So what happened in meantime in Central Europe? Death of Matthias Corvinus heavy affected whole region, including HRE and especially Austria.
The Marriage of the Century - A Burgundian Timeline
- Thread starter BlueFlowwer
- Start date
I will get to the austrians later, but I might need some help. I'm not as good with the hapsburgs. How will they manage without the low countries?
Right now I'm reading book "Habsburgs and Jagiellons during fight for Hungarian Crown 1490-1492". I could help you with this.
Independent Spain? They're already one of the most powerful nations in Europe. They don't need to be any more independent. Independent Portugal, on the other hand...
No Burgundian Hapsburgs, no Spanish Hapsburgs, no Portuguese hapsburgs! Good time overall!
Chapter 20. The Italian War
Chapter 20. The Italian War, first stage.
The entire storm around the Italian peninsula began in 1489. Pope Innocent VIII had had conflicted with king Ferdinand I of Naples, over the latter’s refusals to pay the dues to the papacy and thus has excommunicated the king and offered the Kingdom of Naples to Charles VIII of France. The French king had a vague claim because his grandfather had married Marie of Anjou, a member of the ruling family of Naples. Their claim died out in 1442, but Charles keep the offers anyway, it would be the apple of discord in Italy.
Ferdinand of Naples died in 1494 and his son Alfonso II became king of Naples. But his short reign would be troubled. Ludovico Sforza, who had long controlled Milan, despite the Duke of Milan was Gian Galezzo Sforza, his nephew. Ludvico had long been wanting the title of Duke of Milan and in 1493, Ludvico’s first son, Maximilian Sforza was born. The next year Gian Galezzo died under mysterious circumstances and Ludvico took over the duchy. The ambitious man sent a delegation to Maximilian, King of Romans, to assure Imperial support for his title. Baby Maximilian’s hand were offered to Maximilian’s youngest daughter, Margaret of Austria who had been born in 1490.
Ludovico’s claims to Milan was challenged at one by Alfonso II, who had a claim on Milan through his wife, Ippolita Maria Sforza, the eldest daughter of Francesco I Sforza, duke of Milan. Ludvico responded by sending a messenger to Charles VIII of France, urging him to take up the offer made by Innocent. One of Charles favorite courtiers Etienne de Vesc and Cardinal Guiliano della Rovere also encouraged the invasion of Naples. Queen Isabella of France tried desperately to prevent her husband from going to war, but she was undermined by Etienne, who was jealous of her influence on her husband.
Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere had a agenda of his own. His intention was to settle a score with the Pope Alexander VI, the Aragonese born Rodrigo de Borja.
With all these factors, Charles began to gather a huge army of 25, 000 men, with 8, 000 swiss mercenaries and a siege train with artillery (the first know in history) and invaded Italy. Before he left he had given Queen Isabella the regency of France. The French army marched through Genoa and on 19th October took the fortress of Mordano, later the entire army arrived near Florence a month later. The fears of pillaging and destruction led the Florentines to exile Piero de Medici, the lord of Florence and the head of the powerful medici family.
Piero de Medici
After crossing over Tuscany Charles and his army arrived in Naples in February 1495, taking the city without a fight. The king remained in Naples until spring, but the formation of the League of Venice became a threat in the northern Italy. The League included The Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Venice, Savoy and the Papal states. The man who formed the League was interestingly enough: Ludvico Sforza, the same man who had invited Charles to Naples in the first place. Ludvico had been terrified by the French efficiency and the cruel treatment of Mordano. The fear that the French king should want Milan as well stroked fear.
The Duchy of Savoy also joined the League. Philibert was weary of a French invasion, given how close to Milan it lay and proposed a alliance to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. His oldest daughter Yolande Louise to marry the Infante Ferdinand, duke of Granada, the catholic monarchs second son. The match was agreed upon and Yolande arrived in Valencia a few months later. She and Ferdinand were married in Zaragoza, at the La Seo cathedral.
Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Granada, husband to Yolande Louise of Savoy
Charles VIII returned to France upon finding out the enemy coalition in the north. Gilbert, Count of Montpensier and a large garrison of men were left in Naples.
In Parma, the French forces met the army of the League and a pitched battle ensued. The battle was a victory mostly for France, but the League had ensured that the Italian gains would be lost, their plunder taken in the war. But the battle of Fornovo would not be the only one that mattered, the same day king Ferdinand II of Naples had arrived at Naples with a Spanish fleet. He entered Naples and beat the French garrison with gusto, helped by the populace, who loathed their attackers.
Ferdinand’s actions ensured that Charles left Italy without gaining anything. Pope Alexander called the king of France out for his harsh actions, threatening to excommunicate him. Charles arrived back at Paris, just in time to see his new-born daughter, Anne of France. According to French historians Charles is believed to have said “If she had been a prince, I would have given her the crown of Naples” upon hearing the news.
Despite the king’s best efforts, he was unable to rebuild his army again, being hampered by debt from the invasion of Naples. Instead he tried to focus on strengthening the royal authority that had been lost in the mad war. He was opposed by Louis, duke of Orléans, and Francis II of Brittany, and despite the king’s best effort, the plotting failed.
The attacks on Italy had also allied the Holy Roman Empire with Spain. In order to strengthen their interests in Milan and the Spanish interests in Naples, Ferdinand and Isabel arranged a double match between their children. The prince of Asturias, Juan was to marry Eleanor of Austria, while her brother Charles of Austria should wed Infanta Juana of Castile.
The death of Ferdinand II of Naples in summer of 1496 made Frederick of Aragon the king of Naples. Frederick chose to ally with the Spanish monarchs, as he was from a cadet branch of the Trastamara family that included Ferdinand and Isabel.
Frederick of Naples
Frederick proposed a match between his oldest son, Ferdinand, duke of Calabria and a Spanish bride. One option suggested was Infanta Maria, the fourth daughter of Isabel and Ferdinand, but Isabel refused the offer, as she considered him to low for her daughter. Frederick got an offer from the from the exiled Piero de’ Medici: his daughter Clarice’s hand in marriage. The deal was to raise support for his return to Florence and the Medici family’s fortune in Italy. Frederick accepted the offer, hoping to rebuild the former strength of Italy. Clarice’s grandfather Lorenzo de’ Medici, called Lorenzo the Magnificent, had been the architect of the Peace of Lodi, an agreement that had kept the balance within Italy. His death in 1492 collapsed the entire thing.
Upon Charles VIII’s return to France, Louis of Orléans had been a strong proponent of continuing the war in Italy. The Duke had ulterior motives for a continuation of the war, his paternal grandmother Valentina Visconti was the daughter of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the very first Duke of Milan. In 1497 Louis fortunes had grown, his marriage to Anne of Brittany had yielded two living children, Marie b 1493 and Charles b 1496. Louis and Charles had never liked each other, but in this situation, they shared a common goal: French domination of Italy. Furthermore, Charles were livid over the treason of Ludovico Sforza, who had turned on him with the league. Milan thus looked like a tempting target. The Hapsburg-Trastamara alliance also worried France, as Ferdinand and Isabel tried to encircle France.
Infanta Catalina’s match to the Prince of Wales and Ana, duchess of Burgundy also ensured that Spain had allies in many courts in Europe.
The entire storm around the Italian peninsula began in 1489. Pope Innocent VIII had had conflicted with king Ferdinand I of Naples, over the latter’s refusals to pay the dues to the papacy and thus has excommunicated the king and offered the Kingdom of Naples to Charles VIII of France. The French king had a vague claim because his grandfather had married Marie of Anjou, a member of the ruling family of Naples. Their claim died out in 1442, but Charles keep the offers anyway, it would be the apple of discord in Italy.
Ferdinand of Naples died in 1494 and his son Alfonso II became king of Naples. But his short reign would be troubled. Ludovico Sforza, who had long controlled Milan, despite the Duke of Milan was Gian Galezzo Sforza, his nephew. Ludvico had long been wanting the title of Duke of Milan and in 1493, Ludvico’s first son, Maximilian Sforza was born. The next year Gian Galezzo died under mysterious circumstances and Ludvico took over the duchy. The ambitious man sent a delegation to Maximilian, King of Romans, to assure Imperial support for his title. Baby Maximilian’s hand were offered to Maximilian’s youngest daughter, Margaret of Austria who had been born in 1490.
Ludovico’s claims to Milan was challenged at one by Alfonso II, who had a claim on Milan through his wife, Ippolita Maria Sforza, the eldest daughter of Francesco I Sforza, duke of Milan. Ludvico responded by sending a messenger to Charles VIII of France, urging him to take up the offer made by Innocent. One of Charles favorite courtiers Etienne de Vesc and Cardinal Guiliano della Rovere also encouraged the invasion of Naples. Queen Isabella of France tried desperately to prevent her husband from going to war, but she was undermined by Etienne, who was jealous of her influence on her husband.
Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere had a agenda of his own. His intention was to settle a score with the Pope Alexander VI, the Aragonese born Rodrigo de Borja.
With all these factors, Charles began to gather a huge army of 25, 000 men, with 8, 000 swiss mercenaries and a siege train with artillery (the first know in history) and invaded Italy. Before he left he had given Queen Isabella the regency of France. The French army marched through Genoa and on 19th October took the fortress of Mordano, later the entire army arrived near Florence a month later. The fears of pillaging and destruction led the Florentines to exile Piero de Medici, the lord of Florence and the head of the powerful medici family.
Piero de Medici
After crossing over Tuscany Charles and his army arrived in Naples in February 1495, taking the city without a fight. The king remained in Naples until spring, but the formation of the League of Venice became a threat in the northern Italy. The League included The Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Venice, Savoy and the Papal states. The man who formed the League was interestingly enough: Ludvico Sforza, the same man who had invited Charles to Naples in the first place. Ludvico had been terrified by the French efficiency and the cruel treatment of Mordano. The fear that the French king should want Milan as well stroked fear.
The Duchy of Savoy also joined the League. Philibert was weary of a French invasion, given how close to Milan it lay and proposed a alliance to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. His oldest daughter Yolande Louise to marry the Infante Ferdinand, duke of Granada, the catholic monarchs second son. The match was agreed upon and Yolande arrived in Valencia a few months later. She and Ferdinand were married in Zaragoza, at the La Seo cathedral.
Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Granada, husband to Yolande Louise of Savoy
Charles VIII returned to France upon finding out the enemy coalition in the north. Gilbert, Count of Montpensier and a large garrison of men were left in Naples.
In Parma, the French forces met the army of the League and a pitched battle ensued. The battle was a victory mostly for France, but the League had ensured that the Italian gains would be lost, their plunder taken in the war. But the battle of Fornovo would not be the only one that mattered, the same day king Ferdinand II of Naples had arrived at Naples with a Spanish fleet. He entered Naples and beat the French garrison with gusto, helped by the populace, who loathed their attackers.
Ferdinand’s actions ensured that Charles left Italy without gaining anything. Pope Alexander called the king of France out for his harsh actions, threatening to excommunicate him. Charles arrived back at Paris, just in time to see his new-born daughter, Anne of France. According to French historians Charles is believed to have said “If she had been a prince, I would have given her the crown of Naples” upon hearing the news.
Despite the king’s best efforts, he was unable to rebuild his army again, being hampered by debt from the invasion of Naples. Instead he tried to focus on strengthening the royal authority that had been lost in the mad war. He was opposed by Louis, duke of Orléans, and Francis II of Brittany, and despite the king’s best effort, the plotting failed.
The attacks on Italy had also allied the Holy Roman Empire with Spain. In order to strengthen their interests in Milan and the Spanish interests in Naples, Ferdinand and Isabel arranged a double match between their children. The prince of Asturias, Juan was to marry Eleanor of Austria, while her brother Charles of Austria should wed Infanta Juana of Castile.
The death of Ferdinand II of Naples in summer of 1496 made Frederick of Aragon the king of Naples. Frederick chose to ally with the Spanish monarchs, as he was from a cadet branch of the Trastamara family that included Ferdinand and Isabel.
Frederick of Naples
Frederick proposed a match between his oldest son, Ferdinand, duke of Calabria and a Spanish bride. One option suggested was Infanta Maria, the fourth daughter of Isabel and Ferdinand, but Isabel refused the offer, as she considered him to low for her daughter. Frederick got an offer from the from the exiled Piero de’ Medici: his daughter Clarice’s hand in marriage. The deal was to raise support for his return to Florence and the Medici family’s fortune in Italy. Frederick accepted the offer, hoping to rebuild the former strength of Italy. Clarice’s grandfather Lorenzo de’ Medici, called Lorenzo the Magnificent, had been the architect of the Peace of Lodi, an agreement that had kept the balance within Italy. His death in 1492 collapsed the entire thing.
Upon Charles VIII’s return to France, Louis of Orléans had been a strong proponent of continuing the war in Italy. The Duke had ulterior motives for a continuation of the war, his paternal grandmother Valentina Visconti was the daughter of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the very first Duke of Milan. In 1497 Louis fortunes had grown, his marriage to Anne of Brittany had yielded two living children, Marie b 1493 and Charles b 1496. Louis and Charles had never liked each other, but in this situation, they shared a common goal: French domination of Italy. Furthermore, Charles were livid over the treason of Ludovico Sforza, who had turned on him with the league. Milan thus looked like a tempting target. The Hapsburg-Trastamara alliance also worried France, as Ferdinand and Isabel tried to encircle France.
Infanta Catalina’s match to the Prince of Wales and Ana, duchess of Burgundy also ensured that Spain had allies in many courts in Europe.
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@BlueFlowwer: Alfonso of Naples was not claiming Milan using some rights received from his late wife (who was Ludovico’s sister by the way) but his challenge to Ludovico’s rule in Milan was in name of his daughter Isabella (widow of her cousin Gian Galeazzo) and her son Francesco.
I must have forgotten to edit that part, damn it. Let's just say that he used that as a excuse at the moment and I will correct it in the next chapter.
So, a Naples and Spain match. Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria and Maria of Aragon? Any takers?
No way... Maybe Juana of Naples (aka his half-aunt and widow of his cousin Ferdinand II and niece of Ferdinand II of Aragon) but none of the Spanish Infantas
I thought Maria might be to high for him, but Juana of Naples and Ferdinand might be a good idea. She's ten years older, but still.
I'm glad that it seems like Isabella of Castile won't die heart broken like in our timeline. Will colonization be any less brutal? Isabella explicitly stated that she wanted the Natives treated justly but her Habsburg successors ignored her. Also, are there any children after Catherine? I know she gave birth to her in her early/mid thirties, so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility, but then again her and Ferdinand having two sons may mean that Catherine will stay their youngest child.
Isabella has additional security in her second son, so that is good.
Colonization will perhaps be managed better in this tl, I think.
And no, Catherine is their youngest child. They have a extra infanta and infante, I think it's enough.
Colonization will perhaps be managed better in this tl, I think.
And no, Catherine is their youngest child. They have a extra infanta and infante, I think it's enough.
I thought it would be but just wanted to make sure there wasn't a random infanta running around.