Spain 1531 - 1544 - Time of War
When King Charles V returned from his trip and took control of the spanish kingdom, he had two main worries, french expansionism in Italy and the expansion of the empire into South America.
The Conquest of the Inca Empire
In 1533 Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro set off to conquer the Incas. They were more rivals than allies and were not capable of reaching an agreement, so each took a different route to the heart of the Inca Empire, trying to be the first to capture the gold of the incas.
Hernan Cortez, one of conquerors of the Inca Empire
Francisco Pizarro, at the head of an army of 14,000 spanish and indians went out from the spanish small settlement of Guayaquil and invaded the costal lands of the Inca Empire. His progress was slow and difficult and he avoided the interior of the empire, moving by the coast. The siege of Cajamarca took almost a whole year before the defensors surrendered and he could continue his slow advance.
Francisco Pizarro, the rival of Cortez
Meanwhile, Cortez, commanding a much smaller army of 4,000 conquerors, set off to the interior of the Empire, pillaging all his way to Cuzco. He avoided the Inca Capital as it was defended by a great army o 42,000 incas. In 1536, Cortez army was intercepet by the Incas at Pucara and suffered heavy losses. Only 150 men were able to retreat and with those survivors Cortez retreated to until he was able to get reinforcemments that came from Hispaniola.
In 1537 Cortez and Pizarro meet in a historical enconter of the two rivals. They joined to a final attack on Cuzco, where Atahualpa had retreated with his last warrios. Atahualpa avoided the combat trying to get the spaniards to a guerrila war, but Pizarro and Cortez commanded an assault into Cuzco. It's said in the legends that Atahualpa died when he was informed of the fall of Cuzco and the sack of the city commanded by the spanish. Other said that he was killed by inca nobles that wanted peace. With Atahualpa's death, the Inca Empire was pacified and annexed to the spanish cronw.
Pizarrro was given the title of Vice-Rey of New Granada, the new south american dominions of Castille, while Cortez was nominated Vice-Rey of New Spain, wich encomparsed Hispaniola, Porto Rico, Cuba and Mexico. Cortez died in the trip to Hispaniola, in the way to take governorship of New Spain. Pizarro died a little later, at Cuzco.
The League of San Marco and the French War
In Europe, Charles was worried with the french expansionism into Italy. The french grabbing of Venice was not see with good eyes. When Francois refused to take his army out of Venice, the relations between Spain and France reached the lowest point.
Not only Spain, but all of Europe was upset with the greedy of Francois I. The austrian dominions of the Habsburgs, ruled by the Vice-Rey Duke Von Kshar, were fast to promess suport against the french. The Prince Elector of Brandenburg also promissed help against the french, which advanced dangerously to the Rhin and into german lands. The greedy of Francois united Europe against the french.
In 1540 the League of Cambrai was formed, with the intention of expeling the french from Venice and Firenze. In 1542 the people of Venice and Genoa rebeled against french rule. The french armies smashed the rebellion with cruelty, but the genoese killed Guise during the revolt.
The spanish king promissed the italians help against Francois army, and received support from the Austrian dominions of the Habsburgs and from the Prince Elector of Brandenburg. In 1542 the League of San Marco declared war against France.
The campaing started in october 1542 when the spanish armies won two battles at Pisa and Modena. The Duke of Alba, at the front of the spanish army who had won the First Battle of Modena, advanced against the french troops at Parma, while the other half of the spanish army, commanded by Don Augustin Meija, after the victory in Pisa, sieged Firenze and Siena and advanced to Genoa.
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba. Detail from the painting by Anthony More.
When a great french army came from the alps, Alba retreated from Parma to Modena. There, the Second Battle of Modena was fought in November, 1542. The spanish army, led by Alba and with reinforcements from 14,000 condottieri's troops recruted in Marche and Romagna, won the Second Battle of Parma, expelling the french armies from Italy.
At Venice, the french guarnition was atacked by austrian troops, but was able to hold their lines during two great battles. At sea, the french fleet was surrounded by the much bigger spanish fleet and blocated at the port. Meanwhile, Siena and Firenze sieges ended with the capitulation of the french guarnitions.
The army of Don Augustin advanced till Genoa, winning another batlle against the french with the help of the reinforcemments from Alba's army. Alba lanched an assaunt into Genoa, but the french forces surrounded in the city resisted the atack. The retreating french army was atacked by an austrian army and forced to retreat further yet into Savoy, but won a battle against the persuing austrians. The italian front stabilized with the spanish sieging the remaing french holdings in italy.
In the north, the Prince Elector's Army, under the command of Johann Georg, defeated all french armies taking control of Hainault and Picardie. In the center, the imperial army of the Habsburgs dominated the frontier provincies of France. In the south, the Guardia Real, after a serie of battles with the french, repulsed the french to the other side of the Garonne River.
In America, Francisco de Montejo, one of the conquistadores of the Inca Empire and now Captain Generale of the Spanish Army at the New Continent, at the head of a 19,000 army started an advance towards the french colonies at Lousiania.
That was the state of the war at january 1544, wich was nammed the first phase of the War of the League of San Marco.
When King Charles V returned from his trip and took control of the spanish kingdom, he had two main worries, french expansionism in Italy and the expansion of the empire into South America.
The Conquest of the Inca Empire
In 1533 Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro set off to conquer the Incas. They were more rivals than allies and were not capable of reaching an agreement, so each took a different route to the heart of the Inca Empire, trying to be the first to capture the gold of the incas.
Hernan Cortez, one of conquerors of the Inca Empire
Francisco Pizarro, at the head of an army of 14,000 spanish and indians went out from the spanish small settlement of Guayaquil and invaded the costal lands of the Inca Empire. His progress was slow and difficult and he avoided the interior of the empire, moving by the coast. The siege of Cajamarca took almost a whole year before the defensors surrendered and he could continue his slow advance.
Francisco Pizarro, the rival of Cortez
Meanwhile, Cortez, commanding a much smaller army of 4,000 conquerors, set off to the interior of the Empire, pillaging all his way to Cuzco. He avoided the Inca Capital as it was defended by a great army o 42,000 incas. In 1536, Cortez army was intercepet by the Incas at Pucara and suffered heavy losses. Only 150 men were able to retreat and with those survivors Cortez retreated to until he was able to get reinforcemments that came from Hispaniola.
In 1537 Cortez and Pizarro meet in a historical enconter of the two rivals. They joined to a final attack on Cuzco, where Atahualpa had retreated with his last warrios. Atahualpa avoided the combat trying to get the spaniards to a guerrila war, but Pizarro and Cortez commanded an assault into Cuzco. It's said in the legends that Atahualpa died when he was informed of the fall of Cuzco and the sack of the city commanded by the spanish. Other said that he was killed by inca nobles that wanted peace. With Atahualpa's death, the Inca Empire was pacified and annexed to the spanish cronw.
Pizarrro was given the title of Vice-Rey of New Granada, the new south american dominions of Castille, while Cortez was nominated Vice-Rey of New Spain, wich encomparsed Hispaniola, Porto Rico, Cuba and Mexico. Cortez died in the trip to Hispaniola, in the way to take governorship of New Spain. Pizarro died a little later, at Cuzco.
The League of San Marco and the French War
In Europe, Charles was worried with the french expansionism into Italy. The french grabbing of Venice was not see with good eyes. When Francois refused to take his army out of Venice, the relations between Spain and France reached the lowest point.
Not only Spain, but all of Europe was upset with the greedy of Francois I. The austrian dominions of the Habsburgs, ruled by the Vice-Rey Duke Von Kshar, were fast to promess suport against the french. The Prince Elector of Brandenburg also promissed help against the french, which advanced dangerously to the Rhin and into german lands. The greedy of Francois united Europe against the french.
In 1540 the League of Cambrai was formed, with the intention of expeling the french from Venice and Firenze. In 1542 the people of Venice and Genoa rebeled against french rule. The french armies smashed the rebellion with cruelty, but the genoese killed Guise during the revolt.
The spanish king promissed the italians help against Francois army, and received support from the Austrian dominions of the Habsburgs and from the Prince Elector of Brandenburg. In 1542 the League of San Marco declared war against France.
The campaing started in october 1542 when the spanish armies won two battles at Pisa and Modena. The Duke of Alba, at the front of the spanish army who had won the First Battle of Modena, advanced against the french troops at Parma, while the other half of the spanish army, commanded by Don Augustin Meija, after the victory in Pisa, sieged Firenze and Siena and advanced to Genoa.
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba. Detail from the painting by Anthony More.
When a great french army came from the alps, Alba retreated from Parma to Modena. There, the Second Battle of Modena was fought in November, 1542. The spanish army, led by Alba and with reinforcements from 14,000 condottieri's troops recruted in Marche and Romagna, won the Second Battle of Parma, expelling the french armies from Italy.
At Venice, the french guarnition was atacked by austrian troops, but was able to hold their lines during two great battles. At sea, the french fleet was surrounded by the much bigger spanish fleet and blocated at the port. Meanwhile, Siena and Firenze sieges ended with the capitulation of the french guarnitions.
The army of Don Augustin advanced till Genoa, winning another batlle against the french with the help of the reinforcemments from Alba's army. Alba lanched an assaunt into Genoa, but the french forces surrounded in the city resisted the atack. The retreating french army was atacked by an austrian army and forced to retreat further yet into Savoy, but won a battle against the persuing austrians. The italian front stabilized with the spanish sieging the remaing french holdings in italy.
In the north, the Prince Elector's Army, under the command of Johann Georg, defeated all french armies taking control of Hainault and Picardie. In the center, the imperial army of the Habsburgs dominated the frontier provincies of France. In the south, the Guardia Real, after a serie of battles with the french, repulsed the french to the other side of the Garonne River.
In America, Francisco de Montejo, one of the conquistadores of the Inca Empire and now Captain Generale of the Spanish Army at the New Continent, at the head of a 19,000 army started an advance towards the french colonies at Lousiania.
That was the state of the war at january 1544, wich was nammed the first phase of the War of the League of San Marco.
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