Polity Duchy of Milan (France)

This article is about the specific polity Duchy of Milan (France) and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here: All Statistics

Period of French Occupation of Milan during the Italian Wars.

Establishment

  • August 1515: The French avant-garde surprised the Milanese cavalry in Villafranca Piemonte, capturing the leader Prospero Colonna.
  • October 1515: Francis I's superior cavalry and artillery, coupled with the timely arrival of Alviano (who had successfully evaded Cardona's army at Verona) on the morning of September 14, resulted in a strategically decisive victory for the French and Venetians , allowing the king of France to take back the entire duchy of Milan. Francis advanced on Milan, capturing the city on 4 October and removing the Sforza from the throne.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Italian Wars

Were a series of conflicts covering the period between 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The primary belligerents were the Valois kings of France, and their Habsburg opponents in the Holy Roman Empire and Spain.

1.1. War of the League of Cambrai

Was one of the so-called Italian wars.

1.1.1. Fourth Phase - Alliance between Venice and France

Was the fourth phase of the War of the League of Cambrai, one of the so-called Italian Wars.

  • August 1515: The French avant-garde surprised the Milanese cavalry in Villafranca Piemonte, capturing the leader Prospero Colonna.
  • September 1516: Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, led the invasion of Milan in 1516 during the Italian Wars. The city was under the control of the Holy Roman Empire through military occupation. The conflict was part of the power struggle between European states for control over the Italian peninsula.
  • January 1517: Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, retreated from the duchy of Milan in December 1516. This retreat led to the territory falling under the control of tFrance.

1.2. Italian War of 1521-1526

Was one of the so-called Italian wars. The war pitted Francis I of France and the Republic of Venice against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Henry VIII of England, and the Papal States.

  • April 1522: Battle of Bicocca.

2. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

  • January 1517: In 1516 Airolo was subjected to the Old Swiss Confederation.
  • January 1522: In 1521 Parma and Piacenza returned to the Papal States.

Disestablishment

  • January 1522: In 1521 Parma and Piacenza returned to the Papal States.
  • April 1522: Battle of Bicocca.