.

Fought between 1337 and 1453, the Hundred Years' War saw England and France battle for the French throne.  Beginning as a dynastic war in which Edward III of England attempted to assert his claim to the French throne, the Hundred Years' War also saw English forces attempt to regain lost territories on the Continent.  Though initially successful, English victories and gains were slowly undone as French resolve stiffened. 

Henry V

During the Lancastrian phase of the War, Richard II was deposed by Henry IV in 1399 in England and Charles VI was plagued by mental illness in France.  While Henry desired to mount campaigns in France, issues with Scotland and Wales prevented him from moving forward.  The war was renewed by his son Henry V in 1415 when an English army landed and captured Harfleur. 

The Hundred Years' War saw the decline of the mounted knight.

As it was too late in the year to march on Paris, he moved towards Calais and won crushing victory at the Battle of Agincourt.  Over the next four years, he captured Normandy and much of northern France.  Meeting with Charles in 1420, Henry agreed to the Treaty of Troyes by which he agreed to marry the French king's daughter and have his heirs inherit the French throne. 

[January 19, 1419]