The Battle of Pavia – 24th February 1525 – Short Read

Background

The Battle of Pavia, fought on 24th February 1525, was a major battle in the on-going conflict between the two major monarchs in Europe at the time, Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France. Italy, divided into many rival states, had become the battle-ground of the main powers - France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire - in the late 15th century. Spain managed to become the dominant power in the south but the conflict continued into the 16th century, especially in the north, when the ambitious Francis acceded to the French throne in 1515 and Charles became king of Spain in 1516 and was then elected as Holy Roman Emperor in 1519. As Charles commented at the time 'My cousin Francis and I are in complete accord: he wants Milan and so do I'. By then the Florentine, Machiavelli, described Italy as 'leaderless, lawless, despoiled, torn and over-run'.

The most recent of the conflicts had broken out in 1521 and, after various changes of fortune, by late 1524 Francis had re-taken Milan and had surrounded an Imperial force holding Pavia, under Antonio de Leyva. Having withdrawn from Milan, the overall Imperial commander in Italy, Charles de Lannoy, assembled his troops at Lodi, where he was joined by forces under Charles de Bourbon, who had recently rebelled against the French king, and the experienced Landsknechts (German mercenaries) of Georg von Frundsberg. Running out of money to pay their troops, these commanders decided to attempt the relief of Pavia before desertions weakened their army.

The Battle

Although Francis's army was initially larger, the king had sent some troops south and several thousand Swiss mercenaries had returned home. As a result the armies were now of similar size, in the region of 25,000 each. Charles, back in Spain, was unaware of these latest developments and was pessimistic about the outcome of the impending battle, complaining that his allies, particularly Henry VIII, had 'forsaken me in my evil hour'.

Most of the French army were in a secure positions, encamped inside the protective walls of the hunting park of Mirabello. A direct assault by the Imperial army was unlikely to succeed and Francis could not be drawn out, and so the Imperial commanders decided upon an audacious plan. On the night of 23rd/24th February, under cover of darkness and with an artillery barrage to distract the French, they moved their main army around to the northern end of the park where engineers created breaches in the walls. They achieved an element of surprise and, aided by the early morning fog, several thousand infantry managed to capture the fortified Mirabello House in the centre of the park.

Francis immediately led his cavalry against the advancing Imperial troops, backed up by heavy artillery fire, but as they broke through the enemy lines they were in danger from their own artillery which had to cease firing. The French now became exposed to the deadly fire of groups of arquebusiers hidden in the uneven ground, and as more Imperial soldiers poured into the park, and Leyva's troops advanced from Pavia, they were overcome. Many fled from the field only to be drowned in the river Ticino, while those who continued fighting alongside Francis suffered heavy casualties.

Aftermath

By mid-morning the battle was over. The French king was captured after his horse was shot from beneath him. Much of his army was destroyed and many senior commanders were among the dead. It took two weeks for news of the victory, achieved on his 25th birthday, to reach Emperor Charles in Spain. He forbade noisy celebrations and instead ordered prayers of thanksgiving. It might have seemed that the question of control of Italy had been settled. Francis was taken to Spain where he remained a prisoner until a peace treaty could be agreed. However this seemed more difficult than winning a military victory. Francis at first refused any demands made upon him. Charles received conflicting advice. Should he win him over with generosity or impose the most severe terms? Could the French king be trusted?

By the end of the year Francis had tired of captivity and seemingly gave in to most of Charles's demands. In return he would marry Charles's sister, Eleanor, and his two eldest sons from his first marriage, aged eight and seven, would be sent to Spain and remain their until Francis fulfilled his promises. On his release in March 1526 he immediately announced that the treaty was invalid as it had been obtained by coercion. The question of trust had been answered. He formed new alliances with all who believed that Charles had become too powerful. It was not until 1529 that Charles's control of Italy was finally established. During that time Rome was sacked by Imperial troops and Francis's sons remained in Spain. The younger, Henry, succeeded Francis in 1547 and his experiences meant that he was rarely on good terms with his father and that he continued French hostility towards the emperor, ensuring more years of war in Europe.