How did Henry V capture Rouen in 1419?

Henry V captured Rouen in 1419 not by storming the city, but through a protracted siege designed to starve the defenders into submission.1

Recognizing that the city’s heavy fortifications and large garrison made a direct assault impractical, Henry began the siege in July 1418. The blockade was devastatingly effective; by December, the inhabitants were forced to consume animals such as dogs, cats, and mice to survive. In a display of extreme cruelty, Henry refused to allow thousands of impoverished residents expelled from the city to pass through his lines, leaving them to perish in the cold ditches surrounding the walls.1

The French garrison attempted several unsuccessful sorties to break the blockade, but the city ultimately surrendered on January 19, 1419, after approximately 50,000 people had died of starvation. Following the surrender, Henry imposed a massive, likely impossible, indemnity of 300,000 crowns upon the survivors as a final act of humiliation.1