| Second Italian War |
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The Second Italian War ( 1499 – 1504 ), sometimes known as the '''War over Naples''', was the second of the Italian Wars ; it was fought primarily by Louis XII Of France and Ferdinand I Of Spain , with the participation of several Italian powers. In the aftermath of the First Italian War , Louis was determined to press his claim on the thrones of Milan and Naples . In 1499, Louis concluded an alliance with the Republic Of Venice and the Swiss and invaded the Duchy Of Milan . Ludovico Sforza , having hired an army of Swiss Mercenaries , returned to the city to find it occupied by Gian Giacomo Trivulzio , who had joined the French; Ludovico's army was soon scattered, and he himself imprisoned in France. Impressed by the speed of his victory, Louis offered an alliance against Naples to Ferdinand II Of Aragon , proposing that they should split the kingdom. Ferdinand readily agreed, and in 1501 French and Aragonese armies seized Naples. The two kings now quarreled over the division of the spoils; Ferdinand's insistence that he be recognized as king of both Naples and Sicily soon led to war between France and Aragon. Defeated at Cerignola and Garigliano by the Spanish under Gonzalo Fernandez De Cordoba , Louis was forced to abandon Naples and withdraw to Lombardy . The Treaty of Blois in 1504 confirmed Spanish control of Naples but allowed Louis to retain Milan and Genoa for himself. REFERENCES
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