Siege of León (1368) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of León |
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| Part of the Castilian Civil War | |||||||
 Walls of León |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
.svg){kind=small} Castilians supporting Henry |
Castilians supporting Pedro |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Henry of Trastámara | Unknown | ||||||
The siege of León in 1368 was a big fight for the city of León, Spain. It happened during a time called the Castilian Civil War. This war was a struggle for the throne of Castile, a powerful kingdom in Spain. Henry of Trastámara led the attack on León. He wanted to become king instead of his half-brother, Pedro of Castile. After a long siege, Henry's forces won, and León surrendered to him.
Contents
The Siege of León: A Royal Battle
What Was the Castilian Civil War?
The Castilian Civil War was a long and difficult fight. It lasted from 1351 to 1369. The war was mainly between two half-brothers. They were Pedro of Castile, who was the king, and Henry of Trastámara, who wanted to be king. Many other kingdoms and countries got involved in this conflict. It was a very important event in the history of Spain.
The Fight for León
In 1367, Henry of Trastámara had a big defeat. He lost badly at the Battle of Nájera. But Henry did not give up. He returned to Spain with a new army. First, he took control of the city of Burgos.
After that, in January 1368, Henry's army captured the town of Dueñas. They also took its strong castle. Then, Henry decided to march towards the city of León. León was a very important city. It was one of the main capitals of the kingdom.
León was loyal to King Pedro. This meant the people of León supported King Pedro. Because of this, the city fought back very strongly. The fight for León lasted for several months. It was a tough battle for Henry's army.
Finally, Henry's soldiers managed to take a building. It was the convent of Santo Domingo. This convent was very close to the city walls. Once they had the convent, Henry's army set up a special machine. It was a siege tower. A siege tower is a tall structure. It helps attackers get over city walls.
The people defending León knew they could not win. They could not stop the siege tower. So, they decided to give up. The city of León surrendered to Henry.
After León surrendered, another part of the kingdom joined Henry's side. The entire Kingdom of Galicia also decided to support Henry. This was a big victory for Henry of Trastámara. It helped him get closer to becoming the new king.
See also
In Spanish: Sitio de León (1368) para niños
