1515

The year 1515 was marked by major political and military developments in Europe during the Italian Wars. It began with the death of Louis XII, King of France, on January 1, which cleared the way for Francis I to ascend the French throne. Francis I was crowned at Reims on January 25, 1515, signaling a new chapter in French royal policy and its involvement in Italian and wider European affairs.

Francis I’s accession helped ignite renewed French military campaigns in northern Italy. The year’s most decisive action came with the Battle of Marignano (September 13–14, 1515) near Melegnano, where French forces defeated the Old Swiss Confederacy. The victory established French influence in Lombardy and shifted the balance of power in the Italian peninsula for years, though it came at heavy cost to the Swiss forces and altered Swiss military prestige.

In England, 1515 saw the rise of Thomas Wolsey as a dominant political figure. Wolsey was appointed Lord Chancellor and elevated to cardinal by Pope Leo X in 1515, positioning him as the principal administrator for Henry VIII and shaping English foreign and domestic policy during the early years of the king’s reign.

Overall, 1515 reflected the broader dynamics of the Italian Wars, with France asserting leadership in Italy, the Swiss power diminished in the face of French successes, and English governance beginning a period of strong royal centralization under Wolsey. Notable deaths in the year included Louis XII, whose passing precipitated the new French era under Francis I.