History Daily Podcast Summary Episode: The Siege of La Rochelle (October 28, 2025)
Host: Lindsey Graham
Produced by: Airship | Noiser | Wondery

Episode Overview

This episode of History Daily revisits the dramatic siege of La Rochelle, a momentous 14-month conflict from 1627–1628 that marked the end of serious Protestant (Huguenot) resistance in France. Host Lindsey Graham narrates the story with vivid historical detail, drawing listeners into the turmoil, desperation, and shifting alliances of the period. The episode focuses on the intense struggle between the Huguenot defenders of La Rochelle and the Catholic forces of King Louis XIII, exploring themes of religious freedom, betrayal, and survival.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: A City Under Siege

• [00:00 - 04:36]

  • La Rochelle, a prosperous port city and the last Protestant stronghold, faces siege from its own king, Louis XIII.
  • The episode sets a tense scene: an artillery officer prepares the city’s defenses as orders arrive to begin the fight.
  • The importance of La Rochelle:
    • As a major trading hub, the city had strategic significance both commercially and militarily.
    • Its strong fortifications and harbor allowed for potential resupply by sea, making it a difficult target for total conquest.

• Religious Context:

  • France had experienced 60 years of religious wars between Catholics and Huguenots (Protestant Reformers).
  • La Rochelle’s citizens are motivated not only by local pride but by their identity as the last defiant Huguenots.

The Siege Begins: Encirclement and Engineering

• [04:36 - 10:39]

  • August 1627:
    • Charles de Valois, the Duke of Angoulême, arrives to command the royal forces.
    • After being denied entry, he orders the city to be surrounded and prepares for a prolonged siege.
  • King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu arrive personally with more troops. Richelieu proposes a novel and ruthless solution: constructing a sea wall to block all supplies.
  • Construction of the Sea Wall:
    • Ships sunk as foundations, with a stone wall built across the harbor and lined with sharpened stakes.
    • This innovative blockade isolates the city both by land and sea:
      • "Cardinal Richelieu comes up with a radical idea. He suggests building a wall out at sea... over a mile across the water." (Lindsey Graham, 08:13)

• English Support Falters:

  • The Protestant King of England had promised aid.
  • An English armada under the Duke of Buckingham attempts to take the nearby Île de Ré, to no avail.
  • Their failed siege and subsequent withdrawal doom La Rochelle to face its enemies alone.

The City Endures: Famine and Despair

• [11:18 - 15:38]
  • April 1628:
    • Duke of Soubise, Huguenot commander, sees hope as a new English fleet appears.
    • The much-anticipated fleet, however, turns back without engagement—devastating morale.
    • "He wants to scream insults at them as they disappear over the horizon. But... he knows this will be a devastating blow." (Lindsey Graham, 12:41)
  • Famine and Disease:
    • With dwindling supplies, rationing turns severe.
    • Starvation tightens its grip; dead remain unburied, disease unfolds unchecked.
    • "Hundreds of people have already died of hunger and sickness during the siege... corpses are left unburied. This only helps spread disease." (Lindsey Graham, 13:53)
  • Summer 1628:
    • King Louis forgoes bombardment, letting “hunger and disease” do the work.
    • A second, larger English fleet finally arrives and attacks the sea wall—but fails to breach it and withdraws.

The Endgame: Surrender and Aftermath

• [16:46 - 19:52]
  • October 28, 1628:
    • Starved and hopeless, La Rochelle’s leaders open the gates and surrender unconditionally.
    • "In better times, they would have ridden out on horseback, but the city’s last horses were slaughtered and eaten months ago." (Lindsey Graham, 16:58)
  • King Louis XIII, with Cardinal Richelieu, enters a city devastated by siege—of the original 25,000, only some 5,000 survive.
  • Political Consequences:
    • Protestant leaders are stripped of political rights but are promised freedom of worship, at least temporarily.
    • The episode emphasizes the future vulnerability of Huguenots, who would be persecuted again under Louis XIV:
      • “Their survival will now depend entirely on the goodwill of the crown. And less than 60 years later, another French king will revoke their freedoms and unleash a new wave of persecution.” (Lindsey Graham, 18:54)
  • The siege is framed as the tragic closing act for Huguenot resistance in France.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “La Rochelle is a hotbed of Protestantism and resistance to France’s Catholic king has flared up in the city again and again…”
  — Lindsey Graham [05:07]

• “Cardinal Richelieu comes up with a radical idea. He suggests building a wall out at sea, one that will seal off the bay…”
  — Lindsey Graham [08:13]

• “Soubeise curses their cowardice. He wants to scream insults at them as they disappear over the horizon. But instead he forces himself to regain his composure. He knows this will be a devastating blow to the city’s wavering morale.”
  — Lindsey Graham [12:41]

• “With the defeat of this latest English relief attempt, Soubez knows that he is out of options… In just a matter of days, La Rochelle will be out of food and out of time.”
  — Lindsey Graham [14:54]

• “In better times, they would have ridden out on horseback, but the city’s last horses were slaughtered and eaten months ago.”
  — Lindsey Graham [16:58]

• “Before the siege, 25,000 people lived in La Rochelle. Now, 14 months later, fewer than 5,000 survive, and many of those are close to death. The fall of La Rochelle marks the end of Huguenot resistance to the French crown.”
  — Lindsey Graham [18:44]

Important Timestamps

• [00:00] Opening narrative: The siege begins; Huguenot artillery prepares for battle.
• [04:36] Historical overview: Why La Rochelle matters, religious and strategic context.
• [07:48] Richelieu’s sea wall is conceived and built.
• [09:09] English failure at the Île de Ré seals the city’s fate.
• [11:18] April 1628: The English fleet appears, then abruptly withdraws.
• [12:49] Famine tightens its grip; morale collapses.
• [14:51] Second failed English relief attack; surrender becomes inevitable.
• [16:46] October 28, 1628: The gates of La Rochelle are opened in surrender.
• [18:44] The siege’s legacy: lasting consequences for France’s Protestants.

Episode Tone & Style

With his evocative narration, Lindsey Graham balances drama and clarity, painting the horror and hope of besieged La Rochelle. The tone is somber yet engaging, respectful of the stakes and the suffering on both sides. Graham’s characteristic solemn delivery and careful pacing make the historical tragedy accessible and impactful for listeners.

For History Daily listeners—and newcomers curious about the tragedy and consequences of the Siege of La Rochelle—this episode delivers a compelling, thorough account of one of the great defining sieges in religious history.