Battle of Renty
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Renty was fought on August 12, 1554, between France
and the Holy Roman Empire
at Renty
, a northern French secondary theatre of the Italian Wars. The French were led by Francis, Duke of Guise
, while the Imperial forces were led by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg
.
On August 8, the French appeared at Renty. The Spanish cavalry charged the French infantry forcing a retreat, while their infantry were in the Bois Guillaume. The French infantry were rallied by Guillaume de Saulx-Tavannes who charged, while the Spanish infantry were pushed out of the woods by Gaspard de Coligny
, and routed by Francis, Duke of Guise
.
in 1552. King Henry II of France
had occupied the city according to the terms of the Treaty of Chambord
he had signed with several Protestant Imperial
princes. The French repelled Charles' 1554 invasion, the emperor abdicated two years later and King Henry II ultimately retained the Three Bishoprics
of Metz, Toul and Verdun.
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
and the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
at Renty
Renty
Renty is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Renty lies about 13 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D129 road, by the banks of the river Aa.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, a northern French secondary theatre of the Italian Wars. The French were led by Francis, Duke of Guise
Francis, Duke of Guise
Francis de Lorraine II, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Duke of Aumale , called Balafré , was a French soldier and politician.-Early life:...
, while the Imperial forces were led by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
.
On August 8, the French appeared at Renty. The Spanish cavalry charged the French infantry forcing a retreat, while their infantry were in the Bois Guillaume. The French infantry were rallied by Guillaume de Saulx-Tavannes who charged, while the Spanish infantry were pushed out of the woods by Gaspard de Coligny
Gaspard de Coligny
Gaspard de Coligny , Seigneur de Châtillon, was a French nobleman and admiral, best remembered as a disciplined Huguenot leader in the French Wars of Religion.-Ancestry:...
, and routed by Francis, Duke of Guise
Francis, Duke of Guise
Francis de Lorraine II, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Duke of Aumale , called Balafré , was a French soldier and politician.-Early life:...
.
Aftermath
Duke Francis had already forced the emperor to abandon the siege of MetzMetz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
in 1552. King Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
had occupied the city according to the terms of the Treaty of Chambord
Treaty of Chambord
The Treaty of Chambord was an agreement signed on 15 January 1552 at the Château de Chambord between the Catholic King Henry II of France and three Protestant princes of the Holy Roman Empire led by Elector Maurice of Saxony. Based on the terms of the treaty, Maurice ceded the vicariate over the...
he had signed with several Protestant Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
princes. The French repelled Charles' 1554 invasion, the emperor abdicated two years later and King Henry II ultimately retained the Three Bishoprics
Three Bishoprics
The Three Bishoprics constituted a province of pre-Revolutionary France consisting of the prince-bishoprics of Verdun, Metz, and Toul within the Lorraine region....
of Metz, Toul and Verdun.