Dear Folk,
On September 13, 1515, the combined forces of France and Venice whomped up on the Papal and Imperial troops. It spelled the end of one nation's battle strategy and further the end of that nation ever fighting any wars. This day we remember the Battle of Marignano.
The Italian wars had been going on since 1494. These were really regional skirmishes brought on by the superpowers of Europe trying to carve up sections of Italy. In those days Renaissance Italy was chopped up into a great number of rival, independent states. Each of these states contracted alliances with foreign countries to get more power and to raise money. Eventually those benevolent lenders, decided to call in some debts. Biggest of the heavy hitters were Spain and France.
First up was France in 1494 whose team captain, Charles VIII, decided that Naples looked nice and took it in 1495. It was a cake walk until Spain, the Holy Roman emperor, the Pope, Venice, and Milan brought Charles back to reality and forced his retreat. Louis XII of France in 1499 went further with occupying Milan and Genoa. Naples was also easy once he did a deal with Ferdinand V of Spain and Pope Alexander VI. The boy was slick! However, Ferdinand decided that Louis wasn't sharing the loot properly and so there was a touch of open warfare between France and Spain in 1502. As a result Louis was forced to give Naples back over to Spain but got to keep Milan and Genoa in the Treaties of Blois (1504 & 1505). Sharing means caring.
New pope, new ball-game. Pope Julius II got a gang together to whack Venice. This was everybody and his uncle. We had France, Spain, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I on Julie's side. Venice sort of stood alone. Venice was rich, my friends: she was commerce and trade. The French upheld their part of the bargain and beat on the Venetians at Agnadello (1509). Julius turned right around and made peace with those Venetians and formed "The Holy League" (1510) with Venice and Aragon in order to – get this – expel those French "barbarians" from Italy. Ouch! French were fine folk just a year ago, remember, Julie?
I am sure you will be gratified to hear that the French held their own. Well that was until the Swiss stormed Milan (1512), routed the French at Novara (1513), and controlled Lombardy. Things were looking bleak for our croissant-crunching cousins until France got a new king.
Francis I, 1494-1547 (ruled 1515-47), was the cousin, son-in-law, and successor of Louis XII. He decided that it was not time to allow the Italians and company to beat on French folk anymore. It was time to return to the fray.
The battle of Marignano was fought by Francis I of France and his Venetian allies against the Swiss Confederates, who then controlled the duchy of Milan. It was fought (Sept. 13–14) near the town of Marignano (now Melegnano), 10 mi. (16.1 km) SE of Milan. One of the bloodiest engagements in the Italian Wars , its outcome was decided by the timely arrival of Venetian cavalry. Their military ambitions broken, the Swiss made peace with Francis and negotiated (1516) the "perpetual alliance." This battle was described as a "battle of giants," Marignano established the superiority of artillery and cavalry over the reputedly invincible Swiss infantry tactics. Pikemen and long swords just do not hold up well to cannonading and flying troops of cavalry which follow.
The Swiss Confederacies had grown from being a self-defense force to that of a bunch of bully-boys hiring out to whomever could pay them. Not content with their home turf, the Swiss decided that expansion might be nice. This battle spanked them hard and spanked them good. So well did they learn this lesson, they have never since gone to war against anyone.
By the peace of Noyon (1516), Naples remained in Spanish hands and Milan was returned to France. All was not over, unfortunately for the folk living in these disputed city states.
Francis really hated Charles V , king of Spain. You see Francis was a good candidate for becoming Holy Roman Emperor. Guess who got it in 1519, instead. Right! The two reopened warfare in 1521, and the French were badly defeated in the Battle of Pavia (1525), the most important in the long wars. Francis was captured there and was forced to sign the Treaty of Madrid (1526), by which he renounced his Italian claims and ceded Burgundy. This he said he had done with his fingers crossed and had spit only once instead of the required three times, as soon as he was liberated. Francis then formed the League of Cognac with Pope Clement VII , Henry VIII of England, Venice, and Florence. Francis even made an alliance with Suleyman the Magnificent just to annoy Charles V. If this sounds like little boys forming exclusive clubs and throwing rocks at each other, well it was.
Charles V sent Charles de Bourbon at the head of a small courtesy crusade to Rome. They wanted to teach the pope some manners. They sacked Rome for a full week in May of 1527, dear friends. They positively got medieval on the Roman's hind and living quarters. The French, although not idle with taking Genoa, were eventually forced to give up Naples and retreat. The war sort of dribble off in 1529 with the Treaty of Cambrai and France lost Italy. There were two more short (2 years each) fights but France lost them both. Spain had Italy – the two Sicilies and Naples – in its Habsburg pocket. Francis died in 1547, his dream of empire went with him.
The battle of Marignano was a success, though fleeting, for the French but it spelled the end of chivalry. Cannons and muskets, the first hand grenades, light cavalry sweeping across the field made the heavy mounted sword fighter something of an anachronism. After saying that, in this battle fought Seigneur de Pierre Terrail Bayard (1474–1524), a French military hero, called "le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche "[the knight without fear or reproach.] He exhibited bravery and genius as a commander in all the important battles of the Italian Wars , from Fornovo (1495) to the Sesia, in which he was killed. His defense of Mézières (1521) saved central France from an imperial invasion. Well, some forms of chivalry lived on.
What have we learned from this? Some win battles while others win wars? Dreams of empire often end in death? Cannon balls don't need to call their blows? All alliances should be treated as temporary? How about let us learn from the Swiss: only a fool does something again and again and expects different results?
So, if you are out mowing down pikemen with your trusty or rusty cannon, forming alliances with popes named Julie, or just looking for some good chocolate, and you have this urge to send this missive out to others, please leave my name and sig. attached.
Playing games without frontiers,
J. Ellsworth Weaver
SCA – Sir Balthazar of Endor
AS – Polyphemus Theognis
TRV – Sebastian Yeats