Italian Wars of 1499–1504

<p>The Italian Wars of 1499–1504 are divided into two connected, but distinct, phases: the Second Italian War (1499–1501), sometimes known as Louis XII's Italian War, and the Third Italian War (1502–1504) or War over Naples. The first phase was fought for control of the <a href="/facts/Duchy_of_Milan/GBIKAYF3">Duchy of Milan</a> by an alliance of <a href="/facts/Louis_XII_of_France/weKUDmoR">Louis XII of France</a> and the <a href="/facts/Republic_of_Venice/5aqUw6gJ">Republic of Venice</a> against <a href="/facts/Ludovico_Sforza/Tecy2pI4">Ludovico Sforza</a>, the second between Louis and <a href="/facts/Ferdinand_II_of_Aragon/lt1dHN67">Ferdinand II of Aragon</a> for possession of the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Naples/9NtrlFp7">Kingdom of Naples</a>. 
</p><p>In the aftermath of the <a href="/facts/Italian_War_of_1494%25E2%2580%25931498/ArYBa0EA">Italian War of 1494–1498</a>, Louis was determined to pursue French claims to Milan and Naples and in October 1499 he captured <a href="/facts/Milan/0xrtbPdt">Milan</a>, which remained in French hands for the next thirteen years. His invasion of Naples in 1501 eventually led to war with Ferdinand of Aragon, who expelled the French in 1504.
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Italian Wars of 1499–1504 open-in-new

Italian Wars of 1499–1504