Anne de Montmorency (15 March 1493-12 November 1567) was a Marshal and Constable of France under King Francis I of France and his successors. He served as a general during the Italian Wars before becoming a leader of the Catholic cause during the French Wars of Religion, during which he was killed.
Biography[]
Anne de Montmorency was born in Chantilly, France in 1493, and he was raised alongside King Francis I of France. In 1512, they fought together at the Battle of Ravenna, becoming close friends. In 1515, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Marignano, and he became an important adviser of the king. In 1516, he became Captain of the Bastille and Governor of Novara, and he defended Mezieres from the Holy Roman Empire during the Italian War of 1521-26. In 1522, he was defeated at the Battle of La Bicocca, but he was made a Marshal of France for his bravery. In 1526, he became Grand Master of France, and he became Constable of France in 1538, continuing to distinguish himself during the battles of the Italian Wars. In 1541, he left the court, but he returned under King Henry II of France in 1547. In 1548, he crushed insurrections around Bordeaux, and he received the surrender of Boulogne in 1550. In 1551, his barony was expanded into a duchy, and he seized Metz, Toul, and Verdun during the Italian War of 1551-59. In 1557, he was captured at the Battle of St. Quentin, and he was released in 1558. The House of Guise supplanted him and King Francis II of France treated him with indifference; he also gave up his Grand Master status to Francis, Duke of Guise. In 1560, when King Charles IX of France became king, Montmorency returned to court. In 1562, he was captured at the Battle of Dreux when his cavalry was routed, and he was killed at Saint-Denis in 1567.