Siege
Chateau Gaillard and the Cabulus, the Great Horse Catapult
Chateau Gaillard, Les Andelys, France. Richard the Lion Hearted claimed to have built his “cocky castle” on the border of Normandy in only a year, but no one believes he did. The walls, towers, and courtyards of the huge castle cover the narrow hill top, creating a system of barricades known as a defense in depth. An independent fortification at…
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Malta 1565 – The relief force marches to Mdina
The flight of the Turkish forces, 8th September 1565 La Valette remained wary to the bitter end, refusing to permit anyone to leave the fortifications. Within Birgu there were celebrations in the streets. All the church bells were rung to celebrate the eve of the feast of the Virgin; trumpets,…
Port of Acre
Siege of Acre, Third Crusade. Artwork by Graham Turner Acre surrenders to Philip and Richard. Even in 1184 Acre was a great port, and it would become greater still following a shower of new privileges for Italian and other European merchants from 1190 onwards. These privileges were offered as a…
The War in Italy 1635–42
French intervention in Italy trespassed on the emperor’s jurisdiction and disturbed the balance established by the Peace of Cherasco in 1631. In keeping with Richelieu’s general strategy, the attack on Spain’s possessions was not made alone, but in partnership with Italian princes. Known as the League of Rivoli, this alliance…
The siege of Tuyen Quang
The siege of Tuyen Quang is ranked in the annals of the Legion heroics only slightly below that of Camerone, and rightly so. However, the strategic role played by Tuyen Quang in the French campaign of conquest is unclear. Grisot claimed that Tuyen Quang formed a “barrier” against the advance…
Austro-Turk Wars (1529–1739)
The siege of united Christian forces in Buda, 1686 No fewer than eight wars fought between the Austrian and Ottoman Turkish Empires, 1529–1739. The Turks sought to expand into Europe proper and the Austrians stood in the way, while harboring expansionist dreams of their own. The war of 1529–1533 was…
First Siege of Tenochtitlán, (June 24–30, 1520)
Aztecs and Spanish Conquistadors, “La Pintura y la Guerra “La Noche Triste” -art by Jose Ignacio Redondo The capital of the Aztec Empire was far larger than most European cities at over 240,000 souls, many tens of thousands of them elite Aztec warriors. Moral arrogance or reckless stupidity or military…