Synopses & Reviews
'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).
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
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).
Table of Contents
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