Battle of Arch

The battles of Arch took place from September 15th to 29th 1589 between the royal troops of Henri IV and the Ligueurs directed by Charles de Mayenne.

Context

Following the death of Henri III, the king of Navarre protesting Henri de Bourbon has to reign under the name of Henri IV. He very quickly states to want to maintain and preserve the Catholic religion, apostolic and Roman , however the French big cities line up behind the Ligue and its chief, Charles of Lorraine, duke of Mayenne, younger brother of late the duke of Own way.

At this time there, the royal army of Henri IV is nothing any more but the shade of itself. This last can count only on 20 000 men to hardly conquer a kingdom which refuses with him. To carry out this reconquest, it distributes its army under three distinct commands: the duke of Longueville for the Picardy, the marshal of Aumont for the Champagne while Henri IV allots the Normandy where it awaits the reinforcements promised by the Queen of England Elisabeth I {{Re}}.

Thus the August 6th 1589, Henri IV installs his camp and its 8000 men with Dieppe.

Preparations preceding the battle

As regards its opponent, one finds Charles de Mayenne, chief of the Ligue, which wishes to recover this strategic port of Normandy and especially évincer Henri IV. It gathers 35 000 men (in addition to the militia cambrésiennes and Lorraine of the marquis de Pont with Monsoon) for an attack of the city.

Henri IV, as a warned man, knows that an offensive vis-a-vis such an army would be vain, and that to remain in the city of Dieppe would be suicidal. After having informed the duke of Longueville and the duke of Aumont, it decides to go towards the borough of Arques and to place important means of defense there: it made excavation work there and consolidates the fortifications. Making itself main of the ground, it prepares with the frontal shock with the Ligueurs carried out by Charles de Mayenne.

The battle

Between the September 15th and the September 29th 1589, the Ligueurs carried out by Charles de Mayenne launch several attacks on the borough of Arch and its surroundings, but the dash of the duke of Mayenne is found quickly broken by royal artillery. These attacks very fatal of both were dimensioned, and soon the lack of men on the side Henri IV is cruelly felt.

The safety of Henri IV comes from the sea the September 23rd 1589, indeed, 50 English, then 1200 British Scot and finally 4000 soldiers envoys by Elisabeth Ire of England get off England by waves in less than 3 days to lend strong hand to new king de France. In front of this situation, the duke of Mayenne prefers to give up, and Henri IV leaves victorious this first confrontation.

Internal bonds

Henri IV of France
Charles de catholic Mayenne
League
Eighth war of religion (1585-1598)
List of the battles of XVIe century

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