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Historical ConflictCollioure

Siege of Collioure

The siege ended Spanish control of Collioure and triggered a French decree ordering death to all Spanish prisoners after Spain's commander broke the surrender terms.

Duration & Scope

1794 ongoing

< 1 year

Key Facts

Dates
6–29 May 1794
Duration
23 days (approx. 3.5 weeks)
Spanish commander
Eugenio Navarro
French siege commander
Pierre François Sauret
Conflict
War of the Pyrenees (First Coalition)

Strategic Narrative Overview

The French besieging force, with the actual operations conducted by Pierre François Sauret's reinforced division, pressed the Spanish garrison for roughly three and a half weeks. A Spanish fleet sent to evacuate Navarro's troops was scattered by a storm, cutting off any hope of relief or withdrawal. Isolated and without support, the Spanish garrison's position became untenable.

01 / The Origins

The siege of Collioure took place during the War of the Pyrenees, part of the broader War of the First Coalition, in which Revolutionary France fought Spain along the Pyrenean frontier. Spain had seized portions of French territory and garrisoned coastal strongholds. By May 1794, Republican French forces under General Jacques François Dugommier moved to recapture the port of Collioure, held by a Spanish garrison under Eugenio Navarro.

03 / The Outcome

Navarro surrendered Collioure on 29 May 1794 under terms promising the garrison's exchange for an equal number of French prisoners. After the Spanish troops were released, the Spanish army commander Luis Fermín de Carvajal, Conde de la Unión, repudiated the agreement and returned no French captives. In response, the French government issued a decree ordering the execution of all Spanish prisoners, which some units then carried out.

Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis

Side A

1 belligerent

French Republic
Key Commanders

Jacques François Dugommier, Pierre François Sauret.

Side B

1 belligerent

Kingdom of Spain
Key Commanders

Eugenio Navarro, Luis Fermín de Carvajal, Conde de la Unión.

Outcome
French Republican victory; Spanish garrison surrendered; subsequent breakdown of parole terms led to French decree ordering death to Spanish prisoners.

Kinetic Engagement Axis

Major engagements timeline (1794–present)Timeline of major military engagements plotted chronologically.1794present1794Siege of CollioureAllied

Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.

Side A victorySide B victoryInconclusiveDecisive / turning point

Location

Map of Collioure, FranceMap of Collioure, FranceCollioure, France