Siege of Doullens The Siege of Doullens , also known as the Spanish capture of Doullens or the Storming of Doullens , took place between 14 and 31 July 1595 , as part of the Franco - Spanish War ( 1595 - 1598 ) and the Anglo - Spanish War ( 1585 – 1604 ) , in the context of the French Wars of Religion . < ref name = " La prise de Doullens par les Espagnols en 1595 by Arthur Demarsy " / > After of ten days of siege , on 24 July , the combined forces of Henri de La Tour d ' Auvergne , Duke of Bouillon , André de Brancas , Amiral de Villars , and François d ' Orléans - Longueville , tried to relieve the city , but were severely defeated by the Spanish forces led by Don Pedro Henríquez de Acevedo , Count of Fuentes , and Don Carlos Coloma . Villars was taken prisoner and executed , and the Duke of Bouillon fled to Amiens with the rest of the French army . Finally , few days after , on 31 July , the Spanish troops stormed Doullens . The Spaniards killed everybody in the city , military and civilians alike , shouting " " Remember Ham " " " ( Spanish : " Recordad Ham " ) " , in retaliation for the massacre against the Spanish garrison of Ham by the French and Protestant soldiers under Bouillon orders . < ref name = " La prise de Doullens par les Espagnols en 1595 by Arthur Demarsy " > Arthur Demarsy . pp . 8 – 16 < / ref > Prelude . During the French Wars of Religion the Spanish Monarchy , as defender of Catholicism , had intervened regularly in favour of the Catholic League of France , especially in the Siege of Paris of 1590 , when Henry of Navarre , the future Henry IV of France , was decisively defeated by the combined forces of Spain and the Catholic France . This Catholic success led the conversion of Henry to Catholicism declaring that " " Paris is well worth a Mass " " , and finally , with the support of the majority of his Catholic subjects , he was crowned King of France at the Cathedral of Chartres on 27 February 1594 . In 1595 , Henry IV of France officially declared the war against Spain , who was attempting to reconquer large parts of northern France from the hostile Franco - Spanish Catholic forces . In the Low Countries , after the death of the Archduke Ernest of Austria at Brussels on Frebuary 20 of 1595 , Don Pedro Henríquez de Acevedo , Count of Fuentes , became Governor - General of the Spanish Netherlands , until the arrival of Albert , sent by Philip II of Spain to Brussels to succeed his elder brother . In June , 1595 , the Franco - Protestant forces of Henri de La Tour d ' Auvergne , Duke of Bouillon and François d ' Orléans - Longueville , Duke of Château - Thierry , taking Ham , massacring the small Spanish garrison . Meanwhile , the Count of Fuentes and his forces , 5 , 000 Spanish troops ( 4 , 000 infantry and 1 , 000 cavalry ) , advanced over France , capturing Le Catelet . Reinforced by 3 , 000 more troops from Hainaut and Artois , Fuentes continued with his offensive , and on July 14 , arrived at Doullens and started the siege . With the news of Doullens , Bouillon and François d ' Orléans , Governor of Picardy , joined with the ex - Leaguer André de Brancas , Amiral de Villars , and with the new combined forces , marched towards to help the besieged city . The French garrison of Doullens , unlike Le Catelet , hoping that reinforcements would arrive soon , prepared a good defense . On July 16 , Valentín Pardieu de la Motte , one of the Spanish commanders , while studying the defences of Doullens , was killed by a lucky shot . Battle . On July 24 , the French forces arrived near Doullens . Villars , at the head of the French relief army , rushed to relieve the town instead of waiting for the reinforcements of Louis Gonzaga , Duke of Nevers . Fuentes positioned part of his army , about 2 , 000 to 3 , 000 men , under Don Carlos Coloma , to intercept the French forces . Villars launched a reckless cavalry attack against the Spaniards , creating confusion among the Spanish troops , but was repelled without much trouble , causing heavy casualties to the French . Then , the French troops were surrounded by the Spaniards , and Fuentes punished them severely , massacring their infantry , and capturing their munitions , equipment , flags and supplies . Villars was taken prisoner , and despite to offering to pay ransom for his life , was executed of a shot through the head . This defeat reduced further the King ' s forces in Picardy , and the Duke of Bouillon fled to Amiens with what was left of the French army . Storming of Doullens . Fuentes now turned against Doullens again , and after 2 failed attempts , took the city on July 31 . Shouting " " Remember Ham " " , the Spaniards killed everybody in the city , military and civilians alike , in revenge for the massacre against the Spanish - Catholic garrison of Ham by the French and Protestant soldiers under the Duke of Bouillon . Between 3 , 000 and 4 , 000 people died in a few hours . Consequences . With Doullens secured , and reinforced with 1 , 500 men under Charles Bonaventure de Longueval , Count of Bucquoy , Fuentes advanced with the bulk of the army over the important fortress - city of Cambrai . Henry IV , who was in Lyon , was determined to save the city of all costs , but the precarious economic situation of Henry made it impossible to gather a relief army . Even he appealed to the United Provinces for armed assistance , but the response was very slow . After a heavy bombardment , the Spanish troops captured the city . The Governor of Cambrai , Jean de Monluc , Seigneur de Balagny , retired to the citadel , but surrendered on 7 September . Doullens was under Spanish control until the Peace of Vervins in 1598 .