introduction

Chapter 1: The Origins of War and the First French Expedition
Charles VIII and his legacy│French interests in Italy│King Ferrante of Naples and other Italian powers│Preparations for the Italian expedition│The last month│The reaction of the Italian powers│The march on Naples│The French in Naples│The French withdrawal and the Battle of Fornovo│The loss of Naples to France

Chapter 2: Milan and Naples Conquered, 1496–1503
Maximilian's Italian Expedition, 1496│War of Pisa, 1495–1499│Preparations for the French Invasion of Milan│French Invasion of Milan, 1499–1500│Return of Ludovico Sforza and his final defeat│France becomes an Italian power│Invasion of Naples│Spain expels the French from Naples

Chapter 3: The Escalation of the Conflict
Florence and Pisa│Ferdinand of Naples│Louis XII of Italy, 1507│Origins of the League of Cambrai│Beginning of the War of the League of Cambrai│Battle of Agnadello│Venetian Counterattack│Venetian Expedition, 1510│Julius II and France│Veneto Expedition, 1511│Holy League│Battle of Ravenna│Expulsion of French Forces

Chapter 4: The Birth of a New Order, 1512–1519
The return of the Medici family│The Milanese Compromise│Venice keeps its distance│French invasion of Milan, 1513│The Veneto War│Diplomatic disputes surrounding Lombardy│The ascension of Francis I and the invasion of Milan, 1515│Maximilian and the Swiss invasion of Milan, 1516│The final stage of the Venetian Wars, 1515-1516│The Medici's territorial expansion│The imperial election

Chapter 5: The Italian Struggle for Hegemony, 1520–1529
Expulsion of the French, 1521–1522 │ Imperial demands │ French re-invasion of Milan, 1523–1524 │ Francis I's second Italian expedition, 1524–1525 │ Battle of Pavia │ Aftermath of the Battle of Pavia │ Imperial takeover of Milan │ League of Cognac │ Sack of Rome │ Lombard Wars, 1527–1528 │ Invasion of Naples, 1528 │ Last Lombard expedition, 1528–1529 │ Treaties of Barcelona and Cambrai

Chapter 6: The Ongoing Territorial Dispute, 1529–1547
Charles V and Clement VII of Bologna, 1529-1530│Siege of Florence, 1529-1530│Second Congress of Bologna, 1532-1533│François I's Italian designs│Cession of Milan│French invasion of Savoy and Piedmont, 1536│Charles V's Italian campaign, 1535-1536│Resumption of the Italian Wars between Charles V and Francis I, 1536-1537│Truce and peace│Resumption of the Piedmont War, 1542-1544│Peace of Crepi, 1544│Spanish ambitions for Italy

Chapter 7: The French Challenge, 1547-1559
War of Parma and Mirandola, 1551-1552│War of North-West Italy, 1551-1552│Charles V in a corner│War of Siena, 1552-1555│From Charles V to Philip II│Navigate war│Corsica│War of North-West Italy, 1552-1556│Alliance of France and the Papacy│Duke of Alba's invasion of the Papal States, 1556│Duke of Guise's expedition, 1557│The final phase of the war│Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis

Chapter 8: The Transformation of War
Balance of Armaments and Armaments│The Impact of Gunpowder Weapons│Fortress Defense and Siege Art│Standing Armies and Professional Soldiers│Training and Technology│Tactics and Strategy│Command│Naval Warfare│War Experience

Chapter 9 War Resources
Recruitment and mobilization│Laws: mustering and control│Bed and quarters│Supplies│Pays│Naval resources│War costs

Chapter 10: Propaganda and Images of War
France's Italy│Italy the Empire│The Pope in Wartime│Italy's Sorrow

Chapter 11: The Legacy of War
Economic consequences | New state systems | Oppressed peoples | Changes in military groups | Italy within the Spanish Empire

Huzhou
References
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Almost all history about the 'Italian Wars' that you encounter for the first time

On August 29, 1494, with all preparations completed, King Charles VIII of France departed Grenoble for Naples.
This Italian expedition by Charles VIII, who believed that he had the right to succeed to the throne of the Kingdom of Naples, was the starting point of a great war that no one at the time (not even those who started the expedition) could have predicted.
The Italian Wars that began in this way escalated into a huge international war that shook Renaissance Europe.
『The Italian Wars 1494-1559』 is a work that comprehensively illuminates the history of this great war, examining the entire process from various perspectives, starting with Charles VIII's expedition to Naples and ending with the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis.
The Italian Wars, one of the most important international wars between the late Middle Ages and the early modern period in terms of scale and influence, are famous for ushering in the 'prelude to modern European international politics.'
This is because it was not simply a conflict within the Italian Peninsula, but a war involving all of Europe's major powers, including France, the Habsburgs (Spain and the Holy Roman Empire), England, and the Ottoman Empire.
Countries repeatedly formed alliances, betrayed each other, and waged wars for a long time to gain control of the wealthy Italian city-states and strategic locations.
During this process, the fate of major Italian city-states, including Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, and the Papal States, also fluctuated greatly.

『Italian Wars 1494-1559』clearly organizes the Italian Wars from their beginnings to their development and conclusion, like a well-organized bookshelf.
Christine Shaw and Michael Mallett, experts in Italian military history during the Renaissance, cover major battles, diplomatic negotiations, national interests and strategies, and the political and social changes the war left behind, guiding readers through the events, characters, and backgrounds at a glance.
Through this process, readers will be able to feel the tension and excitement of the time as they encounter major historical events (Battle of Fornovo, Battle of Agnadello, Battle of Pavia, Sack of Rome, etc.) vividly depicted based on extensive historical materials and the exploits of key figures who shone with various lights (Ferdinand II, Charles V, Francis I, Philip II, Henry II, and all the popes).
In addition, 『Italian Wars 1494-1559』 provides a refreshing stimulus in that it introduces the full story of the Italian Wars to domestic readers for the first time.
The full picture of the Italian Wars was unknown in Korea until then, as it was only partially known through the works of Machiavelli and others.
However, through this book, readers will encounter the vast currents of the Italian War, the countless stories and colorful scenes hidden within it, and gain meaningful insights into the geopolitical and diplomatic issues we face today.


A new form of warfare and the dawn of modern military innovation

The Italian Wars were not simply regional conflicts; they marked the starting point of the order and balance of power in modern Europe. They demonstrated the complex intertwining of interests among European nations and the transition from the traditional medieval order to the order of modern international politics.
During the Italian Wars, the concept of balance of power emerged in earnest in Europe.
As France and the Habsburgs fiercely competed for Italy, each developed a diplomatic strategy of forming alliances and sometimes even joining hands with its enemies to advance its own interests.
In this process, the basic principle of international politics, the 'balance of power', began to operate.
Since then, the balance of power has become a core principle of European international politics.

The Italian Wars were also a stage for military innovation.
Innovations in military technology and tactics, such as the introduction of standing armies and the development of cannons and gunpowder weapons, were made amid the large-scale use of mercenary units hired from countries such as Switzerland and Germany.
This signified a shift from the traditional medieval warfare centered on heavily armed knights to modern armies and warfare methods, including the active use of infantry armed with pikes and arquebusiers.
In particular, the advent of large-scale artillery changed the way castles and cities were defended, and changed the very nature of warfare.
The Italian Wars also had a profound impact on European culture and society.
The Italian Peninsula, once the center of Renaissance culture, became an arena for foreign powers amidst the vortex of war, and in the process, the political independence and cultural leadership of the economically prosperous Italian city-states were greatly weakened.
On the other hand, territorial states such as France, Spain, and the United Kingdom showed great superiority and developed into leading players in the international order.
In particular, the Spanish Empire, which emerged victorious in the Italian Wars, emerged as a new hegemonic power in Europe.

What inspiration did the Italian Peninsula provide to the Korean Peninsula 500 years ago?

On the one hand, the Italian Wars were also a history of the competition for hegemony between France and Spain, the two great powers of early modern Western Europe.
The Holy Roman Empire (Germany) and England were also major rival powers.
On the other hand, the Italian city-states, where the wealth of the Mediterranean was concentrated and commercially vibrant, were divided into five major powers: Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, and the Papal States.
They were absorbed in hostility and conflict with each other, forgetting their own security realities.
Even after the 'shock' of the French invasion, the Italian city-states were unable to maintain their independence on their own, and so they were reduced to a state of desperate need to secure survival only through alliances with foreign powers.


As a clear example, the Republic of Venice, which once dominated Mediterranean commerce and amassed enormous wealth, expanded its territory into mainland Italy for a long time and played a leading role in regional diplomacy, but faced a crisis of existence when all the major powers of Europe declared war on Venice.
Venice, left to face the Pope, the Emperor, and the alliance of France and Spain (the League of Cambrai) alone, suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Agnadello, losing almost all of the territories it had acquired on the Italian mainland over a century, and losing the very survival of the nation itself.
Although the alliance was fractured and destruction averted by the Pope's change of heart, fearing that French power might encroach upon all of Italy, Venice's fate 500 years ago speaks volumes about the harsh realities of international politics.
As the international situation becomes increasingly complex and intertwined, and the interests, alliances, and competition among nations intensify, the diplomatic skills, balance of power, and cycles of war and peace demonstrated in the Italian Wars offer important historical lessons for understanding the dynamics of modern international politics.
In that respect, a comprehensive analysis of the Italian Wars, essential to understanding the birth of modern Europe and the origins of international order, will also provide profound inspiration for the current political situation and diplomatic strategies surrounding the Korean Peninsula, which require the insight of "learning from the past and learning from the new."


Four Characteristics of the Italian Wars 1494–1559

First, 『Italian Wars 1494-1559』 is a comprehensive research book that helps us fully understand the entire picture of the Italian Wars, which has been only fragmentarily introduced in Korea so far.
As the book's notes and bibliography demonstrate, thanks to its systematic compilation of the Italian Wars that spanned two centuries, based on extensive historical sources, readers can grasp the flow of the war from its background to its development and conclusion at a glance.


Second, the book presents a nearly perfect synthesis of the diverse and complex issues of the Italian Wars, which stood at a crucial turning point in European and world history.
The book clearly and easily explains the relationship between the power struggle between the Spanish-Habsburg and French royal houses over Italy, the rise and fall of the Italian city-states, military innovations and alliances between nations, and the Reformation, making it accessible to everyone.


Third, this book goes beyond the history of war, encompassing the stories of countless individuals who played leading and supporting roles in this period, breathing life into its history, as well as the diplomatic, social, and cultural shifts that followed. It illuminates the war's impact on European countries and societies from various perspectives.
The drama unfolds the lives of countless figures, including Ferdinand II, who established the Spanish nation through his marriage to Queen Isabella and carried out energetic diplomacy; Charles V and Francis I, who were historical rivals; the infamous Pope Alexander VI and his son Cesare Borgia; the leaders of the Medici family in Florence; and the great generals Gaston de Foix (France), Gonzalo de Cordoba (Spain), Andrea Doria (Genoa), and Ferrante Gonzaga (Spain).
Through the fascinating stories of historical heroes, readers can comprehensively understand the three-dimensional changes that the Italian Wars brought to European history.


Finally, 『The Italian Wars 1494–1559』 goes beyond simply describing past history, offering insights into today's international politics and social changes.
The diplomatic skills, balance of power, and cycles of war and peace revealed in the Italian Wars offer important historical lessons for understanding the dynamics of modern international politics, and will serve as a valuable guide for history students, researchers, and general readers interested in international politics and world history.