Italian Wars 1494 1559 War State & Society In Early Modern Europe

'Not just Italy but large swathes of Europe were drawn into the Italian Wars of the early sixteenth century. A great hole in the historical literature has at last been filled by this lucid and authoritative account of these events by two leading scholars in Renaissance history.'

David Abulafia, Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge

 

'Italy is the neglected crucible of early modern European warfare, and this important book examines in detail both the conflicts which kept Italy a battleground through the first half of the sixteenth century, and the wider significance of the military developments which sprang from these Italian Wars.'

David Parrott, Lecturer in Modern History, University of Oxford

 

The Italian Wars of 1494-1559 had a major impact on the whole of Renaissance Europe. In this important text, Michael Mallett and Christine Shaw place the conflict within the political and economic context of the wars. Emphasising the gap between aims and strategies of the political masters and what their commanders and troops could actually accomplish on the ground, they analyse developments in military tactics and the tactical use of firearms and examine how Italians of all sectors of society reacted to the wars and the inevitable political and social change that they brought about.

The history of Renaissance Italy is currently being radically rethought by historians. This book is a major contribution to this re-evaluation, and will be essential reading for all students of Renaissance and military history.

 

The lateMichael Mallett was Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Warwick and a distinguished historian of fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy. His books included Mercenaries and their Masters: Warfare in Renaissance Italy (1974), and (with J.R. Hale) The Military Organization of a Renaissance State: Venice c.1400 to 1617 (1984).

 

Christine Shaw has published extensively on the political and military society of Renaissance Italy. Her books include Julius II: The Warrior Pope (1993), The Politics of Exile in Renaissance Italy (2000), and (as editor) Italy and the European Powers: The Impact of War 1500-1530 (2006).

The Italian Wars of 1494-1559 had a major impact on the whole of Renaissance Europe. In this important text, Michael Mallett and Christine Shaw place the conflict within the political and economic context of the wars. Emphasising the gap between aims and strategies of the political masters and what their commanders and troops could actually accomplish on the ground, they analyse developments in military tactics and the tactical use of firearms and examine how Italians of all sectors of society reacted to the wars and the inevitable political and social change that they brought about.

The history of Renaissance Italy is currently being radically rethought by historians. This book is a major contribution to this re-evaluation, and will be essential reading for all students of Renaissance and military history.

Part of the prestigious Modern Wars in Perspective series, this book from two leading scholars of Renaissance Italy is both an important contribution to military history and an acute political analysis of Early Modern Europe.

The Italian Wars of 1494-1559, in which France and Spain battled for control of the Italian peninsula, had a major impact on the whole of Renaissance Europe.  This important text combines analysis of developments in military strategy and the tactical use of firearms with consideration of the social and economic context and the reactions of Italians of all social classes to the social and cultural changes wrought by the wars.

The late Michael Mallett was Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Warwick and a distinguished historian of fifteenth- and sixteenth century Italy. His books included Mercenaries and their Masters: Warfare in Renaissance Italy (1974), and (with J.R.Hale) The Military Organization of a Renaissance State: Venice c.1400 to 1617 (1984).

Christine Shaw has published extensively on the political and military society of Renaissance Italy. Her books include Julius II: The Warrior Pope (1993), The Politics of Exile in Renaissance Italy (2000), and (as editor) Italy and the European Powers: The Impact of War 1500-1530 (2006).

CONTENTS

 

List of illustrations

Acknowledgments

Preface by John Laws

Introduction   

 

1. The Genesis of the Wars and the First French Expedition

Charles VIII and his inheritance

French interests in Italy

King Ferrante of Naples and the other Italian powers

Preparations for the Italian enterprise

The final months

The reactions of the Italian powers

The march to Naples

The French in Naples

The French retreat and the Battle of Fornovo

The French loss of Naples

 

2. Milan and Naples Overwhelmed, 1496-1503   

The Pisan War, 1495-9

Preparations for the French invasion of Milan

The French conquest of Milan, 1499-1500

France as an Italian power

The conquest of Naples

The Spanish expulsion of the French from Naples

 

3. The Conflict Widens

Florence and Pisa

Ferdinand in Naples

Louis in Italy, 1507

The genesis of the League of Cambrai

The War of the League of Cambrai

The Battle of Agnadello and its consequences

The Venetian rally

The campaign against Venice in 1510

Julius II and the French

The campaign in the Veneto in 1511

The Holy League

The Battle of Ravenna

The expulsion of the French from Italy

 

4. New Orders Struggling to be Born, 1512-1519  

The restoration of the Medici to Florence

The settlement in Milan

The Venetians stand apart

The French invasion of Milan, 1513

War in the Veneto

Diplomatic conflict over Lombardy

The advent of Francis I and the conquest of Milan, 1515

The invasion of Milan by Maximilian and the Swiss, 1516

Final stages of the war against Venice, 1515-16

The quest for a Medici principate

The Imperial election

 

5. The Contest for Supremacy in Italy, 1520-1529  

The expulsion of the French, 1521-2

The claims of the Empire

The French return to Milan, 1523-4

Francis Is second expedition to Italy, 1524-5

The Battle of Pavia

The aftermath of the Battle of Pavia

The Imperial takeover of the Duchy of Milan

The League of Cognac

The Sack of Rome

The war in Lombardy, 1527-8

The invasion of Naples, 1528

The last campaign in Lombardy, 1528-9

The Treaties of Barcelona and Cambrai

 

6. The Transformation of War   

Weapons and the balance of arms

The impact of gunpowder weapons

Fortifications and siegecraft

Permanence and professionalism

Training and skills

Tactics and strategy

Leadership

The war at sea

The experience of war

 

7. The Resources of War

Recruitment and mobilization

The ordinances: muster and control

Billeting

Supply

Pay

Naval resources

The costs of war

 

8. Testing the Boundaries, 1529-47   

Charles V and Clement VII in Bologna, 1529-30

The siege of Florence, 1529-30

The second Congress of Bologna, 1532-3

Francis Is designs on Italy

The devolution of Milan

The French invasion of Savoy and Piedmont, 1536

Charles Vs journey through Italy, 1535-6

Charles V and Francis I again at war in Italy, 1536-7

Truce and peace

The renewal of the war in Piedmont, 1542-4

The Peace of Crépy, 1544

The promotion of Spanish interests in Italy

 

9. Th1547-1559

The War of Parma and Mirandola, 1551-2

The war in north-west Italy, 1551-2

Charles V at bay

The War of Siena, 1552-5

The transfer of power in Italy from Charles to Philip

War from the sea

Corsica

The war in north-west Italy, 1552-6

The alliance between France and the papacy

Albas invasion of the Papal States, 1556

The expedition of the duc de Guise, 1557

The final phase of the wars

The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis

 

10. The Legacies of the Wars   

Economic consequences

A new state system

An oppressed nation?

The transformation of military society

Italy in the Spanish Empire

 

Bibliography  

Index