page_title: Siege of Quebec (1760)
section_title: Stalemate
hierarchical_section_title: Siege of Quebec (1760) / Siege / Stalemate
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: François Gaston de Lévis représenté avec le bâton de maréchal
context_page_description: The Siege of Quebec, also known as the Second Siege of Quebec, was an unsuccessful French attempt to retake Quebec City in New France which had been captured by Britain the previous year. The siege lasted from 29 April until 15 May when British ships arrived to relieve the city which compelled the French commander Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis to break off the siege and retreat.
  The British capture of Montreal a few months later largely ended French resistance and completed the Conquest of Canada, which was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris.
context_section_description: As time wore on, it became clear a stalemate had developed. The French cannons were too weak to batter down the city's defences, while the British were not strong enough to march out and drive off the more numerous French. In a common courtesy during a siege, the two commanders exchanged small gifts of food. Lévis sent spruce beer and partridges, while Murray responded with Cheshire cheese. Victory would go to whoever's ships came first down the St Lawrence carrying reinforcements.
  Lévis rested his hopes on the prospect of reinforcements arriving from France, boosting his strength and allowing him to take the city. In France a strategic debate had been underway about the allocation of French reinforcements. The French first minister, the Duc de Choiseul, believed that French prospects were better in Europe and planned another major attack in Germany. The French hoped that if they were able to win a major victory in Germany and occupy the Electorate of Hanover they would be able to negotiate the return of Canada in exchange for it when peace was agreed. An added consideration was the heavy naval defeats the British had inflicted on the French at the battles of Lagos and Quiberon Bay the previous year and a near constant blockade of the French ports meant that their navy effectively ceased to function. In an effort to show the Canadians they had not been completely abandoned, a small group of supply ships were sent carrying 400 troops - well short of the sort of reinforcement that Lévis required and only one frigate could be spared as an escort. Even this limited relief was weakened when blockading British forces captured three of the transports shortly after they had sailed from Bordeaux in early April.
caption: François Gaston de Lévis with Marshal's Baton
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