Siege of Salses facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Salses
Part of the Thirty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War (1635–59)
Date 9 June 1639 – 6 January 1640 Location Salses, Northern Catalonia, Spanish Empire (present-day France) Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
France	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Henri, Prince of Condé	Filippo Spinola
Strength
16,000 men (first siege) 22,000 men (second siege)	40,000 men (second siege)
Casualties and losses
3,000+ casualties	Unknown

The Siege of Salses was an important battle that happened between 1639 and 1640. It was part of a bigger fight called the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659). This battle involved two attacks on the castle of Salses. The French army won the first attack, but the Spanish army won the second one.

The Battle for Salses Castle

French Attack and Victory

On June 9, 1639, a large French army arrived at Salses. This army had about 16,000 soldiers. Their leader was Henri, Prince of Condé. They surrounded the castle, which was held by only 600 Spanish soldiers. After just ten days, on June 19, the French army successfully captured the castle.

Spanish Counterattack

About six weeks later, a much larger Spanish army appeared. This army had 40,000 soldiers. Their leaders were Filippo Spinola and Francesc de Tamarit. They surrounded the castle, which now had 2,000 French soldiers inside.

The French Prince Condé sent another army to help his soldiers in the castle. This army had 22,000 men. But they faced very bad weather. On November 2, the Spanish army defeated them in battle. The French lost over 3,000 soldiers.

French Surrender

With no help coming, the French soldiers inside Salses Castle began to run out of food. They were forced to give up on January 6, 1640. By then, only 800 French soldiers were left. About 300 of them were sick. The Spanish army also suffered greatly. They lost about 10,000 soldiers due to sickness and soldiers leaving the army.

What Happened After the Siege

The large number of soldiers in the area helped start a big uprising. This was called the Catalan Revolt. It began a few months later. During this time, Dalmau de Queralt, Count of Santa Coloma was killed. He had been a high-ranking Spanish commander at the Siege of Salses. The French army later took Salses back. This happened after they captured Perpignan in September 1642.