Siege of Rouen

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Siege of Rouen
Part of the Hundred Years' War
The siege of Rouen in 1419 (illustration from Vigiles de Charles VII)
Date July 1418 - January 1419 Location Rouen, France Result English victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of England	Kingdom of France
Commanders
Unknown	Guy Le Bouteiller

v • d • e Hundred Years' War Edwardian – Breton Succession – Castilian – Two Peters – Caroline – Lancastrian

v • d • e Hundred Years' War (1415–1429) Agincourt – Rouen – 2nd La Rochelle – Baugé – Meaux – Cravant – La Brossinière – Verneuil – Orléans – Jargeau – Meung-sur-Loire – Beaugency – Patay – Compiègne – Gerbevoy – Formigny – Castillon

At the time of the Siege of Rouen (July 1418 – January 1419), the city had a population of 70,000, making it one of the leading cities in France, and its capture crucial to the Normandy campaign during the Hundred Years' War.

From about 1415 Rouen had been strengthened and reinforced by the French and it was the most formidably defended place that the invaders had yet faced.

When the English reached Rouen, the walls were scattered with many towers and guns, and lined by an army of crossbow men under the command of Alain Blanchard, second in command to Guy LeBouteiller, the overall commander.

Due to lack of manpower on the English side, a "breach and storm" of the city could not be managed, so the town was completely surrounded, with the English intending to starve out the defenders.

Despite several brave sorties led by the French garrison, this state of affairs continued until the French surrender on 20 January 1419.