Louis II de la Trémoille

__NOTOC__Louis II de la Trémoille or La Trimouille (September 29 1460 – 1525), was a late medieval/early renaissance French general. He served under three kings: Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I.

Titles

During the course of his career, he earned the titles Vicomte de Thouars, Prince de Talmond, Comte de Guînes et de Bénon, Baron de Sully, de Craon, de Montagu, de Mauléon et de l'Ile-Bouchard, Seigneur des Iles de Ré, de Rochefort et de Marans, and Premier Chambellan du Roi.

Biography

He was born in Thouars to a prominent noble family of Poitou. He commanded an army that attempted to secure Brittany for the French crown after internal revolts has weakened Francis II, Duke of Brittany during the so-called "Mad War" ("La Guerre Folle"). His decisive victory at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier on July 27, 1488 ended effective Breton independence.

He took part to several battle in the Italian Wars, notably the inconclusive Battle of Fornovo (1495) and the victorious Battle of Agnadello (1509). He suffered a severe defeat at the Battle of Novara, in which his 10,000-strong army was ambushed by 13,000 Swiss mercenaries.

He later went on to secure a French victory at the Battle of Marignano (1515), but he perished at the Battle of Pavia (1525), where he died of a wound inflicted by an arquebus. His death occurred during the climax of the battle when the French were surprised by 1500 Spanish arquebusiers. La Trémoille and other high-ranking Frenchmen fought their way towards their king, Francis I, in order to protect him. La Trémoille fell from his horse, shot through the heart.

Memory

Rue de La Trémoille, in the VIIIe arrondissement of Paris, is named after him.

ee also

* La Trémoille family.

External links

*fr icon [http://theses.enc.sorbonne.fr/document119.html Laurent Vissiere, "Louis II de la Trémoille ou la découverte de l'Italie (1480-1525)"]
*fr icon [http://www.heraldique-europeenne.org/Armoriaux/Paris/VIII_4.htm Heraldique Europeene]