Having received information about the advance of the enemy, at dawn Francis raised his army on alert, after which he himself, at the head of the gendarmes with field artillery, rushed towards the Imperials. The French, with the support of artillery, attacked the cavalry of the Imperials and began to oppress it. But the musketeers opened fire and stopped the further advancement of the enemy. Trees, bushes and streams served as natural shelters for the musketeers, becoming an obstacle to the French heavy cavalry, which in many respects predetermined its defeat.
When the "black gang" approached, two columns of Landsknechts turned against it. Using their numerical superiority, the Imperial cavalry and infantry quickly decided the outcome of the battle. The "black gang" was squeezed and crushed.
When the remnants of the "black gang" in a mess rushed to flee, the Swiss infantry appeared. From the front, the Swiss were attacked by the Landsknechts, and from the rear by the defenders of Pavia, who made a sortie at the final stage of the battle. Surrounded by superior forces, the Swiss infantry was also defeated.
The rearguard of the French army under the command of the Duke of Alansons never decided to enter the battle. Seeing the defeat of the main forces of the French, the duke ordered his subordinates to retreat beyond the Ticino river and destroy the bridge after crossing. When the remnants of the French army lost their escape route, Francis I was captured, in connection with which he later wrote to his mother: "I have nothing left but the honor and life that are saved."
The reason for the defeat of Francis I was that the successful operations of the French artillery were not supported by attacks by cavalry and infantry. In addition, the "black gang" failed. The unreliability of the mercenary troops of the 16th century was clearly shown here: volunteers were recruited for short periods, their combat effectiveness largely depended on the timely payment of salaries. Sometimes the commander had to persuade the mercenaries and often make decisions depending on the mood and behavior of his subordinates. But most importantly: the German Landsknechts and the Spanish infantry, armed with arquebuses and muskets, proved their high combat effectiveness. In general, the Spanish military organization relied on a system of thirds - closed blocks of heavily armed disciplined pikemen with small groups of arquebusiers located at the corners. From the second half of the 16th century, the Spanish infantry will be the best in Europe.
The political consequence of the French defeat in Northern Italy was the rapprochement between Catholic France and its original enemies - Turks and German Protestant princes. Once captured by Charles V, the French king organized negotiations with the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent about a joint struggle with the Habsburgs.
Returning from captivity, Francis I refused to confirm the peace concluded in Madrid and joined the coalition organized by the pope under the banner of the liberation of Italy from the Spanish yoke. It included Venice, Milan, Florence and England.
In 1527, hostilities began again in Italy, which were fought with varying success for more than two years and ended in 1529 with a new defeat for the troops of the French king. In the end, after thirty years, France will give up claims to the territory of Italy, for most of which the power of Spain will spread.
When the "black gang" approached, two columns of Landsknechts turned against it. Using their numerical superiority, the Imperial cavalry and infantry quickly decided the outcome of the battle. The "black gang" was squeezed and crushed.
When the remnants of the "black gang" in a mess rushed to flee, the Swiss infantry appeared. From the front, the Swiss were attacked by the Landsknechts, and from the rear by the defenders of Pavia, who made a sortie at the final stage of the battle. Surrounded by superior forces, the Swiss infantry was also defeated.
The rearguard of the French army under the command of the Duke of Alansons never decided to enter the battle. Seeing the defeat of the main forces of the French, the duke ordered his subordinates to retreat beyond the Ticino river and destroy the bridge after crossing. When the remnants of the French army lost their escape route, Francis I was captured, in connection with which he later wrote to his mother: "I have nothing left but the honor and life that are saved."
The reason for the defeat of Francis I was that the successful operations of the French artillery were not supported by attacks by cavalry and infantry. In addition, the "black gang" failed. The unreliability of the mercenary troops of the 16th century was clearly shown here: volunteers were recruited for short periods, their combat effectiveness largely depended on the timely payment of salaries. Sometimes the commander had to persuade the mercenaries and often make decisions depending on the mood and behavior of his subordinates. But most importantly: the German Landsknechts and the Spanish infantry, armed with arquebuses and muskets, proved their high combat effectiveness. In general, the Spanish military organization relied on a system of thirds - closed blocks of heavily armed disciplined pikemen with small groups of arquebusiers located at the corners. From the second half of the 16th century, the Spanish infantry will be the best in Europe.
The political consequence of the French defeat in Northern Italy was the rapprochement between Catholic France and its original enemies - Turks and German Protestant princes. Once captured by Charles V, the French king organized negotiations with the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent about a joint struggle with the Habsburgs.
Returning from captivity, Francis I refused to confirm the peace concluded in Madrid and joined the coalition organized by the pope under the banner of the liberation of Italy from the Spanish yoke. It included Venice, Milan, Florence and England.
In 1527, hostilities began again in Italy, which were fought with varying success for more than two years and ended in 1529 with a new defeat for the troops of the French king. In the end, after thirty years, France will give up claims to the territory of Italy, for most of which the power of Spain will spread.
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