The invasion, when it came in 1494, demonstrated in striking fashion the numerical and technical superiority of the French military relative to that of the Italian powers. Favorite Answer. The French army marched through Italy with only minimal resistance. In an event that was to prove a watershed in Italian history, Charles invaded Italy with 25,000 men (including 8,000 Swiss mercenaries) in September 1494 and marched across the peninsula virtually unopposed. Why did the French invade Italy in 1494? Alexander VI organizes the Holy League which included Spain to repel the French from Italy. He temporarily became the King of Naples. How did this event trigger Italy's political decline? 1 decade ago. He realized that the French invasion threatened Milan. In October 1494, Ludovico Sforza, who had long controlled the Duchy of Milan, finally procured the ducal title after providing a hitherto unheard-of dowry to his niece, who was marrying the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian.He was immediately challenged by Alfonso II, who also had a claim on Milan. Relevance. The French army subdued Florence in The invasion had a profound impact on Italian society and politics. Ludovico the Moor seemed to be at the summit of his power and prestige. However, the French garrison in Naples was forced to surrender, and so the first French expedition into Italy proved a complete failure. Charles forces were among the first to use organized artillery. Lv 5. Tirant. France Invades Italy: Charles VIII King of France began the Italian Wars by invading Italy in September 1494. Why did Lucovico il Moro join the League of Venice? Answer Save. A common assumption is that creative work proceeds best in periods of calm and peace. The French invasion of Italy in 1494 is widely seen as the beginning of the end of the Italian Renaissance. Charles VIII invaded Italy to lay claim to the Kingdom of Naples, which composed most of southern Italy. How did the actions of Pope Julius II and the ideas of Niccolò Machiavelli signify a new era in Italian civilization? The Italian Wars (1494-1559) saw a prolonged period of struggle between the major European powers for control of Italy. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In 1494 he had been given the title of duke of Milan by the Holy Roman emperor Maximilian I. The French king had a claim on the Kingdom of Naples and he wanted to enforce that. He arrived in Pavia on 21 October 1494 and entered Pisa on 8 November 1494. 5. 1 Answer. How did this event trigger Italy’s political decline? French invasion. It began with a French attempt to press a claim to the Kingdom of Naples, but soon expanded into a general clash between the houses of Valois and Habsburg, and in particular between Francis I of France and the Emperor Charles V. Which pope was known as the most corrupt pope to ever sit on the papal throne? Why did the French invade Italy in 1494? The First Italian War/ Italian War of Charles VIII (1494-96) was an unsuccessful French attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Naples, and helped trigger over half a century of warfare in Italy, which ended with Spain as the dominant power (Italian Wars, 1494-1559).The Kingdom of Naples was the mainland half of the earlier Kingdom of Sicily. The lightning invasion of Italy by Charles VIII of France in 1494 shattered a delicate 40-year peace and turned the Italian peninsula into the battleground of Europe. Start studying Italy's Political Decline: The French Invasions (1494-1527). In February 1495 Naples surrendered to Charles.