Key Facts
- Siege start date
- 30 September 1636
- Garrison surrender date
- 14 November 1636
- Duration
- ~6 weeks
- Estimated French force
- Up to 30,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry
- Spanish garrison
- Small garrison; exact size unknown
Strategic Narrative Overview
A French army, potentially as large as 30,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry, assembled at Paris under Richelieu and King Louis XIII, who reached Corbie in early October. Most Spanish forces had already withdrawn across the border, leaving a small garrison. The garrison's commander, Caravaio, died of infection around 15 October; his lieutenant Campani soon died as well. Marshal Châtillon persuaded the king to assault rather than maintain a lengthy blockade.
01 / The Origins
In August 1636, the Spanish Army of Flanders captured Corbie during the first siege, threatening Paris and alarming the French crown. Cardinal Richelieu responded by invoking the arrière-ban, a feudal levy mobilizing the nobility of the Paris region. This was part of the broader Franco-Spanish conflict within the Thirty Years' War, in which France and Spain competed for dominance in Western Europe following France's formal entry into the war in 1635.
03 / The Outcome
The weakened garrison offered to surrender on terms, which were agreed on 10 November 1636. The Spanish garrison marched out of Corbie on 14 November, returning the town to French control. The Count-Duke of Olivares criticized the Cardinal-Infante for abandoning Corbie with only a small garrison, which contributed directly to its loss. France's recovery of Corbie ended the immediate Spanish threat to Paris.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII, Marshal of Châtillon.
Side B
1 belligerent
Caravaio (died c. 15 October), Campani.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.