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Battle of St. Quentin (1557)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Saint-Quentin of 1557 was fought during the Franco-Habsburg War (1551–1559). The Spanish
, who had regained the support of the English
, won a significant victory over the French
at Saint-Quentin
, in northern France.
took place on the Feast Day of St. Lawrence (10 August in the Julian Calendar
; 20 August according to the Gregorian Calendar
). Spain, now under the rule of Philip II
, was allied with England following Philip's marriage to the queen of England, Mary I
.
At the Battle of St. Quentin the French forces under Constable
de Montmorency
were overwhelmed and Montmorency was captured by the Spanish forces under the command of the Duke Emmanuel Philibert
of Savoy
and the Count of Egmont
in an alliance with English troops, and the French were defeated.
After the victory over the French at St. Quentin, 'the sight of the battlefield gave Philip a permanent distaste for war', he declined to pursue his advantage, withdrawing to the Spanish Netherlands to the north, where he was the Governor since 1555. The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis ended the war two years later.
, it was finally completed in 1584.
The English army under the Earl of Pembroke did not arrive in time for the battle, but played a significant role in the capture of the city that followed.
Pembroke was Mary's most effective commander at the battle of St Quentin, when he led the English contingent to victory that included among the officers such former reformists as Lord Braye
, Sir Peter Carew
, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton and the surviving sons of the duke of Northumberland
; John Dudley
, the son of Northumberland, had died not long after he left the Tower and his three surviving brothers, Ambrose
, Robert
, and Henry were pardoned for their recorded treasons in January, 1555 and so duly served the Queen and King Philip on the St Quentin expedition, where Henry Dudley was killed and his brothers won the restoration of their honour and titles.
, which had been occupied by the French a generation earlier. As part of the peace terms, Emmanuel Philibert married Marguerite d’Angoulême
, younger sister of King Henry II of France
, in 1559. The Duke of Savoy moved the capital across the Alps
to Turin
two years later, making Savoy
an Italian state, and refounding the dynasty of the House of Savoy
, which would become the royal house of a united Italy in 1860.
Also, King Philip II of Spain
, cousin of the Duke of Savoy, would marry Henry II's daughter Elizabeth of Valois, who first was promised to Philip's son Don Carlos. To celebrate the departure of his daughter Elisabeth to Spain, Henry II held a joust in July 1559. During the tournament, he was mortally wounded by Gabriel Montgomery, comte de Montgomery
, seigneur de Lorges
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, who had regained the support of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, won a significant victory over the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at Saint-Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
, in northern France.
Battle
The battleBattle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
took place on the Feast Day of St. Lawrence (10 August in the Julian Calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
; 20 August according to the Gregorian Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
). Spain, now under the rule of Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, was allied with England following Philip's marriage to the queen of England, Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
At the Battle of St. Quentin the French forces under Constable
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
were overwhelmed and Montmorency was captured by the Spanish forces under the command of the Duke Emmanuel Philibert
Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy
Emmanuel Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1553 to 1580....
of Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and the Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere was a general and statesman in the Habsburg Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.The Count of Egmont headed one of the...
in an alliance with English troops, and the French were defeated.
After the victory over the French at St. Quentin, 'the sight of the battlefield gave Philip a permanent distaste for war', he declined to pursue his advantage, withdrawing to the Spanish Netherlands to the north, where he was the Governor since 1555. The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis ended the war two years later.
Feast of Saint Lawrence
Being of a grave religious bent, Philip was aware that 10 August is the Feast of St Lawrence, a Roman deacon who was roasted on a gridiron for his Christian beliefs. Hence, in commemoration of the great victory on St Lawrence’s Day, Philip sent orders to Spain that a great palace in the shape of a gridiron should be built in the Guadarrama Mountains northwest of Madrid. Known as El EscorialEl Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
, it was finally completed in 1584.
English involvement
The year 1557 began disastrously for the Catholic Queen Mary and her husband Philip of Spain, who had brought England into his father's war against France, disregarding his marriage treaty by which England was meant to remain neutral even if Philip's other dominions were at war.The English army under the Earl of Pembroke did not arrive in time for the battle, but played a significant role in the capture of the city that followed.
Pembroke was Mary's most effective commander at the battle of St Quentin, when he led the English contingent to victory that included among the officers such former reformists as Lord Braye
Baron Braye
Baron Braye, of Eaton Bray in the County of Bedford, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1529 for Sir Edmund Braye. The barony was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baron. He died from...
, Sir Peter Carew
Peter Carew
Sir Peter Carew was an English adventurer, who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England and took part in the Tudor conquest of Ireland.He is to be distinguished from another Sir Peter Carew Sir Peter Carew (1514? – 27 November 1575) was an English adventurer, who served during the...
, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton and the surviving sons of the duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death...
; John Dudley
John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick
John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick, KG, KB was an English nobleman and the heir of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, leading minister and de facto ruler under Edward VI of England from 1550–1553. As his father's career progressed, John Dudley respectively assumed his father's former...
, the son of Northumberland, had died not long after he left the Tower and his three surviving brothers, Ambrose
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, KG was an English nobleman and general, and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester...
, Robert
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
, and Henry were pardoned for their recorded treasons in January, 1555 and so duly served the Queen and King Philip on the St Quentin expedition, where Henry Dudley was killed and his brothers won the restoration of their honour and titles.
Impact
The greatest impact of this battle was not on France, England or Spain, but on Italy. Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, having won the victory, had also secured a place at the conference table when the terms of peace were deliberated, Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, 1558. The duke was able to secure the independence of the Duchy of SavoySavoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, which had been occupied by the French a generation earlier. As part of the peace terms, Emmanuel Philibert married Marguerite d’Angoulême
Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry
Margaret of Valois, Duchess of Berry was the daughter of King Francis I of France and Claude, Duchess of Brittany.-Early life:Margaret was born at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye...
, younger sister of 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,...
, in 1559. The Duke of Savoy moved the capital across the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
two years later, making Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
an Italian state, and refounding the dynasty of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, which would become the royal house of a united Italy in 1860.
Also, King Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, cousin of the Duke of Savoy, would marry Henry II's daughter Elizabeth of Valois, who first was promised to Philip's son Don Carlos. To celebrate the departure of his daughter Elisabeth to Spain, Henry II held a joust in July 1559. During the tournament, he was mortally wounded by Gabriel Montgomery, comte de Montgomery
Montgomery
-In France:* Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery, a commune in département Calvados, Normandy* Saint-Germain-de-Montgommery, idem* Colleville-Montgomery, idem-In Pakistan:...
, seigneur de Lorges
Lorges
Lorges is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France....
.