Battle of Novara (1513) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Novara |
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| Part of the War of the League of Cambrai | |||||||||
 Illustration of the Battle of Novara in the chronicle of Johannes Stumpf, 1548 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 France |
 Duchy of Milan Old Swiss Confederacy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Louis de la Trémoille |
Maximilian Sforza |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| 1,200–1,400 cavalry 600 Light horse 20,000 infantry (6,000 Landsknechte) |
11,000–20,000 Swiss pikemen | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 5,000+ casualties | 1,500 dead | ||||||||
The Battle of Novara was a major fight during the War of the League of Cambrai. It happened on June 6, 1513, near the city of Novara in northern Italy. In this battle, a French army was completely defeated by soldiers from Milan and Switzerland. This loss forced France to leave Italy entirely.
Before the Battle
The year before, in 1512, the French army had won a big battle called the Battle of Ravenna. However, things changed quickly. King Louis XII of France and his army were soon pushed out of the city of Milan. This was done by a group of countries and states called the Holy League.
After the French left Milan, Swiss soldiers helped put Maximilian Sforza in charge. He became the new Duke of Milan on December 29, 1512.
In June 1513, the French army returned. It had more than 20,000 soldiers, led by Louis de la Trémoille. They surrounded the city of Novara, which was defended by Swiss soldiers.
The Battle of Novara
By June 1513, the French had taken control of most of western Milan. The French army marched to Novara and set up camp for the night. But they were surprised at dawn by a Swiss army that had come to help. This Swiss army had about 12,000 troops.
The German Landsknechte were soldiers fighting for the French. They used long spears called pikes, just like the Swiss. They quickly formed strong squares and fought hard against the Swiss attack. The French also managed to use some of their cannons.
However, the Swiss attacked from many directions. They had marched quickly through the night to surround the French camp. The Swiss soldiers managed to capture the French cannons. They pushed back the Landsknecht soldiers and broke their formations. The French heavy cavalry was caught off guard. They could not get into position to fight properly. Many French soldiers fled the battlefield, leaving their supplies behind for the Swiss.
What Happened After
The Battle of Novara was very bloody. More than 5,000 French soldiers were killed or wounded. About 1,500 Swiss pikemen died, mostly from the French cannons as they charged.
After defeating the French army, the Swiss could not chase them far. This was because they did not have many cavalry soldiers. However, some Swiss soldiers did follow the French all the way to Dijon. The French then paid them to leave France. The Swiss also captured 22 French cannons.
This big defeat forced King Louis XII of France to leave Milan and all of Italy.
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