French Armies of the Italian Wars 1490–1550

The furia francese (‘French fury’) and the exploits of Bayard, the celebrated ‘knight without fear or reproach’, are firmly rooted in the achievements of the French armies that fought in the Italian Wars. The reigns of Charles VIII (1483–1498), Louis XII (1498–1515) and Francis I (1515–1547) encompassed the first five Italian Wars, during which French forces confronted a diverse range of opponents, including the Italian states, the Habsburg Empire, Spain and the Swiss. These conflicts therefore provide an ideal setting in which to examine the development and conduct of the French standing army beyond the final stages of the Hundred Years’ War and the conflicts of Louis XI’s reign.

Based on contemporary first-hand sources, including chronicles, ordinances and other material largely unpublished in English, French Armies of the Italian Wars, 1490–1550 forms a natural sequel to French Companies d’Ordonnance, 1374–1480, published in Helion & Company’s A Time of Knights, 400 CE to 1453 CE series. This volume examines the organisation, composition and recruitment of the French standing army during the first half of the sixteenth century, as well as its weapons and equipment, tactics and performance on the battlefield. In doing so, it provides a detailed account of the forces that fought for the French Crown during one of the most important and transformative periods in European warfare.