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The Italian War of 1521 (1521–26) was an episode in the Italian Wars involving Francis I Of France , Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor , and a number of other European powers. Francis was repeatedly defeated and after being captured at the Battle Of Pavia was forced to sign a humiliating peace. The war was a clear defeat of France and a victory for Spain, England, Holy Roman Empire and the Papal States. PRELUDE The death of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in 1519 led to a bitterly contested Imperial election; Francis I expended significant sums of money in an attempt to buy the electors, but nevertheless lost to Charles. The latter, posessing both Spain and the Netherlands already, was now in a favorable strategic position, having surrounded France on three sides. Francis thus resolved to invade Habsburg territory, a venture in which he was supported by the Republic Of Venice , the Papacy, and a number of smaller Italian states. INITIAL MOVES (1521–22) The diplomatic maneuvering soon broke into open war. Francis proceeded to launch an invasion of Navarre , nominally under the leadership of Henry D'Albret , who had lost the principality to Ferdinand I in 1512.Blockmans, ''Emperor Charles V'', 51. The French advance initially made significant headway; French troops under Bonnivet and Claude Of Lorraine seized the key city of Fuenterrabia at the mouth of the Bidasoa before being stymied at the Battle Of Pampeluna in May. The arrival of Charles himself at the head of a large Spanish army forced the French to withdraw, and they had largely abandoned Navarre by the end of the year; nevertheless, certain strongholds—Fuenterrabia being the most significant of these—continued to resist the besieging Spaniards well into 1524.Ibid., 44–45. In the east, meanwhile, Imperial armies invaded France in force, razing Ardres and besieging Mouzon , Mezieres (where Bayard and Montmorency led a dogged defence), and finally Tournai .Hackett, ''Francis the First'', 245 The French fared no better in Italy. In November 1521, a combined Spanish-Papal army under the command of Prosper Colonna captured Milan ;Blockmans, ''Emperor Charles V'', 57. Odet De Foix , commander of the French forces in Lombardy , was hampered by the need to coordinate his actions with the Venetians and his own Swiss Mercenaries . When these last announced their intention to return home—their contracts about to expire—Foix convinced them to remain for a final battle. On April 22 , 1522 , the combined French-Venetian-Swiss army confronted Colonna at the Battle Of Bicocca ; the Swiss, attempting a frontal assault against the entrenched Spanish Harquebusiers , suffered overwhelming casualties, forcing Foix to retreat into Venetian territory.Ibid. FRANCE AT BAY (1523–24) As the English now invaded Picardy from their base in Calais , the Venetian Republic switched her allegiance to Charles, expelling the French troops, who were now pushed out of Lombardy. Francis quickly planned another invasion, but this came to nothing when the Constable Of France , Charles De Bourbon , defected to the Emperor's service. Another invasion was finally mounted in early 1524, but was decisively defeated at the Battle Of The Sesia . An Imperial army led by Bourbon now invaded France itself, marauding its way through Provence and Languedoc before being forced to withdraw by gathering French forces at Avignon . PAVIA (1524–25) Francis now launched another invasion of Lombardy with a massive army led by himself personally. The effort was initially successful in scattering Imperial resistance, but the French, having missed an opportunity to take Milan , settled in for a protracted siege. Francis now weakened his position by sending a portion of his forces south to Naples ; several contingents of Swiss also left; Charles, meanwhile, had assembled an army under the command of Charles De Lannoy and the Marquis Of Pescara , which invaded Lombardy from the north with the intention of relieving the siege. On February 24 , 1525 , Francis engaged Lannoy in the Battle Of Pavia . Over the course of several hours, the French suffered devastating casualties—including a significant number of commanders—culminating in the capture of Francis himself. What remained of the French forces abandoned the siege and retreated to France. AFTERMATH Francis was imprisoned in Madrid for the remainder of the year. On January 14 , 1526 , he finally signed to the Treaty of Madrid, under the terms of which he surrendered not only his claims in Italy, but also Burgundy , Artois , and Flanders , to Charles. He was also required to send two of his sons as hostages to Spain, and to marry Charles' sister Eleanor. As soon as he had been released, however, Francis announced that he had no intention of abiding by these terms, as they had been given under duress. This stance, combined with renewed Papal fear of growing Imperial power, resulted in the start of the War Of The League Of Cognac later that same year. NOTES REFERENCES
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