Battle of Fornovo: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Revision as of 19:05, 19 November 2023 view source GünniX (talk \| contribs) Extended confirmed users 311,892 edits m Link without target Tag: AWB ← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 06:45, 23 December 2024 view source Dimadick (talk \| contribs) Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers 805,258 edits →External links
(8 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 23: \| commander2 = [[Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua\|Francesco Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua]]{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}} \| strength1 = 10,000–11,000 men{{sfn\|Tucker\|2010\|p=361}}{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|p=303}}{{efn\|"The French army of 10,000–11,000 men came down the valley of the Taro towards Parma. Gonzaga had about 20,000 troops...".{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}}}} \| strength2 = 20,~~000-21~~000–21,500 men{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}}{{sfn\|Tucker\|2010\|p=361}}{{sfn\|Dupuy\|1993\|p=462}} \| casualties1 = * 100–200 killed{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|p=304}}{{sfn\|Dupuy\|1993\|p=462}}{{sfn\|Tucker\|2010\|p=361}} * 200 wounded{{sfn\|Dupuy\|1993\|p=462}}{{sfn\|Tucker\|2010\|p=361}} \| casualties2 = * 3,~~350-4~~350–4,000 killed{{sfn\|Dupuy\|1993\|p=462}}{{sfn\|Tucker\|2010\|p=361}}{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|p=304}} *Unknown wounded \| units2 = [[Stradioti]] \|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Italian War of 1494–1498}} Line 50 ⟶ 49: On 27 June the Venetians and their allies established camp near [[Fornovo di Taro]] ({{Coord\|44\|41\|N\|10\|06\|E}}), some 30 km southwest of [[Parma]], to wait for the French. They would not have to wait long, but the [[Venetian Senate]] was not unanimous on fighting the French. Some members wanted to attack the rear guard of the French to try to seize their loot, while others cautioned that Italy was risking too much in this battle as this was just one French army and others could potentially be called upon. On July 4, [[Ercole I d'Este\|Ercole d'Este]], [[Duke of [[Ferrara]], Charles' strongest ally in Italy, wrote to him and informed him that the Senate had not yet decided on an action. But Charles was anxious, seeing the enemy numbers growing, while he himself had no hope of reinforcements for the time being. When an effort to sway the undecided forces of Parma was thwarted by the Venetians, Charles instead sent a messenger to request free passage to return to France, but the Venetians replied that he would have to restore all his conquests before such could be considered. The messenger, having scouted the troops, reported back to Charles. The 40 soldiers Charles subsequently sent to reconnoiter were attacked and quickly routed by the [[Stradioti]], mostly Albanian mercenaries from the Balkans.{{sfn\|Birtachas\|2018\|ppp=~~327-328~~327–328}} Two days later, on July 6, Charles decided to offer battle because the French were short of provisions. South of Milan, the path of his army of some 10,000 French and Swiss was blocked by 20,000 Venetians and Mantuans under Gonzaga.{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|p=303}} Melchiorre Trevisan promised the League soldiers the spoils of battle if they were victorious, igniting their combat ardor. Francesco Gonzaga divided his forces into nine lines. His battle plan was to distract the first and middle groups of the French with two lines while outflanking the rear. Once the French groups were disorganized, the rest of the Italian troops would attack. The League's overall goal was the complete destruction of the French army.{{efn\|Malipiero mentions the League's failure to stop the French from reaching Asti.{{sfn\|Malipiero\|1843\|p=353}}{{sfn\|Luzio\|Renier\|1890\|p=219}}}}{{sfn\|Santosuosso\|1994\|p=232}} ==Battle== The League army took position on the right side of the Taro river and the French decided to keep to the left bank. Charles organized his army in battle groups. The first section consisted of about 2,500 men and was led by Marshal Gie and [[Gian Giacomo Trivulzio]].{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=52}} The second and largest section, led by Englebert of Cleves and Antoine de Bessey, consisted of 3000 infantry, 300 dismounted archers and 200 crossbowman.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=52}} The final section, about 1,750 men, was led by Jean de Foix. There was in addition a large infantry force of spearmen. The French artillery was arranged in front of the first line, as well as on the side of the Taro, protecting the second line.{{sfn\|Oman\|1987\|p=111}} The League's right wing was commanded by Count Caiazzo with 400 Milanes men-at-arms and 2000 infantry, with 180 Bolognese men-at-arms in reserve.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|ppp=~~56-57~~56–57}} The central division consisted of 492 men-at-arms and 600 mounted crossbowmen under the command of Francesco Gonzaga, while keeping a large contingent of cavalry in reserve.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=57}} The left wing, commanded by Fortebraccio di Montone, had 352 Venetian men-at-arms supported by cavalry.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=57}} Also in the center were 4,000 Venetian foot and 1,000 Mantuan infantry, with a contingent of 600 [[Stradioti]] on the French left flank.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=57}} The French opened with an artillery bombardment, intending to kill as many of their opponents as possible.{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|ppp=~~303-304~~303–304}} Then they charged with their heavy cavalry, destroying and scattering the disordered Italian ranks in just minutes.{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|p=304}} The fight was perhaps more memorable for the ineffectiveness of artillery on either side, other than the psychological effect achieved by the French guns.{{efn\|The French guns stopped firing due to the rain making the powder wet.{{sfn\|Santosuosso\|1994\|p=236}}}} Of the French and Italian casualties,{{efn\|[[Paolo Giovio]] states 4,000 casualties for the League and 1,000 for the French, which Santosuosso believes is more accurate.{{sfn\|Santosuosso\|1994\|p=246}}}} one eyewitness estimated that fewer than 10 men were killed by cannon fire.{{sfn\|Nolan\|2006\|p=304}} After the battle, Charles then marched on into Lombardy and returned to France.{{sfn\|Tucker\|2010\|p=361}} ==Result== Both parties strove to present themselves as the victors in the battle.{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}} The battle was reported in Venice as a victory, and was recorded and celebrated as such, which included the capture of Mathieu de Bourbon.{{sfn\|Santosuosso\|1994\|ppp=~~248-249~~248–249}} Regardless of the self-proclamations of victory by League commanders, [[Domenico Malipiero]] recognized that the League failed to stop the French from reaching Asti.{{sfn\|Luzio\|Renier\|1890\|p=219}} [[Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua\|Francesco Gonzaga]] claimed victory and the ordered the portrait of the ''[[Madonna della Vittoria]]'',{{sfn\|Kuiper\|2009\|p=114}} while the Italian historian [[Francesco Guicciardini]]'s judgement was to award the palm of victory to the French.{{efn\|If officially Italians celebrated the Battle of Fornovo as a victory – to the surprise of the French – privately, many were not so sure. [[Francesco Guicciardini\|Guicciardini’s]] verdict was that ‘general consent awarded the palm to the French’{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}}}}{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}} Privately, Gonzaga confessed to his wife that the battle was a near run thing and that if the French had turned on them, the League's forces would have been destroyed.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=83}} A week later, Bernardino Fortebraccio spoke to the Venetian senate, stating the League's army could have defeated the French if their troops would have stayed in the battle and left the baggage train alone.{{sfn\|Nicolle\|2005\|p=84}} The French had won their battle, fighting off superior numbers and proceeding on their march to Asti.{{efn\|The battle of Fornovo, by which Charles forced his way past the enemy who stood in his path, was not an indecisive action but a definite victory for France.{{sfn\|Taylor\|1921\|p=14}}}}{{efn\|Santosuosso states the French had won the battle, both strategically and tactically, but not decisively.{{sfn\|Santosuosso\|1994\|p=222}}}}{{sfn\|Santosuosso\|1994\|p=222}}{{sfn\|Taylor\|1921\|p=14}}{{sfn\|Setton\|1978\|ppp=493–494}}{{sfn\|Mallett\|Shaw\|2012\|p=31}} The League took much higher casualties and could not prevent the French army from crossing Italian lands on its way back to France.{{sfn\|Setton\|1978\|ppp=493–494}} ==Consequences== Line 121 ⟶ 120: [[Category:Battles involving the Republic of Venice\|Fornovo 1495]] [[Category:Battles involving the Duchy of Ferrara\|Fornovo]] [[Category:~~Battles~~Military inhistory of Emilia-Romagna\|Fornovo]] [[Category:Italian War of 1494–1495]] [[Category:Charles VIII of France]]