The Scramble for Italy; Continuity and Change in the Italian Wars, 1494–1559; First Edition

The Scramble for Italy offers fresh insights on the set of conflicts known as the Italian Wars of 1494-1559. The aim of this book is to explore the trends of continuity and change that characterized the sixteenth century in order to demonstrate the significance of the Italian Wars as an especially intense period of warfare that drove forward several important social, political, and especially military developments. Employing a myriad of primary and secondary sources, this book illustrates how the European nobility, still very much steeped in knightly and chivalric ideals, was fashioning the Italian Wars into an essentially traditional aristocratic war, while the rise of military professionalization and privatization, accompanied by the processes of centralization and consolidation of political power, were rapidly changing their world. Moreover, the book attempts to demonstrate that although the debate on a supposed military revolution in late medieval and early modern Europe still rages, sixteenth-century soldiers and intellectuals were quite certain, and anxious, about the potential effects of gunpowder weapons and novel tactics and strategy on their world. Scholars and general readers who are interested in the political and military history of late medieval and early modern Europe should find this study especially instructive. The Scramble for Italy offers fresh insights on the set of conflicts known as the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. The aim of this book is to explore the trends of continuity and change that characterized the sixteenth century in order to demonstrate the significance of the Italian Wars as an especially intense period of warfare that drove forward several important social, political, and especially military developments. Employing myriad primary and secondary sources, this book illustrates how the European nobility, still very much steeped in knightly and chivalric ideals, was fashioning the Italian Wars into an essentially traditional aristocratic war, while the rise of military professionalization and privatization, accompanied by the processes of centralization and consolidation of political power, were rapidly changing their world. Moreover, the book attempts to demonstrate that although the debate on a supposed military revolution in late medieval and early modern Europe still rages, sixteenth-century soldiers and intellectuals were quite certain, and anxious, about the potential effects of gunpowder weapons and novel tactics and strategy on their world. Scholars and general readers who are interested in the political and military history of late medieval and early modern Europe should find this study especially instructive. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of figures 7 Preface 8 Introduction: Continuity and change in the Italian Wars 16 1. Knighthood and chivalry transformed? 26 Knighthood and the chivalric ethos in the sixteenth century 27 Knights, nobles, and chivalry in the battlefields of the Italian Wars 42 2. Professional soldiers, unprofessional institutions 59 Military professionalism and the rise of the “state” 61 Vague identities 67 Organizational incompetence 72 3. “When war comes, they want to flee”: Was Machiavelli right? 95 Mixed reviews 96 Mostly for material gain? 104 The bloody battlefields 122 4. New weapons in a zealously traditional world 131 Apprehension, rejection, and acceptance 132 A real or dubious threat? 135 Conclusion 152 Bibliography 158 Index 169 Introduction; 1 Knighthood and chivalry transformed?; "2 Professional soldiers,unprofessional institutions"; "3 “When war comes,they want to flee”"; 4 New weapons in a zealously traditional world; Conclusion Introduction,1 Knighthood and chivalry transformed?,2 Professional soldiers, unprofessional institutions,3 “When war comes, they want to flee”,4 New weapons in a zealously traditional world,Conclusion "The Scramble for Italy offers fresh insights on the set of conflicts known as the Italian Wars of 1494-1559. The aim of this book is to explore the trends of continuity and change that characterized the sixteenth century in order to demonstrate the significance of the Italian Wars as an especially intense period of warfare that drove forward several important social, political and especially military developments. Employing a myriad of primary and secondary sources, this book illustrates how the European nobility, still very much steeped in knightly and chivalric ideals, was fashioning the Italian Wars into an essentially traditional aristocratic war, while the rise of military professionalization and privatization, accompanied by the processes of centralization and consolidation of political power, was rapidly changing their world. Moreover, the book attempts to demonstrate that although the debate on a supposed military revolution in late medieval and early modern Europe still rages, sixteenth century soldiers and intellectuals were quite certain, and anxious, about the potential effects of gunpowder weapons and novel tactics and strategy on their world. Scholars and general readers who are interested in the political and military history of late medieval and early modern Europe should find this study especially instructive"-- Provided by publisher