Death Gaston de Foix Duc de Nemours Battle Ravenna 1512 Thunderbolt Italy French military commander War League Cambrai Ronco
Gaston de Foix, Duc de Nemours (10 December 1489 – 11 April 1512), also known as The Thunderbolt of Italy, was a French military commander noted mostly for his brilliant six-month campaign from 1511 to 1512 during the War of the League of Cambrai. The decisive Battle of Ravenna would be fought on 11 April 1512. The Spanish had their backs to the Ronco River and maintained a relatively secure front thanks to the strong entrenchments and obstacles prepared by the famous engineer Pedro Navarro. Gaston left 2,000 men to watch Ravenna and moved the rest of his force against Cardona. The French army crossed the stream between Ravenna and the Spanish camp without interference, formed in a semicircle around the enemy entrenchments, and started firing from the flanks into the Spanish position. The heavy bombardment did not trouble the well-protected Spanish infantry, but the cavalry could take no more and assaulted the French without orders. These charges were easily beaten back and the French counter-attacked. A bloody one-hour struggle ensued between the landsknechts and the Spanish in the entrenchments. At this moment, two cannons that Gaston had sent behind the Spanish lines opened fire and wrought havoc on the enemy rear. The Spanish withdrew and suffered tremendous casualties. During the pursuit, Gaston led a cavalry charge against a recalcitrant Spanish infantry unit. He was shot and killed. French casualties ran up to 9,000 while the Spanish lost nearly their entire army, as well as Pedro Navarro, who was captured. The death of Gaston de Foix was a huge blow to the French. The young and impetuous warrior had displayed an incredible talent for high command in the recent series of French victories. It is possible that the Italian Wars would have taken a very different course had he lived.
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