This is a tale of two sieges! We examine the siege of St Martins on the Isle of Re by the ENglish, and the siege of Mantua by the Imperials and Spanish. These two sieges in the late 1620s were pivotal cases where the Thirty Years War hung in the balance. Unrelated though these theatres were to the main war in Germany, they each created ripples which had a profound effect on the outcome of the war. But these sieges did more than that - they also provided us with an ideal opportunity to focus our warfare obsessed microscope, and investigate what's really going on on the ground.What did the practice of a siege mean for the defenders and attackers, particularly when the defences were strong, or when the besiegers weren't very well led? Here is where we investigate! You may never have heard of these campaigns before, but this just goes to show that the war which housed them is full of surprises, so I hope you'll join me for this fascinating story. Thanksss!Could you spare 3 minutes to tick a few boxes, and complete this survey for the Agora Podcast Network? PRETTY PLEASE! Check out BT Newberg's new show a History of Sex! Listen to the intro episode Wanna listen to Poland Is Not Yet Lost? Visit our Patreon to find out more, and scratch that Polish itch! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy