Second Siege of Zaragoza

Overview

The siege of Zaragoza was the French capture of the Spanish city of Zaragoza in 1809 during the Peninsular War. It was particularly noted for its brutality. The city was heavily outnumbered against the French. Afterwards, a great part of the city lay in ruins, and the garrison had suffered 24,000 deaths along with 30,000 civilians deaths.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The French capture of Zaragoza in 1809 was one of the most costly urban actions of the Peninsular War. Despite fielding 42,000 troops against a Spanish garrison of 30,000, French forces under Lannes, Mortier, Suchet, and Moncey sustained roughly 6,000 casualties, a figure that underscores the intensity of the Spanish resistance. The human cost on the defending side was catastrophic: the garrison suffered approximately 24,000 deaths, and civilian losses reached 30,000, leaving much of the city in ruins. The siege became a marker of the broader character of the Peninsular War, in which Spanish resistance — even in hopeless strategic positions — inflicted disproportionate costs on French forces and prolonged the campaign well beyond initial French expectations.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (7)