The siege of Bourges was a

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

siege of the Aquitanian fortress town of

Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, t ...

in 762 during the

Aquitanian War Aquitanian could refer to: *Aquitanian (stage), a geological age, the first stage of the Miocene Epoch *Aquitanian language, an ancient language spoken in the region later known as Gascony *Aquitani (or Aquitanians), were a people living in what is ...

. The Frankish army under King

Pepin the Short the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king. The younger was the son of ...

invested the fort with lines of circumvallation, contravallation and

siege engine A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent heavy castle doors, thick city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some are immobile, constructed in place to attack enemy fortifications from a distance, while other ...

s. The walls were breached and the fort taken. Count Chunibert of Bourges swore his loyalty to Pepin along with his Gascon levies and their families. Pepin appointed several counts of his own to garrison the place and the Frankish army went on to

besiege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

Thouars Thouars () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Mauzé-Thouarsais, Missé and Sainte-Radegonde were merged into Thouars. It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as ...

Prelude

After his conquest and devastation of Aquitanian

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...

in 761, King

Francia Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...

gathered his army and besieged Bourges in 762. The garrison, commanded by Count Chunibert of Bourges, included both Duke

Waiofar Waiofar, also spelled Waifar, Waifer or Waiffre (died 2 June 768), was the last independent Duke of Aquitaine from 745 to 768. He peacefully succeeded his father, Hunald I, after the latter entered a monastery. He also inherited the conflict with th ...

of Aquitaine's men and Gascon levies with their families.

Siege

Pepin's army invested the fort on all sides with field fortifications and pillaged the surrounding countryside. Pepin then had a second line of fortifications built, either against the fort or the countryside, preventing anyone from getting in or out of the town and protecting the besiegers and their equipment. The town was subsequently surrounded with

s and a

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...

was built to protect the machines. The town walls were breached and after many had been wounded and more killed, the town fell.

Aftermath

Pepin restored the town to his rule. He allowed Waiofar's men to live and told them to go home. Count Chunibert and the Gascon levies were made to swear their fealty to the king and remain in his presence. The wives and children of the Gascon levies were ordered to march on foot to Francia. Pepin used his craftsmen and supplies to repair the walls and left counts of his own to hold the place, implying a garrison of at least several hundred soldiers. Pepin's next operation was the

Siege of Thouars (762) The siege of Thouars was a Frankish siege of the Aquitanian stronghold of Thouars in 762 during the Aquitanian War. The Frankish army under King Pepin the Short besieged and captured the fort with great speed, burning the place to the ground, ta ...

Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bourges, Siege Of (762) Bourges 762

762 8th century in Francia