Page 156 - sfogliabile 49

422 María José Rodríguez-Salgado

In December 1534 Charles V issued a formal declaration that he was
preparing a campaign against Barbarossa and the Turks . Soon after,
18
the emperor sent letters to other monarchs, instructions to his
ambassadors and officials and materials for publication, so that the
world would know it was his intention to act against the «common
enemy of Christendom» . A heroic note was struck by stressing that he
19
would act alone, which also justified withdrawing his promise of aid to
the Hungarian front . But his forces were so substantial – some 25,000
20
men and 150 ships – that Christian territories became seriously
alarmed . Far from stifling speculation, the vague proclamation stoked
21
fear, with both Francis I and Henry VIII suspecting that they were the
real targets . Charles V sought to reassure the English monarch by
22
informing English Catholics that he could not help them for now and
opening informal negotiations with Henry VIII, ostensibly to hinder the
conclusion of an alliance between the English and French monarchs .
23
It was enough to persuade Henry VIII to remain neutral.
Francis I veered from fear of the imperial forces amassing at the
frontier, to joy at the thought that the Ottoman-Algerian threat would
force Charles V to give him back Milan . Unable to persuade the
24
English to join him, he renewed his efforts to obtain a formal anti-
Habsburg alliance with Süleyman and Barbarossa. An interim
agreement for a three-year treaty of amity was rapidly concluded with
Barbarossa, who offered to persuade Süleyman to join the agreement.
It was enough for Francis I to argue, as the Venetians, that he could
not join a Christian campaign against these Muslim rulers as it would
contravene a formal alliance . Thus far, however, the alliance was
25
only with Barbarossa and to conclude a treaty with Süleyman a formal
embassy was sent to the Ottoman court. La Forêt, was instructed to

18 LP, viii, n. 18, Charles V to Chapuys, 5 January 1535.
19 Asm, Ag, b. 287, f. 304. Agnello informed the duke of Mantua on 7 December 1534
that the fleet was «per rispetto di Barbarossa». PEG, II, 277, Charles V to Hannart, 5 &
10 January 1535 to inform the French court from where it was sent to England LP, viii,
n. 186, ca. 8 February 1535; LP, viii, n. 18, Charles V to Chapuys, 5 January 1534/5
for Henry VIII.
20 KFI, V, 129 – «und yetz allain thuen muessen wider den Barbarossa, so mit allen
des Turcken schief und gewalt auf dem mer vorhanden».
21 Asm, Ag, b. 588, f. 8, Agnello to the duke of Mantua, 19 January 1535.
22 LP, viii, n. 48, Chapuys to Charles V, 14 January 1535; n. 186 (February 1535),
Hannart to Granvelle.
23 LP, viii, n. 272, Charles V to his ambassador in England, Eustace Chapuys, 26
February 1535.
24 Ang, Carpi, 11, Rodolfo Pio di Carpi (nuncio in France) to Ambrogio Ricalcato
(papal secretary), 26 February 1535.
25 Charles V’s criticism of Francis I’s policies, PEG, II, 293-294, to Hannart, 25
February 1534/5.

Mediterranea - ricerche storiche - Anno XVII - Agosto 2020
ISSN 1824-3010 (stampa) ISSN 1828-230X (online)