Hubbry Logo
List of siegesList of siegesMain
Open search
List of sieges
Community hub
List of sieges
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
List of sieges
List of sieges
List of sieges
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

A chronological list of sieges follows.

Ancient

[edit]

Before 1000 BC

[edit]

10th century BC

[edit]

9th century BC

[edit]

8th century BC

[edit]

7th century BC

[edit]

6th century BC

[edit]

5th century BC

[edit]

4th century BC

[edit]
A naval action during the siege of Tyre (332 BC), by Andre Castaigne (1898–1899)
Siege of Rhodes (305 BC) (1882 illustration).

3rd century BC

[edit]
Archimedes Directing the Defenses of Syracuse (213-212 BC), by Thomas Ralph Spence
The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire (149–146 BC) by J. M. W. Turner, oil on canvas (1817)

2nd century BC

[edit]

1st century BC

[edit]

1st century A.D. to 5th century

[edit]

1st century

[edit]
The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70 by David Roberts, 1850

2nd century

[edit]

3rd century

[edit]

4th century

[edit]
The walls of Amida, besieged 359 AD

5th century

[edit]

Medieval

[edit]

6th century

[edit]
Totila razes the walls of Florence: 14th century illustration from Giovanni Villani's Nuova Cronica
The capture of Pavia by the Lombard King, Alboin: Siege of Pavia, 572 AD

7th century

[edit]
The Siege of Constantinople by the combined Sassanid, Avar, and Slavic forces in 626. A 1537 depiction on the murals of the Moldovița Monastery, Romania

8th century

[edit]
Greek fire, used by the Byzantine navy to destroy the Arab fleets at the 717–718 Siege of Constantinople. Illustration from a 12th-century illuminated manuscript (Madrid Skylitzes)
Carolingian-era siege warfare. Illustration of Psalm 60 from the Golden Psalter of St. Gallen, c. 890.

9th century

[edit]
Count Odo defends Paris against the Normans (885-886) by Jean-Victor Schnetz. Oil on canvas (1834–1836)

10th century

[edit]
Fall of Antioch to the Byzantines under Michael Bourtzes on 28 October 969. Chronicle of John Skylitzes, 12th century illustration.
Depiction of the siege of Chandax (960-961) from the history of John Skylitzes

11th century

[edit]
Siege of Valenciennes in 1006, illustration (1885).
The Byzantine army of George Maniakes defends the towers of Edessa against an Arab counterattack (1031). Illustration from the chronicle of John Skylitzes
Prince Bohemond of Taranto scales the walls of Antioch in 1098. 19th century engraving by Gustave Doré.
Taking of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, 15 July 1099 by Émile Signol. Oil on canvas, 1850.
  • Siege of Lastovo (1000) – Croatian–Venetian wars
  • Siege of Rome (1001) – Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
  • Siege of Voden (1001)
  • Siege of Taq (1002)
  • Siege of Vidin (1002) – Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
  • Siege of Pernik (1003) – Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
  • Siege of Auxerre (1003)
  • Siege of Ammerthal (1003)
  • Siege of Creussen (1003)
  • Siege of Pavia (1004)
  • Siege of Bhatiya (1004-5)
  • Siege of Multan (1005–1006)
  • Siege of Valenciennes (1006–1007)
  • Siege of Nairn (1009)
  • Siege of Bari (1010–1011)
  • Siege of Montbazon (1011)
  • Siege of Lebusa (1012)
  • Siege of Makrievo (1014) – Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
  • Siege of Montbazon (1015)
  • Siege of Pernik (1016) – Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
  • Siege of Uflach (1016)
  • Siege of Tours (1016)
  • Siege of Glogau (1017)
  • Siege of Niemcza (1017)
  • Siege of Montboyau (1021)
  • Siege of Capua (1024–1026)
  • Siege of Pavia (1026)
  • Siege of Montboyau (1026)
  • Siege of Saumur (1026)
  • Siege of Somnath (1026)
  • Siege of Amboise (1027)
  • Siege of Le Lude (1027)
  • Siege of Saumur (1027)
  • Siege of Bautzen (1029)
  • Siege of Azaz (1030)
  • Siege of Edessa (1031)
  • Siege of Bautzen (1031)
  • Siege of Sens (1032)
  • Siege of Sarsawa (1033)
  • Siege of Milan (1037) by the emperor Conrad II
  • Siege of Hansi (1037–1038)
  • Siege of Langeais (1038)
  • Siege of Messina (1038)
  • Siege of Germond (1039)
  • Siege of Montgomery (1039)
  • Siege of Zaranj (1040)
  • Siege of Syracuse (1040)
  • Siege of Tours (1042–1043)
  • Siege of Bari (1043) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Isfahan (1050–1051)
  • Siege of Taq (1051)
  • Siege of Alençon (1051)
  • Siege of Domfront (1051)
  • Siege of Arques (1052)
  • Siege of Pozsony (1052) by Henrik III., Holy Roman Emperor
  • Siege of Medina (1053–54) by the Byzantines
  • Siege of Benevento (1054) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Manzikert (1054) – Byzantine–Seljuq wars
  • Siege of Reggio (1057) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Capua (1057–1058) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Thimert (1058–1060)
  • Siege of Aquino (1058) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Galeria (1059)
  • Siege of Cariati (1059) – Byzantine–Norman wars
  • Siege of Reggio (1059–1060) – Byzantine–Norman wars
  • Siege of Melfi (1061) – Byzantine–Norman wars
  • Siege of Messina (1061) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Enna (1061) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Capua (1062) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Kuriyagawa (1062) – Former Nine Years' War
  • Siege of Troina (1062–1063) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Cerami (1063) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Graus (1063)
  • Siege of Ani (1064) – Seljuq conquest of Byzantine Armenia
  • Siege of Barbastro (1064) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Palermo (1064) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Valencia (1065), a siege during the reign of Ferdinand I of León and Castile
  • Siege of Exeter (1068)
  • Siege of Bari (1068–1071) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Iconium (1069) – Byzantine–Seljuq wars
  • Siege of Brindisi (1070) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Palermo (1071–1072) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Zamora (1072)
  • Siege of Lüneburg (1072) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Trani (1073) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Amalfi (1073) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Heimenburg (1073) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Asenburg (1073) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Harzburg (1073) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Wiganstein (1073) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Moseburg (1073) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Sassenstein (1073) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Spatenburg (1074) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Vokenroht (1074) – Saxon Rebellion
  • Siege of Naples (1074) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Norwich Castle (1075) – Revolt of the Earls
  • Siege of Syracuse (1076) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Salerno (1076–1077) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Sigmaringen (1077) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Würzburg (1077) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of La Flèche (1077)
  • Siege of Trapani (1077) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Naples (1077–78) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Tübingen (1078) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Taormina (1078) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Gerberoi (1080)
  • Siege of La Flèche (1081)
  • Siege of Durazzo (1081) – Byzantine–Norman wars
  • Siege of Rome (1081–1084)
  • Siege of Almenar (1082)
  • Siege of Larissa (1082–1083) – Byzantine–Norman wars
  • Siege of Carpi (1083)
  • Siege of Castel Sant'Angelo (1084)
  • Siege of Augsburg (1084) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Burgdorf (1084) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Toledo (1085) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Antioch (1085)
  • Siege of Syracuse (1086) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Regensburg (1086) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Würzburg (1086) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Numa (1086) – Gosannen War
  • Siege of Agrigento (1087) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Castrogiovanni (1087) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Tudela (1087) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Kanazawa (1087) – Gosannen War
  • Siege of Pevensey Castle (1088) – Rebellion of 1088
  • Siege of Rochester Castle (1088) – Rebellion of 1088
  • Siege of Gleichen (1088) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Quedlinburg (1088) – Great Saxon Revolt
  • Siege of Butera (1089) – Norman conquest of Southern Italy
  • Siege of Mantua (1090–1091)
  • Siege of Toledo (1090) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Governolo (1090)
  • Siege of Courcy (1091)
  • Siege of Seville (1091)
  • Siege of Alamut (1092) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Dara (1092) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Breval (1092)
  • Siege of Monteveglio (1092)
  • Siege of Valencia (1092–1094) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Huesca (1094) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Chernigov (1094)
  • Siege of Nogara (1094)
  • Siege of Tynemouth Castle (1095)
  • Siege of Morpeth Castle (1095)
  • Siege of Newcastle (1095)
  • Siege of Bamburgh Castle (1095)
  • Siege of Amalfi (1096)
  • Siege of Xerigordos (1096) – part of the People's Crusade
  • Siege of Wieselburg (1096)
  • Siege of Huesca (1096) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Lamasar – Nizari uprising
  • Siege of Nicaea (1097) – part of the First Crusade
  • Siege of Antioch (1097–1098) – part of the First Crusade
  • Siege of Capua (1098)
  • Siege of Jerusalem (1098)
  • Siege of Ma'arra (1098) – part of the First Crusade, known because of acts of cannibalism.
  • Siege of Kållandsö Fort (1099)
  • Siege of Arqa (1099) – part of the First Crusade
  • Siege of Valencia (1099–1102) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Jerusalem (1099) – part of the First Crusade
  • Siege of Mayet (1099)
  • Siege of Latakia (1099)
  • First siege of Arsuf (1099) – Crusades

12th century

[edit]
  • Siege of Haifa (1100) – Crusades
  • Siege of Le Mans (1100)
  • Second siege of Arsuf (1101) – Crusades
  • Siege of Caesarea (1101) – Crusades
  • Siege of Latakia (1101–1103)
  • Siege of Acre (1102) – Crusades
  • Siege of Arundel (1102)
  • Siege of Bridgnorth (1102)
  • Siege of Jaffa (1102) – Crusades
  • Siege of Tripoli (1102–1109) – Crusades
  • Siege of Acre (1103) – Crusades
  • Siege of Al-Rahba (1103)
  • Siege of Acre (1104) – Crusades
  • Siege of Takrit (sometime between 1105 and 1107) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Alamut (sometime between 1106 and 1109) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Shahdez (1107) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Nuremberg (1105)
  • Siege of Cologne (1106)
  • Siege of Apamea (1106) – Crusades, conflicts with the Assassins
  • Siege of Apamea (September 1106) – Crusades, conflicts with the Assassins
  • Siege of Malatya (1106)
  • Siege of Castellum Arnaldi (1106) – Crusades
  • Siege of Al-Rahba (1107)
  • Siege of Hebron (1107) – Crusades
  • Siege of Douai (1107)
  • Siege of Dyrrhachium (1107–1108) – Byzantine–Norman wars
  • Siege of Uclés (1108) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Bratislava (1108)
  • Siege of Sidon (1108) – Crusades
  • Siege of Jableh (1109) – Crusades
  • Siege of Nakło (1109)
  • Siege of Głogów (1109)
  • Siege of Baalbek (1110)
  • Siege of Beirut (1110) – Crusades
  • Siege of Novara (1110)
  • Siege of Sidon (1110) – Norwegian Crusade
  • Siege of Atarib (1110) – Crusades
  • Siege of Le Puiset (1111)
  • Siege of Vetula (1111) – Crusades
  • Siege of Tyre (1111–1112) – Crusades
  • Siege of Nicaea (1113) – Byzantine–Seljuq wars
  • Siege of Hornburg Castle (1113)
  • Siege of Mousson (1113)
  • Siege of Bar (1113)
  • Siege of Cologne (1114)
  • Siege of Kafartab (1115) – Crusades
  • Siege of Jaffa (1115) – Crusades
  • Siege of Marqab (1116) – Crusades
  • Siege of Alamut (1117–1118) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Lambsar (1117–1118) – Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
  • Siege of Laodicea (1119) – Byzantine–Seljuq wars
  • Siege of Sozopolis (1120) – Byzantine–Seljuq wars
  • Siege of Jerash (1121) – Crusades
  • Siege of Mainz (1121)
  • Siege of Tbilisi (1121–1122) – Georgian–Seljuk wars
  • Siege of Aschaffenburg Castle (1122)
  • Siege of Faulquemont Castle (1122)
  • Siege of Zardana (1122) – Crusades
  • Siege of Balis (1122) – Crusades
  • Siege of Kharput (1123) – Crusades
  • Siege of Jaffa (1123) – Crusades
  • Siege of Schulenburg Castle (1123)
  • Siege of Manbij (1124)
  • Siege of Azaz (1124) – Crusades
  • Siege of Tyre (1124) – Crusades
  • Siege of Aleppo (1124–1125) – Crusades
  • Siege of Raffaniya (1126) – Crusades
  • Siege of Al-Rahba (1127)
  • Siege of Bayonne (1130–1131)
  • Siege of De'an (1132) – Jin–Song Wars
  • Siege of Kastamone (1132)
  • Siege of Kastamone (1133)
  • Siege of Savur (1134) – Crusades
  • Siege of Gangra (1135)
  • Siege of Montferrand (1137) – Crusades
  • Siege of Anazarbos (1137) – Crusades
  • Siege of Vahka (1137) – Crusades
  • Siege of Antioch (1137) – Crusades
  • Siege of Kafartab (1138) – Crusades
  • Siege of Aleppo (1138) – Crusades
  • Siege of Shaizar (1138) – Crusades
  • Siege of Buza'a (1138) – Crusades
  • Siege of Coria (1138) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Baalbek (1139)
  • Siege of Oreja (1139) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Neocaesarea (1139–1140)
  • Siege of Weinsberg (1140)
  • Siege of Banias (1140) – Crusades
  • Siege of Coria (1142) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Lisbon (1142) – Reconquista
  • Siege of Li Vaux Moise (1144) – Crusades
Siege of Lisbon (1147) by Alfredo Roque Gameiro (1917)
Siege of Naples in 1191 by the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, Peter of Eboli, Liber ad honorem Augusti, Palermo, 1196

13th century

[edit]
The Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople (1204) Eugène Delacroix. Oil on canvas, 1840
Crusaders attack the tower of Damietta (1218). A 1625 painting by Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen.
The Mongols besieged the "fortified mountain" of Gerdkuh for 17 years.
The Mongol army besieging Baghdad in 1258.
The Siege of Acre. The Hospitalier Master Mathieu de Clermont defending the walls in 1291 by Dominique Papety. 1840.

14th century

[edit]
Siege of Calais (1346–1347)

15th century

[edit]
Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans (1429) by Jules Eugène Lenepveu, painted 1886–1890
Fall of Constantinople (1453)

Early modern

[edit]

15th century

[edit]
Siege of Krujë in 1466. Woodcut by Jost Amman, from Philipp Lonicer, Chronicorum Turcicorum, Frankfurt 1578
The Surrender of Granada (1492)

16th century

[edit]
The Last Days of Tenochtitlan—Conquest of Mexico (1521) by William de Leftwich Dodge, 1899.
Sack of Rome of 1527 by Johannes Lingelbach, 17th century.
Battle of Tunis 1535 Attack on Goletta. Frans Hogenberg after Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen, 16th century.
Attack on Tripoli by the Ottomans (1551)
The Siege of Calais, by François-Édouard Picot, 1838
The siege of Malta—Arrival of the Turkish fleet (1565) by Matteo Pérez de Alesio, 16th century
Spanish troops storming the city of Maastricht, 1579
During the Cologne War (1583–89), Ferdinand of Bavaria successfully besieged the medieval fortress of Godesberg; during a month-long siege, his sappers dug tunnels under the feldspar of the mountain and laid gunpowder and a 1500-pound bomb. The result was a spectacular explosion that sent chunks of the ramparts, the walls, the gates, and drawbridges into the air. His 500 men still could not take the fortress until they scaled the interior latrine system and climbed the mountain to enter through a hole in the chapel roof.
Henry IV of France before Amiens (1597), Anonymous
Joseon and Ming dynasty soldiers assault the Japanese-built fortress at Ulsan (1598)
Siege of Zaltbommel by the Spanish in 1599 by Hugo Grotius

17th century

[edit]
Siege of Ostend (1601-4) by Peter Snayers, oil on canvas.
Monks successfully defended the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra against the Poles from September 1609 to January 1611.
The Summer Battle of Osaka Castle (1614–15), 17th century Japanese painting
The Surrender of Breda (1625) by Diego Velázquez
Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle (1627–1628) by Henri-Paul Motte, 1881.
The Capture of Rheinfelden (1634) by Vincenzo Carducci.
Siege of Kraków, 8 October 1655 – view from 1697 by the German historian Samuel Pufendorf
The assault of Copenhagen on the night between 10 and 11 February 1659 by Daniel Vertangen, 1659.
Musketeers of the Guard entering the citadel of Valenciennes (1676-77).
Reoccupation of Buda Castle in 1686. Gyula Benczúr (1896), oil on canvas
Siege of Belgrade, 1688 by Adlerschwung
Siege of Namur 1692, by Jean-Baptiste Martin, 1693.
Siege of Namur (1695) by Jan van Huchtenburg.

18th century

[edit]
Tapestry depicting the 1702 victory of Archduke Joseph of Austria at Landau, woven for Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, between 1710 and 1718.
  • Siege of Tönning (1700) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Riga (1700) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Narva (1700) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Kaiserswerth (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Saint Donas (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Castiglione (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Landau (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Borgoforte (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Guastalla (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Venlo (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Stevensweert (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Roermond (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Nöteborg (1702) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Liége (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Rheinberg (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Hulst (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Trarbach (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of St. Augustine (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Andernach (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Governolo (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
Siege of Toruń in 1703
  • Siege of Neubourg (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Kehl (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Bonn (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Thorn (1703) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Nago (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Arco (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Breisach (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Huy (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Limburg (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Landau (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Augsburg (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Guadeloupe (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Castello de Vide (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Wagingera (1704)
  • Siege of Barcelona (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Susa (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Portalegre (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Vercelli (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
View of Gibraltar in 1704
  • Siege of Rain (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Narva (1704) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Dorpat (1704) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Villingen (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Susa (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Fort Isabella (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Gibraltar (1704) – eleventh siege of Gibraltar, by Sir George Rooke's Anglo-Dutch fleet
  • Siege of Ulm (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar (1704–05) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Ivree (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Landau (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Verrua (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Trarbach (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Colonia del Sacramento (1704–1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of St. John's (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Valencia de Alcantara (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Albuquerque (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Huy (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Liège (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Second siege of Huy (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Chivasso (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Mirandola (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Nice (1705–06) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Zoutleeuw (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Barcelona (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Hagenau (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Badajoz (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Zandvliet (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Diest (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
Prussian infantry breaks the French lines during the relief of Turin in 1706
  • Siege of San Mateo (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Tripoli (1705) – Tripolitanian-Tunisian War (1704–1709)
  • Siege of Alcantara (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Barcelona (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Hagenau (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Turin (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Oostende (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Menin (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Alicante (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Dendermonde (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Ath (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Pavia (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Cuenca (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Pizzigetone (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Elche (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Cartagena (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Casale (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Milan (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Villena (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Xàtiva (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Port Royal (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Toulon (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Gaeta (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Pensacola (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
Siege of Lille in 1708
  • Siege of Susa (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Lérida (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Morella (1707) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Oran (1707–1708) – Conflicts between Spain and Algiers
  • Siege of Terki (1708) – Murat Kuchukov Movement
  • Siege of Tortosa (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Exilles (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Lille (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Fenestrelles (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of San Felipe (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Leffinghe (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Denia (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Saint Ghislain (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Brussels (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Alicante (1708–09) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Ghent (1708) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Veprik (1709) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Tournai (1709) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Mons (1709) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Viborg (1710) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Reval (1710) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Douai (1710) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Béthune (1710) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Aire (1710) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Saint Venant (1710) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Port Royal (1710) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Gerona (1710–1711) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Kassa (1711) – Rákóczi's War of Independence
  • Siege of Aren fort (1711) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Bouchain (1711) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Venasque (1711) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Stralsund (1711–15) – Great Northern War
  • Siege of Castel-Leon (1711) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Cardona (1711) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Le Quesnoy (1712) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Landrecies (1712) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Marchiennes (1712) – War of the Spanish Succession
  • Siege of Douai (1712) – War of the Spanish Succession
Depiction of the siege of Barcelona: The assault on the main body of the Place (1714) by Jacques Rigaud
Austrian land and naval bombardment puts Belgrade in flames during the siege of 1717.
British attack on Cartagena de Indias (1741) by Luis Fernández Gordillo. Oil on canvas, Naval Museum of Madrid
Conquest and pillage of Bergen-op-Zoom by the French in 1747.
Siege of Louisbourg (1758): British burning of the warship Prudent and the capturing of the Bienfaisant.
The Capture of Havana, 1762: Storming of Morro Castle, 30 July by Dominic Serres, oil on canvas (1770–1775)
The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782
Spanish grenadiers pour into Fort George (Pensacola, Florida) (1781)
Siege of Belgrade in 1789 by the Habsburg army
Siege of Lille (1792) by Louis Joseph Watteau
The capitulation of Mantua on 2 February 1797, Hippolyte Lecomte, 1812
The Last Effort and Fall of Tippoo Sultaun (1799) by Henry Singleton

Modern military sieges

[edit]

19th century

[edit]
Siege of Gdańsk by French forces in 1807
Assault on the walls of Zaragoza by January Suchodolski
The Siege of Burgos (1812) by François Joseph Heim.
American troops besieging Veracruz during the Mexican–American War
Siege of Kars, 1839
A barricade on Rue Voltaire, after its capture by the regular army during the Bloody Week of Commune of Paris (1871)
American soldiers scale the walls of Beijing to relieve the Siege of the Legations, August 1900

20th century

[edit]
A casemate at Maubeuge, destroyed by German bombardment, 7 September 1914
Anti-aircraft fire near St. Isaac's Cathedral during the defense of Leningrad in 1941.
Damaged buildings following the siege of Sarajevo, 1996

21st century

[edit]
Coalition airstrike targeting Islamic State positions during the Siege of Kobanî, October 2014
Burning buildings during the Siege of Mariupol, 2022
Civilians and ruins following the Siege of Gaza City, 2025

Police sieges

[edit]

A police siege is a standoff between law enforcement officers and armed criminals, suspects, or protesters.

Other

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

List of sieges

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
A siege constitutes a wherein an attacking force encircles a fortified position, such as a or fortress, to sever external supplies, reinforcements, and communication, thereby compelling the surrender of defenders through progressive deprivation of resources, erosion, or direct breaching efforts. Such lists enumerate documented instances of these engagements across epochs, from conflicts evidenced in Mesopotamian records to engagements in 20th-century world wars and beyond, emphasizing sieges' role as a resource-efficient alternative to open-field battles that leverages attrition over immediate . Siege warfare's tactical evolution reflects technological advancements, progressing from rudimentary blockades and in antiquity—exemplified by Assyrian campaigns employing ramps and battering rams—to medieval counterweight trebuchets and , which shifted emphasis from prolonged to explosive demolition of defenses. These compilations highlight sieges' strategic significance in empire-building, as attackers often prioritized capturing strongholds to control territory and populations, while defenders relied on walls, provisions stockpiles, and sorties; notable examples include prolonged blockades like those at Tyre and Candia, which tested limits of endurance and innovation in both assault and resistance.

Ancient sieges

Sieges before 1000 BC

Sieges before 1000 BC were characteristic of warfare in the , where walled cities prompted attackers to employ blockades, assaults, and early engineering tactics to overcome fortifications. Detailed contemporary records are rare, primarily surviving from Egyptian royal inscriptions that describe campaigns against Canaanite and Syrian city-states. These accounts highlight the strategic importance of controlling trade routes and securing tribute, with sieges often following open battles to compel submission. Archaeological evidence from fortified sites corroborates the prevalence of such conflicts, though specifics remain limited outside pharaonic . The Siege of Megiddo in 1457 BC marked the first battle in history with a detailed written account, preserved in Thutmose III's temple annals at . Egyptian forces under the blockaded the city held by a Canaanite coalition led by the prince of Kadesh, enduring supply shortages and internal debates over routes before isolating Megiddo with a and palisade. After seven months, the defenders surrendered, yielding vast spoils including 924 chariots and over 2,000 cattle, securing Egyptian dominance over the . The Siege of Dapur occurred in 1269 BC during Ramesses II's campaigns against the Hittite Empire. Targeting the fortified city in northern , Egyptian troops assaulted its walls following field engagements with local forces, as depicted in reliefs from the pharaoh's Theban temple showing scaling ladders and battering. The city fell, allowing Ramesses to install a of himself and advance Egyptian influence northward before withdrawing. Additional sieges likely featured in Hittite expansions under rulers like Suppiluliuma I (c. 1344–1322 BC), who captured cities such as through prolonged encirclements, though Hittite texts emphasize diplomacy alongside force. In and , Akkadian and Old Babylonian kings conducted urban assaults, as inferred from cuneiform references to breached walls, but lacked the tactical granularity of Egyptian reports.

Sieges from 1st to 5th centuries AD

The period from the 1st to 5th centuries AD saw numerous sieges, primarily involving the Roman Empire against Jewish revolts, Sassanian Persia, and later barbarian migrations into Roman territories.
  • 70 AD – Siege of Jerusalem: Roman legions under Titus besieged the city defended by Jewish factions amid the First Jewish-Roman War. The siege began in April and culminated in September with the breaching of the Antonia Fortress and the temple walls, leading to the city's capture, the destruction of the Second Temple, and an estimated 1.1 million deaths according to contemporary accounts.
  • 359 AD – Siege of Amida: Sassanian forces led by King assaulted the Roman frontier city of Amida (modern Diyarbakir, ) in . After 73 days of intense combat involving engines, mining, and heavy casualties—over 30,000 Persians killed—the city fell, marking a significant Sassanian victory but weakening their campaign due to losses.
  • 362 AD – Siege of Nisibis: During , Sassanian forces under attempted to besiege Nisibis but failed as part of broader Roman offensives; earlier sieges in 337, 346, and 350 had also been repelled by Roman defenders using innovative tactics like flooding. The city remained Roman until ceded in 363.
  • 410 AD – Sack of Rome: under King , after multiple blockades demanding ransom and settlement, entered on August 24 via the Salarian Gate, possibly opened by slaves. The three-day sack involved plunder but spared many lives and buildings, influenced by Alaric's Arian Christian scruples, symbolizing the Western Empire's vulnerability.
  • 452 AD – : Hunnic hordes commanded by besieged and razed the northern Italian city of Aquileia after a prolonged assault, contributing to the devastation of the region during the Hunnic invasion of Italy and prompting refugees to flee to lagoons that would form .
  • 455 AD – Sack of Rome: Vandal fleet and army under King Genseric sailed up the , entered unopposed after a brief siege facilitated by papal negotiation, and conducted a 14-day organized plunder, capturing the empress and treasures before withdrawing to , further eroding imperial authority without widespread destruction.

Medieval sieges

6th century

The featured sieges amid the Byzantine Empire's efforts to reconquer former Roman territories under Emperor , particularly during the against the in and the (541–562) against the Sasanians in the . These conflicts involved prolonged blockades, engineering feats like aqueduct infiltrations, and attrition tactics, reflecting the era's reliance on fortified urban centers and supply disruptions rather than open-field battles. Primary accounts, such as those by of Caesarea, an eyewitness to many events, provide detailed but potentially biased perspectives favoring Byzantine capabilities, though archaeological evidence corroborates the scale of destruction in affected cities. In 536, besieged , held by an Ostrogothic garrison under an unnamed commander loyal to King . The 20-day operation succeeded when Byzantine troops, guided by local defectors, infiltrated via an abandoned aqueduct, catching defenders off guard and sacking the city with minimal losses. This victory opened to Byzantine advances, shocking Ostrogothic leadership and prompting reinforcements. The Siege of (537–538) followed, with Ostrogothic King investing the city held by and approximately 5,000 Byzantine troops plus local militia. Lasting from March 2, 537, to March 12, 538—a year and nine days—the besiegers, numbering around 45,000–150,000 per (likely exaggerated), constructed extensive earthworks, cut aqueducts to induce famine, and launched assaults repelled by 's sallies and archery. Byzantine reinforcements via sea sustained the defense, forcing to lift the siege amid Gothic desertions and supply failures; remained Byzantine-held until later reversals. During the Gothic War's resurgence, Ostrogothic King besieged again from late 545 to December 17, 546. Commanded by Bessas for the Byzantines, the garrison faced attrition from severed aqueducts and blockades, exacerbated by internal betrayals; 's forces, blending Gothic warriors and Italian allies, breached the walls after a yearlong effort, depopulating the city and destroying infrastructure to deny it to foes. This second Gothic capture reversed early Byzantine gains, though later retook by 554. In the , the Siege of Petra (550–551) saw Byzantine general Bessas assault the Sasanian-held fortress in (modern western Georgia), a strategic stronghold controlling access. After months of and , the Persians surrendered in 551 due to supply shortages and internal dissent, yielding control to until a 562 peace; notes the site's natural defenses, including cliffs and gates, which prolonged resistance despite numerical inferiority. Earlier frontier clashes included the (502–506), with Sasanian sieges of Theodosiopolis (502) and Martyropolis (502–503), where Persian forces under Kavadh I employed and but failed due to Byzantine counter-sieges and weather, highlighting logistical vulnerabilities in eastern campaigns.

7th century

The featured sieges predominantly amid the Rashidun Caliphate's conquests against Byzantine and Sassanid territories, alongside early Umayyad efforts to expand further. These operations often involved blocking supply lines and exploiting weakened defenses following decisive field battles, leading to the fall of key administrative and fortified centers.
  • Siege of Damascus (634): Rashidun forces under besieged the Byzantine stronghold of starting 21 August, employing maneuvers to divide defenders and breach gates after a month-long that cut off reinforcements and provisions; the city surrendered on 19 September, enabling further advances into .
  • Siege of Jerusalem (636–637): Following the Battle of Yarmouk, Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah's encircled in late 636, maintaining pressure through isolation until Sophronius negotiated surrender terms in early 637, conditional on Caliph Umar's personal ratification, after which the city capitulated without assault.
  • Siege of Ctesiphon (637): After victory at al-Qadisiyyah, troops under advanced to besiege the Sassanid capital from January to March, prompting Emperor to evacuate amid internal collapse and failed counterattacks, resulting in the city's abandonment and looting by Arab forces.
  • Siege of Babylon Fortress (640–641): During the Muslim conquest of , Amr ibn al-As's forces invested the Byzantine-held fortress of (near modern ) starting late 640, using earthworks and assaults to overcome defenses after six months, with the garrison yielding in April 641 and facilitating control over the .
  • Siege of Alexandria (641–642): continued the Egyptian campaign by blockading from spring 641, reinforced by naval elements; after initial repulses, the Byzantine garrison under surrendered in September 642 following a prolonged investment that exhausted supplies and morale.
  • Siege of Constantinople (674–678): Umayyad naval and land forces under Caliph established a of the Byzantine capital from spring 674, anchoring in the and conducting annual assaults; Emperor countered with from dromons, disease outbreaks, and Bulgarian raids on besiegers, forcing withdrawal by 678 and halting Arab expansion into .

8th century

The featured sieges primarily driven by Arab-Byzantine conflicts and Frankish territorial expansions in , reflecting broader struggles over , the Mediterranean, and . Siege of Constantinople (717–718): Umayyad Caliph dispatched an army of approximately 80,000–120,000 troops under , supported by a fleet of 1,800 ships, to besiege the Byzantine capital starting August 15, 717. Emperor Leo III's defenders repelled assaults using the Theodosian Walls' fortifications, incendiary against the naval blockade, and scorched-earth tactics that depleted Arab supplies. A severe winter, combined with Bulgarian Khan Tervel's raids inflicting heavy casualties, forced the Arabs to lift the siege by August 718, with estimates of 100,000–200,000 Umayyad losses from combat, disease, and starvation. This failure marked the end of major Arab offensives against , preserving Byzantine control over . Siege of Narbonne (752–759): Frankish King initiated a prolonged blockade of the Umayyad-held stronghold in , defended by Andalusian Muslim forces and local Gothic allies, to consolidate control over southern following the . The seven-year encirclement involved Frankish engineering to cut supply lines and exploit internal divisions, culminating in the city's surrender on July 22, 759, after betrayal by Gothic commander Miló. This victory expelled Muslim authority from , enabling Frankish expansion into the Midi. Siege of Pavia (773–774): , co-ruler of the , invaded Lombard Italy in response to Pope Adrian I's appeals against King , besieging the Lombard capital with a divided force that crossed the via separate passes. The seven-month investment, involving sapping and bombardment, starved the defenders despite Desiderius's raids; Pavia capitulated in June 774, leading to the ' annexation into the Frankish realm and Charlemagne's assumption of the . The fall dismantled the independent Lombard kingdom, bolstering papal-Frankish alliances.

9th century

  • 838: Sack of Amorium – Abbasid forces under Caliph al-Mu'tasim besieged the fortified Byzantine city of Amorium in Anatolia, which fell after a prolonged defense undermined by internal betrayal; the city was systematically razed, resulting in heavy casualties and marking one of the most significant Byzantine defeats against Arab armies in the period.
  • 845: Siege of Paris – Viking raiders led by Reginherus (possibly Ragnar Lodbrok) with approximately 120 ships ascended the Seine and besieged the Frankish capital of Paris for two days, leading to the city's surrender after bombardment with catapulted diseased corpses; the Carolingian defenders under Charles the Bald paid 7,000 pounds of silver in danegeld to lift the siege, allowing the Vikings to withdraw.
  • 860: Siege of Constantinople – Rus' Varangians numbering around 5,000 in 200 ships launched a surprise naval assault on the Byzantine capital, sacking suburbs and besieging the city walls for weeks while the emperor was absent; the defenders repelled the attackers using Greek fire and other defenses, with the Rus' eventually withdrawing after a reported miraculous intervention or negotiated tribute, suffering heavy losses.
  • 871: Siege of Bari – Frankish Emperor Louis II, with allied Slavic naval support, besieged the Arab emirate stronghold of Bari in for several months, capturing the city on February 2 after breaching the walls; this ended the short-lived and disrupted Muslim naval power in the Adriatic.
  • 877–878: Siege of Syracuse – Aghlabid Arab forces under ibn laid siege to the Byzantine-held capital of Sicily starting in August 877, enduring harsh winter conditions and disease; the city fell on May 21, 878, following a breach and subsequent massacre of defenders and inhabitants, securing full Muslim control over .
  • 885–886: Siege of Paris – A large Viking fleet of about 700 ships under leaders including and besieged for nearly a year, employing fire ships, siege engines, and assaults on bridges and walls against Frankish defenders led by , ; the city held due to reinforced fortifications and relief efforts, with the Vikings ultimately accepting and dispersing after failing to breach the defenses.

10th century

The 10th century witnessed sieges driven by Viking expansions in Francia, the final stages of Aghlabid conquests in Sicily, and Byzantine counteroffensives against Arab emirates in the eastern Mediterranean. These conflicts highlighted the era's fragmented polities, where fortified cities served as key defensive bastions amid territorial ambitions and raids. Byzantine successes under the Macedonian dynasty marked a reversal of earlier losses, reclaiming strategic islands and coastal enclaves through prolonged blockades and assaults.
  • Siege of Taormina (902): Aghlabid forces under Ibrahim II besieged and captured , the last significant Byzantine stronghold in , ending over seven decades of intermittent conquest and securing Muslim control over the island.
  • Sack of Thessalonica (904): raiders led by , operating from Tarsus under Abbasid and Tulunid auspices, blockaded and stormed Thessalonica, Byzantium's second-largest city, resulting in its plunder, the enslavement of approximately 22,000 inhabitants, and a severe blow to imperial prestige and economy.
  • Siege of Chartres (911): Viking chieftain 's forces invested but were repelled by a Frankish relief army under Robert I of and Duke Richard of , prompting the , which ceded land in to Rollo in exchange for and fealty to King Charles the Simple.
  • Siege of Chandax (960–961): Byzantine expeditionary forces commanded by Nikephoros Phokas, comprising 3,000 oarsmen, marines, and infantry supported by a fleet, besieged the of Crete's capital (modern ) for seven months, employing sappers, countermines, and assaults to breach defenses, ultimately reconquering the island and halting Arab piracy in the Aegean.
  • Siege of Antioch (968–969): Byzantine armies under Nikephoros Phokas encircled Antioch, held by the Hamdanid , cutting supply lines and enduring winter hardships; the city surrendered on October 28, 969, restoring Byzantine dominance in and yielding significant tribute and captives.

11th century

The Siege of Bari (1068–1071) saw Norman forces under Robert Guiscard besiege the last major Byzantine stronghold in southern Italy, which capitulated on 16 April 1071 after a blockade that induced famine and internal dissent among the defenders. The Siege of Palermo (1071–1072), led by Roger I of Sicily, targeted the Muslim emirate's capital on the island; after five months of land and sea encirclement, the city surrendered on 10 January 1072, marking a key step in the Norman conquest of Sicily despite ongoing local resistance. The Siege of Nicaea (14 May–19 June 1097) initiated the First Crusade's major operations, with Crusader armies cooperating with Byzantine forces to encircle the Seljuk-held city; despite Seljuk relief attempts, Nicaea yielded to Emperor via negotiated surrender, averting a full Crusader assault. The Siege of Antioch (20 October 1097–28 June 1098) involved Crusader forces under leaders like Bohemond of Taranto enduring starvation and disease while blockading the city against Yaghi-Siyan’s garrison; internal betrayal by a defender allowed entry, leading to capture amid a subsequent Seljuk counter-siege that the Crusaders repelled. The Siege of Jerusalem (7 June–15 July 1099) concluded the , as reduced Crusader contingents under employed siege towers and ladders to breach Fatimid defenses; the city fell with widespread slaughter of inhabitants estimated in the thousands, establishing Latin Christian rule.

12th century

The occurred from July to October 1147, when Crusader forces from , , and other northern European regions, numbering around 164 ships and 13,000 men, joined King Afonso I in besieging the city held by Almoravid Muslims under Governor Ibn Qasi. The defenders, estimated at 50,000 including civilians, withstood assaults involving siege towers, catapults, and naval blockade, but famine and internal discord led to surrender on October 25, allowing Christian forces to capture and sack the city, marking a key victory. The Siege of Damascus took place from July 24 to 28, 1148, during the Second Crusade, with Frankish armies under and , totaling about 50,000, attempting to capture the city from Zengid ruler Mu'in ad-Din Unur's coalition forces. Initial assaults breached outer walls, but disputes over camp positioning, suspected betrayal by local allies, and supply shortages forced withdrawal after four days, resulting in a decisive Muslim victory and contributing to the Crusade's collapse. Saladin's Siege of Tyre lasted from November 12, 1187, to January 1, 1188, following his victory at Hattin, with Ayyubid forces of approximately 20,000 besieging the coastal stronghold defended by a mixed garrison of , , and Templars under , reinforced by sea. Despite deploying siege engines and attempting amphibious assaults, failed to breach the double-walled defenses amid winter storms and arriving Crusader fleets, lifting the siege to redirect efforts elsewhere. The Siege of Jerusalem unfolded from September 20 to October 2, 1187, after Saladin's triumph at the , with his army of over 30,000 surrounding the city defended by and around 1,000 knights plus civilians. Intense bombardment and mining operations threatened breaches, but negotiations led to surrender terms allowing safe passage for inhabitants upon ransom, averting a sack and enabling Saladin's relatively merciful occupation on October 2. The Siege of Acre, from August 28, 1189, to July 12, 1191, initiated the Third Crusade, pitting Crusader forces starting with Guy of Lusignan's 7,000 against Saladin's relieving armies, later joined by and , totaling up to 30,000 besiegers versus 20,000-40,000 defenders under Saladin's command. Prolonged featured massive trebuchets like "God's Stone-Thrower," naval blockades, epidemics, and failed relief attempts, culminating in starvation-induced surrender to Crusaders, who executed 2,700 prisoners post-victory, securing a vital port. The Siege of in 1191 saw Henry VI besiege the Sicilian city held by Tancred of Lecce's forces, part of his campaign to claim the throne via Empress Constance. Lasting three months from May, the imperial army of tens of thousands faced stout resistance, disease outbreaks, and logistical strains, forcing abandonment in August without capture, highlighting vulnerabilities in large-scale medieval expeditions.

13th century

The 13th century featured sieges across Eurasia, driven by Crusader expeditions, Mongol expansions, and feudal conflicts in Europe, often involving advanced siege engines like trebuchets and counterweight catapults. Sack of Constantinople (1203–1204): During the Fourth Crusade, Western European forces under Venetian and Frankish command besieged the Byzantine capital starting in July 1203, initially to install a friendly emperor but resuming in April 1204 after political upheaval; the city walls were breached using siege towers and catapults, leading to a three-day sack on April 12–15, 1204, with widespread looting of relics, treasures, and an estimated death toll of thousands among defenders and civilians, establishing the Latin Empire. Siege of Kaifeng (1232–1233): Mongol forces under encircled the Jin dynasty's capital in April 1232 with approximately 15,000 troops, employing trebuchets and bombs against walls defended by weapons; and defections forced surrender in March 1233 after a year-long , resulting in the city's capture and contributing to the Jin collapse, with defenders using early explosive devices in recorded combat. Siege of Damietta (1249): In the Seventh Crusade, King landed with 15,000 men near the Egyptian port in June 1249; the Ayyubid garrison, weakened by internal strife and the sultan's illness, abandoned the city on June 5 without major resistance due to flood risks and low morale, allowing Crusaders to occupy it intact as a base for advancing toward , though the campaign later failed at Mansurah. Siege of Baghdad (1258): Hulagu Khan's Mongol army of 150,000, including Chinese engineers, invested the Abbasid capital on January 29, 1258, using massive trebuchets to bombard walls defended by Caliph al-Musta'sim's 50,000 troops; breaches occurred by February 5, leading to the caliph's surrender on February 10 and a week-long massacre that killed 200,000–800,000 civilians, destroying libraries and irrigation systems, ending the Abbasid Caliphate. Siege of (1268–1273): Kublai Khan's Yuan forces under besieged the stronghold on the Han River in 1268 with 100,000 troops, introducing counterweight trebuchets from Persian and Chinese advisors to target walls held by 20,000 defenders under Lü Wenhuan; naval blockades and relentless bombardment overcame relief attempts, forcing surrender in March 1273 after five years, opening the for Mongol of southern China. Siege of Acre (1291): Sultan mobilized 160,000 troops starting April 6, 1291, against the last Crusader stronghold defended by 15,000–30,000 , Templars, and Hospitallers; massive mining, , and 20+ trebuchets breached walls by May 18 despite counterattacks and reinforcements from , resulting in the city's fall, evacuation of survivors, and demolition of fortifications, marking the end of Crusader presence in the . In , the Siege of (1266) saw Henry III's royal army of 10,000–15,000 besiege rebel barons holding the castle for six months with ditches, engines, and blockades until terms were negotiated in December, one of the longest medieval sieges, ending the Second Barons' War.

14th century

  • Siege of (1304): From April 22 to July 24, 1304, King Edward I of besieged the Scottish-held , the last major stronghold of Scottish resistance during the Wars of . The English deployed multiple siege engines, including the massive known as the War Wolf, which required 30 to 40 men to operate and could hurl 300-pound projectiles. The castle's of about 30 men under Sir William Oliphant surrendered after intense damaged the defenses, marking an English victory that temporarily subdued Scotland.
  • Siege of Algeciras (1342–1344): Castilian forces under King , supported by Portuguese allies and a Genoese fleet under the command of Carlo I Grimaldi, besieged the Marinid-held in southern Iberia as part of the . The operation involved a combined land and naval blockade, with the Christian fleet preventing resupply despite Marinid naval counterattacks from . The city fell on March 26, 1344, after prolonged attrition, representing a significant Christian advance against Muslim holdings in the .
  • Siege of Calais (1346–1347): Following the English victory at Crécy, King Edward III of invested the French port of on September 4, 1346, with an army of approximately 20,000 men, initiating the longest siege of the . The French garrison and citizens endured 11 months of blockade, suffering severe famine as English forces constructed fortified camps and mined approaches. On August 3, 1347, the defenders surrendered; Edward demanded the execution of six principal burghers, but Queen Philippa's intercession spared their lives. The English retained Calais as a continental foothold until 1558.

15th century

The Siege of Orléans, lasting from October 12, 1428, to May 8, 1429, involved English forces under the besieging the French city with approximately 5,000 troops against 2,400 initial defenders, reinforced by Joan of Arc's arrival in April 1429, leading to French counterattacks that forced English withdrawal and marked a turning point in the . The Fall of Constantinople occurred from April 6 to May 29, 1453, when Ottoman Sultan deployed 80,000 soldiers and massive bombards against Emperor Constantine XI's 7,000 defenders, breaching Theodosian Walls after 53 days and ending the . In the Siege of from June 29 to July 22, 1456, Ottoman forces under , numbering over 100,000, assaulted Hungarian and Serbian defenders led by , who repelled the attackers through peasant militias and cannon fire, halting Ottoman expansion into temporarily. The Siege of Rhodes in 1480 saw Ottoman Sultan send 70,000 troops and 160 ships against the Knights Hospitaller under Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson, who with 500 knights and 3,000 locals withstood assaults for three months until the Ottomans withdrew after heavy losses, preserving the island stronghold. The Siege of Granada from April 1491 to January 2, 1492, featured Spanish Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella I encircling the city with 50,000 troops, prompting Emir Muhammad XII's surrender and concluding the by unifying the under Christian rule. The Siege of , enduring from 1461 to 1468 during the Wars of the Roses, saw Lancastrian forces hold the Welsh fortress against Yorkist sieges, representing the longest siege in British until its fall to Edward IV's troops.

Early modern sieges

The Fall of (May 22–August 13, 1521) involved Spanish forces under , supported by indigenous allies, besieging the Aztec capital after initial setbacks including the Noche Triste retreat. The three-month siege featured brigantine ships on Lake Texcoco and resulted in the city's destruction, with smallpox aiding the attackers by decimating defenders. This victory ended Aztec rule and facilitated Spanish conquest of central Mexico. The Siege of Rhodes (June 26–December 22, 1522) pitted Ottoman Sultan the Magnificent's army against the Knights Hospitaller, who defended the island fortress. Despite fierce resistance, including mining and counter-mining, the knights surrendered after terms allowed evacuation, securing Ottoman control over approaches. The Siege of Vienna (September 27–October 15, 1529) marked Suleiman's first major European push, with Ottoman forces numbering around 100,000 facing Habsburg defenders under Niklas, Graf Salm. Heavy rains, supply shortages, and stout fortifications forced withdrawal, halting Ottoman advance into . The Siege of (October 19, 1552–January 2, 1553) saw Charles V's imperial army of over 100,000 besiege the French-held city defended by Francis, Duke of Guise. Disease and harsh winter conditions ravaged attackers, leading to retreat and French retention of the stronghold during the Italian War. The (May 18–September 8, 1565) confronted Ottoman forces under and Mustafa Pasha with led by Jean de Valette. The four-month defense, bolstered by timely Spanish reinforcements, inflicted heavy Ottoman losses estimated at 25,000–35,000, repelling the invasion and preserving Christian naval positions. The Siege of Szigetvár (August 5–September 8, 1566) featured Croatian-Hungarian garrison under Nikola IV Zrinski resisting Suleiman's 100,000-strong army. Defenders delayed the Ottoman advance on Vienna, inflicting 20,000–30,000 casualties before fortress capture, with Zrinski's death in the final sortie; Suleiman died during the campaign, marking a pyrrhic Ottoman success. The Siege of Leiden (October 1573–October 3, 1574) during the Dutch Revolt saw Spanish troops under Francisco de Valdés encircle the city, causing famine that killed up to one-third of inhabitants. Relief came via Dutch "Sea Beggars" breaching dykes to flood approaches, forcing Spanish withdrawal and symbolizing innovative water-based defense. The Siege of Antwerp (July 1584–August 17, 1585) in the involved Spanish forces under Alexander Farnese constructing a River bridge to the rebel-held city. After over a year, including failed Dutch attacks, Antwerp surrendered, crippling northern rebel finances but prompting mass emigration.

17th century

  • Siege of Breda (1624–1625): Spanish forces under , numbering around 23,000, encircled the Dutch-held city in the during the , constructing double lines of fortifications and trenches despite harsh winter conditions and disease outbreaks that reduced their effective strength. The defenders, led by Justin of Nassau with about 7,000 troops, held out for nearly ten months amid failed relief attempts by , ultimately surrendering on June 5, 1625, after supplies dwindled; this marked Spinola's final major triumph for but strained imperial finances heavily.
  • Siege of La Rochelle (1627–1628): French royal army of King , commanded by with up to 30,000 troops and engineers who built a 1,800-meter to the harbor, assaulted the Huguenot Protestant stronghold of approximately 27,000 inhabitants during the . The 14-month caused famine, with defenders rejecting English relief efforts under the ; the city capitulated on October 28, 1628, with survivors granted amnesty but religious privileges curtailed, solidifying royal centralization.
  • Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch (1629): forces under Frederick Henry, with 28,000 men including engineers like , invested the Spanish-held fortress city (Bois-le-Duc) in Brabant during the , employing extensive dikes, canals, and mines to flood approaches and undermine walls over four months. Despite Spanish reinforcements under Ambrosio Spinola failing to break the encirclement, the garrison of 6,000 surrendered on September 18, 1629, yielding a key inland stronghold to the Dutch and shifting momentum in the war.
  • Siege of Magdeburg (1631): Imperial Catholic League army of 40,000 under , bombarded and stormed the Protestant city of 30,000 during the after a two-month blockade, breaching walls on May 20 amid defender resistance led by city officials. The ensuing sack lasted five days, with fires destroying 90% of the city and estimates of 20,000 civilian and military deaths from , , and plague, exemplifying the war's brutality and galvanizing Protestant opposition.
  • Siege of Limerick (1691): Williamite forces of 20,000 under General Godert de Ginkel encircled the Jacobite-held Irish city during the , capturing Thomond Bridge on August 30 after artillery preparation and repelling sorties, with defenders numbering around 15,000 under Patrick Sarsfield. The two-month operation ended with Jacobite surrender on October 3, 1691, following failed counterattacks and supply shortages, leading to the that allowed some Catholic soldiers to depart for while curtailing Irish autonomy.
  • Siege of Vienna (1683): army of about 170,000 under besieged the Habsburg capital starting July 14, tunneling and mining defenses while facing counter-mines from 15,000 garrison troops under Starhemberg. Relieved on September 12 by a force of 70,000 led by Polish King John III Sobieski, whose winged hussars charged decisively, the Ottomans retreated with heavy losses estimated at 15,000, marking the empire's high-water mark in and initiating territorial reversals.
Numerous sieges also occurred during the English Civil Wars (1642–1651), such as the prolonged encirclement of Royalist by Parliamentarian forces from 1642 to 1646, which tied down thousands but ended with Charles I's evacuation amid starvation risks, and the brutal 1648 , where defenders endured 11 weeks of bombardment and famine before surrendering, resulting in executions of leaders amid civilian suffering including reports of consuming rats and pets.

18th century

  • Siege of Louisbourg (30 May – 27 July 1758): British naval and army forces under and General Jeffery Amherst, numbering around 13,000 troops, landed near the French fortress in and conducted a 49-day , capturing it and two French warships, which opened the for further operations against .
  • Siege of Quebec (June – September 1759): British expedition under Major-General , following the capture of Louisbourg, besieged the French stronghold in , culminating in the Battle of the on 13 September where Wolfe defeated Marquis de Montcalm's forces, leading to the city's surrender on 18 September and the effective British conquest of .
  • Siege of Pondicherry (4 September 1760 – 16 January 1761): and naval forces under Eyre Coote and Samuel Cornish besieged the French colonial enclave in during the Third Carnatic , resulting in the surrender of Count de Lally's garrison and the end of significant French territorial power on the .
  • Siege of Boston (19 April 1775 – 17 March 1776): Colonial American militia and under encircled British forces under General and later William Howe within , prompting the British evacuation by sea after the with captured cannon from .
  • Great Siege of Gibraltar (24 June 1779 – 7 February 1783): Combined Spanish and French forces, totaling over 40,000 troops under the Duke of Crillon, attempted to capture the British-held defended by about 7,000 soldiers under George Augustus Eliott; the prolonged blockade and assaults failed, marking a major British defensive success amid the .
  • Siege of Yorktown (28 September – 19 October 1781): American under and French troops under Comte de Rochambeau and de Grasse, totaling around 17,000 men, besieged British forces under Lord Cornwallis at , using parallel trenches and artillery; Cornwallis surrendered over 7,000 troops, effectively ending major combat in the .

Modern military sieges

19th century

  • Siege of Zaragoza (15 June – 14 August 1808): During the , French forces under General Lefebvre-Desnouettes, numbering around 13,000, besieged the Spanish city of defended by approximately 8,000 regulars and civilians led by General José de Palafox. The French withdrew after heavy casualties due to fierce urban fighting and , with Spanish forces inflicting significant losses despite their own high attrition. A second siege from December 1808 to February 1809 saw French troops under Generals Junot and Lannes, totaling over 35,000, eventually capture the city after prolonged street-to-street combat, resulting in 20,000–25,000 Spanish casualties including civilians and the deaths of most defenders.
  • Siege of Sevastopol (17 October 1854 – 11 September 1855): In the , Allied forces comprising British, French, Ottoman, and Sardinian troops, exceeding 185,000 at peak, besieged the Russian naval base defended by about 70,000 soldiers under generals like Menshikov and Totleben. The 11-month siege involved massive artillery exchanges, , and assaults on fortifications like the Malakoff Tower, culminating in Russian evacuation after over 100,000 casualties on both sides, marking a turning point that led to Russia's war defeat.
  • Siege of Lucknow (30 May – 25 September 1857, with second phase November 1857): Amid the , approximately 7,000–8,000 rebel sepoys under besieged the British Residency in , held by around 1,700 British and loyal Indian troops and civilians led by Sir Henry Lawrence and later Sir James Outram. The defense endured 87 days of bombardment and assaults until partial relief by Havelock and Outram in September, followed by full relief in November by Sir Colin Campbell's forces; total casualties exceeded 2,000 defenders and thousands of attackers, highlighting British resilience amid mutiny.
  • Siege of Vicksburg (18 May – 4 July 1863): In the , Union Army under Major General , with over 77,000 troops and naval support, besieged the Confederate stronghold on the defended by Lieutenant General ’s 33,000 soldiers. After failed assaults, Grant imposed a involving trenches, mines, and , leading to Confederate surrender on 4 July after 47 days, yielding Union control of the Mississippi and 29,500 prisoners with minimal Union losses of about 4,900.
  • Siege of Paris (19 September 1870 – 28 January 1871): During the , Prussian and German states' forces totaling around 240,000 under King Wilhelm I and General Moltke encircled , defended by 600,000 French and regulars led by General Trochu. The 132-day featured balloon communications, bombardment from 1870, and French sorties like Buzenval, ending in French capitulation due to starvation and ammunition shortages, with over 150,000 French casualties from combat, disease, and privation, facilitating German unification.
  • Siege of Khartoum (13 March 1884 – 26 January 1885): In the , Sudanese Mahdist forces under (the ), numbering 50,000–60,000, besieged the Egyptian garrison in held by about 7,000 troops and civilians under British General Charles Gordon. The 317-day siege involved river blockades and assaults, culminating in the city's fall on 26 January 1885 with Gordon's death and massacre of most defenders; a British relief expedition under arrived two days later, too late to intervene, resulting in over 10,000 Egyptian deaths.
  • Sieges of the Second Boer War (October 1899 – May 1900): Boer republics' commandos besieged three British-held towns in South Africa: Kimberley (14 October 1899 – 15 February 1900) by 8,000 Boers against 5,000 defenders under Cecil Rhodes, relieved by Methuen after 124 days and 250 deaths from disease and combat; Mafeking (13 October 1899 – 17 May 1900) by 6,000–8,000 Boers against Colonel Baden-Powell's 1,200 garrison, enduring 217 days with minimal losses until relief; Ladysmith (2 November 1899 – 28 February 1900) by 21,000 Boers against 12,000 British under Sir George White, holding 118 days amid 5,000 casualties from typhoid and fighting until relieved by Buller. These sieges strained British logistics and boosted imperial resolve, with total defender casualties around 6,000 primarily non-combat.

20th century

  • Siege of Port Arthur (1 August 1904 – 2 January 1905): During the , Japanese forces under General besieged the Russian-held port in , enduring high casualties from assaults on fortified positions before capturing it after 155 days, with over 60,000 Japanese and 31,000 Russian casualties.
  • Siege of Antwerp (28 September – 10 October 1914): In , German forces besieged the Belgian city defended by Belgian troops and British Royal Naval Division, capturing it after heavy artillery bombardment breached the outer forts, delaying the German advance into .
  • Siege of Kut (7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916): Ottoman forces under Halil besieged a British-Indian garrison of about 8,000 under Major-General Townshend in during , leading to the surrender of 13,000 British troops after failed attempts and , marking one of Britain's largest capitulations.
  • Siege of Leningrad (8 September 1941 – 27 January 1944): Nazi German and Finnish forces blockaded the Soviet city for 872 days during , causing around 1 million civilian deaths primarily from and bombardment, though the city held with supply via the "Road of Life" across until Soviet forces lifted the siege.
  • Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943): German Sixth Army under Paulus besieged and fought house-to-house in the Soviet city during , but Soviet counteroffensives encircled and forced the surrender of 91,000 Axis troops after over 1.1 million total casualties, turning the tide on the Eastern Front.
  • Siege of Khe Sanh (21 January – 9 July 1968): North Vietnamese forces besieged the U.S. Marine base in Quảng Trị Province during the Vietnam War's , subjecting 6,000 defenders to 77 days of artillery and infantry assaults, but U.S. air support inflicted heavy NVA losses, allowing the base to hold before evacuation.
  • Siege of Sarajevo (5 April 1992 – 1 November 1995): Bosnian Serb forces under the besieged the Bosnian capital during the , shelling and sniping civilians for nearly 1,425 days and killing over 11,000, until intervention and the ended the blockade.

21st century

DateLocationBesiegersBesiegedOutcome
November 7 – December 23, 2004Fallujah, IraqUnited States-led coalition forces and Iraqi security forcesInsurgents (including al-Qaeda in Iraq)Coalition forces captured the city after intense urban combat, estimating 1,200 insurgents killed.
September 2014 – January 2015Kobanî, SyriaIslamic State (ISIS)Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) supported by U.S.-led coalition airstrikesKurdish forces lifted the siege with coalition air support, preventing ISIS capture of the town.
July 2016 – December 2016Eastern Aleppo, SyriaSyrian government forces, Russian military, and allied militiasRebel groups (including Free Syrian Army factions)Government forces recaptured eastern Aleppo, ending rebel control after a prolonged encirclement and bombardment.
May 23 – October 23, 2017Marawi, PhilippinesPhilippine Armed ForcesISIS-affiliated Maute and Abu Sayyaf groupsGovernment forces retook the city after five months of fighting, with over 1,000 militants and 160 soldiers killed.
October 17, 2016 – July 10, 2017Mosul, IraqIraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and U.S.-led coalitionIslamic State (ISIS)Iraqi-led forces liberated the city, though at high civilian cost with thousands killed.
February 24 – May 20, 2022Mariupol, UkraineRussian Armed Forces and Donetsk People's Republic forcesUkrainian Armed Forces (including Azov Regiment)Russian forces captured the city after destroying much of it, with at least 8,000 civilians killed by fighting or related causes; Ukrainian defenders surrendered at Azovstal steel plant.
These sieges highlight the persistence of urban tactics in 21st-century conflicts, often involving non-state actors and resulting in significant civilian casualties due to prolonged fighting in densely populated areas.

Police sieges

19th and 20th century police sieges

The Glenrowan siege occurred on June 27–28, 1880, in Victoria, , when police surrounded the Glenrowan Inn where the gang had taken approximately 60 hostages as part of a plan to derail a police and reinforcements. An alerted authorities to the plot, leading Victorian police, numbering around 30 troopers, to encircle the building before dawn on June 28; gunfire erupted after the gang released most hostages but fortified the inn. Three gang members—Dan Kelly, , and —died inside during the exchange, while , wounded multiple times including in the legs, attempted a final armored and was captured alive; no police fatalities occurred, though several were injured. The event marked the end of the Kelly gang's 18-month crime spree, with Kelly executed in November 1880. The Siege of Sidney Street took place on January 3, 1911, in London's East End, following the December 16, 1910, Houndsditch murders where a gang of Latvian anarchists killed three police officers during a botched burglary. Intelligence identified two suspects, Fritz Svaars and Jacob Fuler, barricaded in a house at 100 Sidney Street; over 200 officers and troops surrounded the site, exchanging fire for six hours after the suspects refused surrender. The building caught fire from gunfire or internal ignition, forcing the gunmen to remain inside where both perished; no further police deaths occurred in the siege itself, though Winston Churchill's on-site observation drew criticism for potential risk to responders. The incident highlighted early 20th-century urban policing challenges against armed immigrant radicals and prompted calls for improved police armament. In on May 13, 1985, police confronted the MOVE communal residence at 6221 Osage Avenue after years of neighbor complaints about sanitation, noise, and ; the back-to-nature group's fortifications and rhetoric escalated tensions. Over 500 officers, using armored vehicles and firing 10,000–13,000 rounds, besieged the rowhouse where 13 MOVE members (including founder ) were inside; a dropped an on the roof to destroy a rooftop , igniting a fire that killed 11 occupants—six adults and five children—and destroyed 65 homes. Two survivors, Ramona Africa and Michael Ward, faced charges (later acquitted or served time); a 1986 commission criticized city officials for recklessness but cleared police of intentional murder. The Ruby Ridge standoff unfolded from August 21–31, 1992, in Boundary County, Idaho, targeting Randy Weaver's remote cabin over federal firearms charges tied to his white separatist associations. Initial surveillance by six U.S. Marshals led to a firefight killing Weaver's dog, his 14-year-old son Sammy, and Marshal William Degan; the FBI assumed control, deploying 400 agents in a siege with rules of engagement allowing deadly force on armed adults. On August 22, an FBI sniper shot Weaver in the arm and fatally wounded his wife Vicki (holding infant) while she stood in the doorway; the 11-day perimeter held with negotiator Bo Gritz facilitating Weaver's surrender on August 31. A 1995 DOJ review found excessive force and procedural errors, leading to acquittals for Weaver on most counts and a $3.1 million settlement. The lasted 51 days from February 28 to April 19, 1993, near , beginning with an ATF raid on the Branch Davidian compound for suspected illegal weapons and child abuse under leader . The initial assault killed four agents and six Davidians in a , prompting an FBI-led siege involving 900 personnel, psychological tactics like loud music, and negotiations yielding 35 exits but stalling on Koresh's surrender. On April 19, insertion preceded a fire—attributed by FBI to Davidian but disputed by survivors—killing 76 inside, including Koresh and 25 children; nine Davidians were convicted on related charges. Congressional probes criticized federal tactics but affirmed no deliberate massacre.

21st century police sieges

The has seen police sieges primarily in the form of barricade standoffs, hostage crises, and occupations by armed individuals or groups resisting , often resolved through , tactical assaults, or prolonged containment rather than prolonged military-style . These incidents frequently involve specialized units like or equivalent forces, with outcomes varying from peaceful surrenders to fatalities. Unlike historical military sieges, durations are typically hours to weeks, emphasizing amid risks of violence from firearms, explosives, or booby traps. Notable examples include:
  • Beslan school siege (September 1–3, 2004, , ): Approximately 30–35 militants seized School Number One, taking over 1,100 hostages including more than 770 children during a back-to-school ceremony; they demanded Russian withdrawal from . Russian special forces (including police units) stormed the building after explosions, killing all attackers but resulting in 334 deaths (186 children) and over 700 injuries from gunfire, blasts, and structural collapse.
  • Edward and Elaine Brown standoff (June–October 2007, Plainfield, New Hampshire, USA): Convicted tax evaders Edward and Elaine Brown fortified their 110-acre property with weapons, ammunition, and booby traps after refusing to surrender following their July 2006 convictions; supporters rallied, turning it into a nine-month armed resistance against U.S. Marshals. The siege ended peacefully on October 4 via a pizza delivery ruse leading to arrests; the couple faced additional sentences for weapons charges, with Edward receiving 37 years.
  • 2013 Alabama bunker hostage crisis (January 29–February 4, 2013, Midland City, , ): Jimmy Lee Dykes killed a driver and abducted 5-year-old Ethan Gilman, barricading him in an underground after demanding supplies and airing grievances against . FBI negotiators maintained contact via electrical line for nearly six days while surrounding the site; an assault using flash-bang grenades rescued the boy unharmed and killed Dykes.
  • Christopher Dorner cabin standoff (February 12, 2013, , USA): Former LAPD officer Dorner, wanted for multiple murders amid a revenge manifesto against police, exchanged fire with San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies after holing up in a cabin, killing one deputy and wounding another. Authorities deployed canisters that ignited a fire; Dorner died of a self-inflicted inside the burning structure, ending a nine-day manhunt.
  • Bundy Ranch standoff (April 5–12, 2014, , USA): Rancher , facing eviction for unpaid grazing fees exceeding $1 million, mobilized hundreds of armed supporters against agents attempting to impound cattle. Federal forces withdrew after a tense armed confrontation to avoid escalation; no shots were fired, but it highlighted involvement in land disputes.
  • Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation (January 2–February 11, 2016, Harney County, Oregon, USA): Led by Ammon Bundy, armed militants seized the refuge headquarters to protest federal land management and support local ranchers' sentences; up to 40 occupiers controlled the site for 41 days, damaging artifacts and infrastructure. FBI surveillance and arrests during traffic stops led to most surrenders; one occupier, LaVoy Finicum, was killed in a subsequent confrontation.

Other sieges

Prolonged or atypical blockades

The (June 24, 1948–May 12, 1949) constituted an atypical peacetime , with Soviet forces halting all rail, road, and waterway access to the Western Allies' sectors of to compel their withdrawal from the divided city. Lasting 322 days, it eschewed direct combat or bombardment, instead leveraging logistical isolation to pressure 2.5 million residents amid emerging tensions over German currency reform. The Western response, the Berlin Airlift, delivered 2.3 million tons of supplies via over 278,000 flights, sustaining the population without capitulation and underscoring the efficacy of aerial logistics against non-kinetic blockades. This episode deviated from traditional sieges by prioritizing political coercion over territorial conquest, averting escalation through mutual restraint despite nuclear shadows. The Gaza blockade, enforced primarily by since seized control in June 2007, exemplifies a protracted modern restriction blending security controls with economic isolation. Measures include naval patrols, dominance, and regulated land crossings for goods and persons, imposed to curb rocket attacks—over 20,000 launched from Gaza since 2001—and arms inflows via smuggling . By 2025, exceeding 18 years, it has coincided with Gaza's 45% unemployment rate and reliance on external aid, though over 12,000 trucks monthly crossed borders pre-October 2023, per Israeli data, with diversions by for military ends documented in UN audits. Assessments labeling it a "" often stem from advocacy-oriented NGOs and UN bodies, institutions prone to systemic partiality favoring Palestinian narratives, yet causal analysis reveals governance failures— including aid stockpiling and prioritization—as primary drivers of privation over stringency alone. In Yemen's , the Houthi of since March 2015 illustrates atypical prolongation through irregular forces maintaining peripheral chokepoints without full or assault. Controlling approaches to the strategic city of 600,000, Houthis restricted aid convoys and fuel, exacerbating risks amid Saudi-led counter-blockades of ports like Hodeidah. By 2024, nearly a decade long, it yielded over 1,000 civilian deaths from impeded medical access, per local monitors, though a 2024 road reopening eased some flows without resolving core hostilities. This asymmetric tactic, blending guerrilla denial with urban , prolonged suffering via attrition rather than decisive engagement, mirroring broader Yemeni dynamics where blockades amplified pre-war into humanitarian collapse.

Disputed classifications as sieges

The term "siege" traditionally denotes a entailing the close physical of a fortified by land forces to sever external supplies, reinforcements, and escape routes, compelling surrender through attrition or preparing for . Military legal scholars define it as an effort to surround and isolate an area, often a , denying access or egress, but disputes emerge when operations lack full , rely on non-physical means like administrative restrictions or air/sea , or prioritize over . Such classifications are contested because they dilute the tactical and historical essence of sieges, which historically involved engineering works like circumvallation and contravallation to counter sorties and resupply attempts. A key disputed case is the Berlin Blockade from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, when Soviet authorities imposed restrictions on rail, road, and canal traffic into West Berlin, aiming to force Western withdrawal by depleting resources for its 2.5 million residents. Some contemporaneous reporting framed it as a "siege," highlighting the starvation threat and isolation akin to historical precedents. However, the absence of encircling troops, combined with the Western Berlin Airlift delivering 2.3 million tons of supplies via 278,000 flights—exceeding pre-blockade levels—rendered it ineffective as a classic siege, leading most analyses to categorize it as a strategic blockade testing Cold War resolve rather than a direct military investment. Distinctions also arise with hybrid operations blending and limited engagements, such as certain naval actions mislabeled as sieges. Historical naval s, like those resembling "maritime sieges" in ancient examples (e.g., Athenian operations circa 425 BCE), enforced coastal denial but often permitted evasion without land encirclement, prompting debates over whether they constitute true sieges absent investment. In modern contexts, prolonged urban isolations without complete —exemplified by intermittent supply lines or aerial resupply—further blur boundaries, as seen in analyses questioning whether aerial/naval-dominated restrictions qualify beyond rhetorical effect.

References

  1. https://lieber.westpoint.edu/siege-law/
  2. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=osu1313569557&disposition=inline
  3. https://www.academia.edu/5095521/The_Development_of_Siege_Warfare_in_Classical_Antiquity
  4. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/siege-warfare/
  5. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/sieges-0014234
  6. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2024/01/megiddo-the-first-battle-in-history-for-which-we-have-a-detailed-account-in-the-annals-of-the-temple-of-karnak/
  7. https://historyegypt.org/warfare/siege-of-dapur
  8. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.12987/9780300271867-008/html
  9. https://www.thecollector.com/warfare-bronze-age-near-east/
  10. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/war-6.html
  11. https://rsc.byu.edu/view-hebrews/destruction-jerusalem
  12. https://qcurtius.com/2017/10/27/the-brutal-siege-of-amida/
  13. https://www.academia.edu/43805891/THE_NISIBIS_WAR_337_363_CE_THE_STRATEGIC_DEFENSE_OF_THE_ROMAN_ORIENT
  14. https://sourcebooks.web.fordham.edu/ancient/410alaric.asp
  15. https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/article/destruction-of-aquileia-452-%25E2%2580%258B%25E2%2580%258Bce/
  16. https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/article/capture-and-plunder-of-rome-by-vandals-in-455-ce/
  17. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/ostrogoths-capture-rome
  18. https://topostext.org/place/418418FPet
  19. https://history-maps.com/story/Rashidun-Caliphate/event/Siege-of-Damascus
  20. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/history/spread-of-islam/siege-of-damascus/
  21. https://www.islamicity.org/11511/capture-of-jerusalem-the-treaty-of-umar/
  22. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/history/spread-of-islam/siege-of-jerusalem/
  23. https://www.thecollector.com/fall-of-the-sassanid-empire-arab-conquest-persia/
  24. https://warhistory.org/%40msw/article/the-fall-of-ctesiphon-and-the-battle-of-jalula-2
  25. https://historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=1641
  26. https://www.academia.edu/30549622/The_Muslim_Conquest_of_Egypt_Reconsidered
  27. https://www.thecollector.com/byzantine-crushed-arab-sieges-bosporus/
  28. https://www.academia.edu/7091574/The_First_Arab_Siege_of_Constantinople
  29. https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/constantinoplesiege.html
  30. https://historymedieval.com/siege-of-constantinople-the-ultimate-clash/
  31. https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/EIEO/SIM-0707.xml?language=en
  32. https://www.legadoandalusi.es/magazine/al-andalus-and-occitania/?lang=en
  33. https://historyguild.org/the-carolingian-dynasty/
  34. https://byzantium.gr/battle.php?byzbat=b9_11
  35. https://www.foreignexchanges.news/p/today-in-middle-eastern-history-the-f45
  36. https://vocal.media/fyi/the-first-viking-siege-of-paris-845-ce
  37. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/06/the-viking-russ-siege-of-constantinople/139507
  38. https://www.historynet.com/the-fury-of-the-northmen-viking-assault-constantinople-860/
  39. https://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/volume2/chap56.htm
  40. https://historyofcroatia.com/2021/07/23/domagoj-864-876/
  41. https://www.foreignexchanges.news/p/today-in-european-history-the-siege-689
  42. https://byzantium.gr/battle.php?byzbat=b9_19
  43. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-great-viking-siege-of-paris/
  44. https://www.thecollector.com/siege-of-chandax-byzantines-retook-crete/
  45. https://www.italyonthisday.com/2019/08/the-arab-conquest-of-sicily-902.html
  46. https://byzantium.gr/battle.php?byzbat=c10_01
  47. https://www.medievalists.net/2022/12/sack-thessaloniki/
  48. https://www.deremilitari.org/RESOURCES/SOURCES/thessaloniki.htm
  49. https://www.houseofdarmenia.com/chartres/
  50. https://www.academia.edu/126933976/The_Siege_of_Chandax_The_Byzantine_Recovery_of_Crete_960_961
  51. https://byzantium.gr/battle.php?byzbat=c10_08
  52. https://byzantium.gr/battle.php?byzbat=c10_12
  53. https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/2020/10/28/what-was-the-siege-of-antioch-968-969-ad/
  54. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Bari
  55. https://historymedieval.com/the-epic-norman-siege-of-bari/
  56. https://www.medievalists.net/2013/08/the-norman-invasion-of-sicily-1061-1072-numbers-and-military-tactics/
  57. http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art139.htm
  58. https://historymedieval.com/legacy-of-nicaeas-epic-stand/
  59. https://www.foreignexchanges.news/p/today-in-middle-eastern-history-the-ac4
  60. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1252/the-siege-of-antioch-1097-98-ce/
  61. https://www.britannica.com/event/Crusades/The-siege-of-Jerusalem
  62. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1254/the-capture-of-jerusalem-1099-ce/
  63. https://library.smotj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The-Second-Crusade.pdf
  64. https://www.animatedmaps.div.ed.ac.uk/Divinity2/second.html
  65. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-westerncivilization/chapter/the-second-crusade/
  66. https://www.thecollector.com/saladin-defeated-crusaders-recaptured-jerusalem/
  67. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1553/saladins-conquest-of-jerusalem-1187-ce/
  68. https://www.crusaderkingdoms.com/jerusalem-is-lost.html
  69. https://www.thoughtco.com/crusades-siege-of-acre-2360720
  70. https://www.manchesterhive.com/view/journals/bjrl/36/2/article-p328.pdf
  71. https://www.britannica.com/event/Sack-of-Constantinople-1204
  72. https://deremilitari.org/2014/05/the-mongol-siege-of-xiangyang-and-fan-cheng-and-the-song-military/
  73. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1188/1204-the-sack-of-constantinople/
  74. https://www.britannica.com/event/Mongol-Siege-of-Kaifeng
  75. https://thechinaproject.com/2022/04/06/a-mongol-siege-the-black-death-and-the-end-of-two-dynasties/
  76. https://the-orb.arlima.net/textbooks/crusade/seventhcru.html
  77. https://deremilitari.org/2014/01/the-seventh-crusade-1249-according-to-abu-al-faraj-gregory-bar-hebraeus/
  78. https://www.deremilitari.org/RESOURCES/SOURCES/baghdad.htm
  79. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/mongol-horde-unstoppable-force/
  80. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-mongol-hordes/
  81. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1267/the-siege-of-acre-1291-ce/
  82. https://www.history.co.uk/article/acre-the-battle-that-ended-the-crusades
  83. https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2024/04/the-war-wolf-at-stirling-castle/
  84. https://www.scottishhistory.org/on-this-day/siege-of-stirling-castle-1304/
  85. https://www.foreignexchanges.news/p/today-in-european-history-the-third
  86. https://erenow.org/postclassical/crusades/53.php
  87. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Calais-1346-47
  88. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/conquest-of-constantinople/
  89. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/ottomans-defeated-belgrade
  90. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/siege-of-rhodes-the-will-of-the-hospitallers/
  91. https://heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_reconquista
  92. https://schoolshistory.org.uk/topics/british-history/wars-of-the-roses/battles-in-the-wars-of-the-roses/
  93. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-13/aztec-capital-falls-to-cortes
  94. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2028/the-fall-of-tenochtitlan/
  95. https://origins.osu.edu/watch/fall-tenochtitlan
  96. https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/06/26/on-this-day-siege-of-rhodes-1522/
  97. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/siege-of-rhodes-the-ottomans.html
  98. https://www.habsburger.net/en/events/first-turkish-siege-vienna-1529
  99. https://www.wien.gv.at/english/history/overview/turks.html
  100. https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_metz_1552.html
  101. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/siege-metz-1552-1553
  102. https://www.historyhit.com/a-turning-point-for-europe-the-siege-of-malta-1565/
  103. https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/great-siege-malta-1565-crusaders-last-stand-when-what/
  104. https://www.historynet.com/szigetvar-hungary/
  105. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/ancient-history/battle-saved-civilization-szigetvar-1566.html
  106. https://www.lakenhal.nl/en/story/siege-and-relief-of-leiden
  107. https://new.coinsweekly.com/coins-medals-more/the-suffering-of-leiden-a-siege-during-the-dutch-revolt/
  108. https://warhistory.org/%40msw/article/the-siege-of-antwerp
  109. https://www.facebook.com/SandRhoman/videos/floods-dams-and-boats-the-siege-of-antwerp-1585/590056439988893/
  110. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/ambrogio-di-spinola/
  111. https://www.thecollector.com/siege-of-la-rochelle-battle/
  112. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/Frederik-Hendrik-s-Siege-of-s-Hertogenbosch-1629--7f353da9c3cc394c950389d752ced3ca
  113. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1124&context=honors-thesis
  114. https://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/limerick-city/limerick-city-history/the-siege-of-limerick/limerick-under-siege/
  115. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/1683-siege-vienna
  116. https://earlofmanchesters.co.uk/siege-warfare-in-the-english-civil-wars/
  117. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1938/january/capture-louisbourg-1758
  118. https://www.lermuseum.org/imperial-rivalry-1731-1763/siege-of-louisbourg-30-may-27-july-1758
  119. https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/battle-quebec
  120. https://www.britishbattles.com/french-indian-war/battle-of-quebec-1759/
  121. https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/seven-years-war
  122. https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_pondicherry.html
  123. https://www.masshist.org/online/siege/index.php
  124. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Boston
  125. https://www.gibmuseum.gi/our-history/military-history/great-siege-of-gibraltar
  126. https://www.britishbattles.com/war-of-the-revolution-1775-to-1783/siege-of-gibraltar/
  127. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/yorktown
  128. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Yorktown
  129. http://www.zaragoza.es/ciudad/turismo/en/que-visitar/sitios-interes/sitioszaragoza.htm
  130. https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_saragossa_second.html
  131. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Sevastopol
  132. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Lucknow
  133. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/vicksburg
  134. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Siege-of-Paris-1870-1871
  135. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Khartoum
  136. https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war
  137. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/baiting-the-russian-bear-the-siege-of-port-arthur/
  138. https://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/antwerp.htm
  139. https://interactive.aljazeera.com/ajt/2016/kutul-amare/en/kut-siege.html
  140. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-city-that-would-not-die-siege-of-leningrad/
  141. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-battle-of-stalingrad
  142. https://www.historyhit.com/the-longest-siege-in-modern-history-how-did-the-siege-of-sarajevo-unfold/
  143. https://thewarhorse.org/fallujah-iraq-war-timeline-battle/
  144. https://mwi.westpoint.edu/urban-warfare-case-study-7-second-battle-of-fallujah/
  145. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29688108
  146. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/the-siege-of-kobani/
  147. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38132163
  148. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/timeline-the-battle-for-aleppo-idUSKBN1430PJ/
  149. https://mwi.westpoint.edu/urban-warfare-case-study-8-battle-of-marawi/
  150. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia-pacific/philippines/philippines-addressing-islamist-militancy-after-battle-marawi
  151. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37702442
  152. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/Jan-Feb-2019/Arnold-Mosul/
  153. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/more-than-8000-killed-during-2022-mariupol-siege-human-rights-watch-2024-02-08/
  154. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/08/ukraine-new-findings-russias-devastation-mariupol
  155. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61179093
  156. https://mwi.westpoint.edu/urban-warfare-project-case-study-2-battle-of-mosul/
  157. https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/ned-kellys-last-stand
  158. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-28/bushranger-ned-kelly-glenrowan-siege-145th-anniversary/105442598
  159. https://nedkellytouringroute.com.au/destinations/glenrowan/
  160. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Siege-of-Sidney-Street/
  161. https://www.jewsfww.uk/the-siege-of-sidney-street-january-1911.php
  162. https://winstonchurchill.org/the-life-of-churchill/rising-politician/the-siege-of-sidney-street/
  163. https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/stories/move-osage-avenue
  164. https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-move-bombing-40th-anniversary-1985-commission/
  165. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-largely-forgotten-history-of-philadelphias-police-bombing-of-black-organization-move
  166. https://www.britannica.com/event/Ruby-Ridge
  167. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-22/incident-at-ruby-ridge
  168. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/26/ruby-ridge-1992-modern-american-militia-charlottesville
  169. https://www.britannica.com/event/Waco-siege
  170. https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1151283229/waco-branch-davidian-david-koresh-jeff-guinn
  171. https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/leveraging-data-to-predict-outcomes-in-hostage-and-barricade-incidents
  172. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86ld5z2ll7o
  173. https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2019-10-25/ed-and-elaine-brown-who-led-anti-tax-armed-stand-off-could-see-lower-sentence
  174. https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/tax-protester-ed-brown-to-remain-in-prison-for-role-in-2007-armed-standoff/article_5ac97a9a-acc7-59ee-9357-b5346f5de697.html
  175. https://www.cbs42.com/alabama-news/in-2013-the-eyes-of-the-world-were-on-alabamas-boy-in-the-bunker/
  176. https://graphics.wsj.com/hostage/
  177. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/13/christopher-dorner-standoff-barricades-cabin
  178. https://graphics.latimes.com/christopher-dorner-manhunt/
  179. https://apnews.com/article/bundy-ranch-standoff-nevada-cattle-ffff74b4e3224fb596e6bb735cedef98
  180. https://www.npr.org/2024/06/20/nx-s1-4966725/a-decade-after-armed-standoff-the-bundys-appear-to-be-above-the-law
  181. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2017/02/oregon_standoff_timeline_41_da.html
  182. https://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/oregon-malheur-occupation-militia-bundy-ammon-ryan/
  183. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/berlin-airlift
  184. https://www.britannica.com/event/Berlin-blockade
  185. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/blockade-berlin
  186. https://theconversation.com/gaza-has-been-blockaded-for-16-years-heres-what-a-complete-siege-and-invasion-could-mean-for-vital-supplies-215359
  187. https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2977&context=ils
  188. https://www.unrwa.org/gaza15-years-blockade
  189. https://www.voanews.com/a/rights-groups-urge-yemen-s-houthis-to-end-taiz-blockade-/6721240.html
  190. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/09/27/yemen-coalitions-blocking-aid-fuel-endangers-civilians
  191. https://sanaacenter.org/the-yemen-review/july-sept-2024/23529
  192. https://www.nytimes.com/1948/06/26/archives/berlin-siege-on-as-soviet-blocks-food-city-supply-short-british.html
  193. https://arcticreview.no/index.php/arctic/article/view/1123/2674
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.