The First and Second Italian Wars 1494–1504: Fearless Knights, Ruthless Princes and the Coming of Gunpowder Armies

By Julian Romane

An engaging narrative of the complex and dramatic events of the First and Second Italian Wars, ten years of warfare.

The First and Second Italian Wars describes the course of military operations and political machinations in Italy from 1494 to 1504. The narrative begins with the French conquest of much of Italy. But the French hold collapsed. The second French invasion gained Northern Italy. This time, the French allied with the Pope’s son, Cesare Borgia. Cesare managed to double deal too many people; his efforts ended in disaster. The French agreement with the Spanish allowed them to retake Naples only to be defeated at the Garigliano by the famous general, Gonzalo de Cordoba.

These wars were not just another series of medieval fights. These battles were different from what had gone before: the French utilized a new method of artillery transport; the Spanish commander formulated a new system of military unit organization, and Cesare Borgia sought different systems of raising troops and forming states. And all the powers managed to spend vast amounts of money the likes of which no one had imagined before. This was the emergence of the so-called Military Revolution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: Aug 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781526750525

Julian Romane

Julian Patrick Romane has a BA from Beloit College Wisconsin and an MA from the University of Colorado. He has been fascinated with ancient/early medieval military history for half a century. He has published articles in several journals and is the editor and/or' translator of several books on historical and political subjects. His first monograph, _Byzantium Triumphant_, was published by Pen & Sword in 2015\. He lives in Illinois, USA.