A Spanish fleet under Álvaro de Bazán, 3rd Marquis of Santa Cruz, sent to relieve Bordeaux, at that time held by the nobles rose up against Louis XIV during the Fronde, encountered a great concentration of French warships belonging to Duke of Vendome's army in the channel of Blaye and captured or destroyed most of it.

In 1650, during the Fronde, King Philip IV of Spain allied with the Duchess of Longueville and Vicomte de Turenne, offering them warships, soldiers and money to fight his enemy Louis XIV of France.

[8] Archduke Leopold Wilhem succeeded in attacking the French fleet at Dunkirk and defeated it with great loss,[9] while the Grand Admiral Duke of Vendôme captured the fortress of Bourg-sur-Gironde from the Spanish on 4 July 1653, investing Bordeaux shortly after.

[2] In addition, Marquis of Santa Cruz and Admiral Manuel de Buñuelos were urged to sail from Cádiz in command of the Armada del Mar Océano with the same purpose.

[4] The day following the battle, the Spanish ships shelled the village of Montagne, after which 1,600 soldiers were landed and looted it,[4] capturing large amounts of cattle, wine, wheat and other provisions.