The Siege of La Rochelle: How France Broke Its Protestant Stronghold

In 1627, Cardinal Richelieu laid siege to the Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle, a port city that had become a symbol of Protestant defiance in Catholic France. This episode explores the year-long siege that ended with the city's surrender and the revocation of its political and military privileges under the Edict of Nantes. We dive into the engineering marvel of Richelieu's seawall, the role of English support under the Duke of Buckingham, the famine that decimated the city's population, and the lasting impact on French religious unity. Along the way, we meet figures like the mayor Jean Guiton, the English admiral, and the king Louis XIII. The siege of La Rochelle was not just a military campaign; it was a turning point in the consolidation of absolute monarchy and the suppression of minority rights in France. #SiegeOfLaRochelle #CardinalRichelieu #Huguenots #LouisXIII #DukeOfBuckingham #JeanGuiton #EdictOfNantes #Seawall #History #FexingoHistory #France #17thCentury #ReligiousWars #AbsoluteMonarchy #Protestantism #Catholicism #Siege #LaRochelle Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo