Today's featured article
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The Italian War of 1542–1546 was a conflict late in the Italian Wars, pitting Francis I of France and Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Henry VIII of England. The course of the war saw extensive fighting in Italy, France, and the Low Countries, as well as attempted invasions of Spain and England; but, although the conflict was ruinously expensive for the major participants, its outcome was inconclusive. The war arose from the failure of the Truce of Nice, which ended the Italian War of 1536–38, to resolve the long-standing conflict between Charles and Francis—particularly their conflicting claims to the Duchy of Milan. Having found a suitable pretext, Francis once again declared war against his perpetual enemy in 1542. Fighting began at once throughout the Low Countries; the following year saw the Franco-Ottoman alliance's attack on Nice, as well as a series of maneuvers in northern Italy which culminated in the bloody Battle of Ceresole. Charles and Henry then proceeded to invade France, but the long sieges of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Saint-Dizier prevented a decisive offensive against the French. Charles came to terms with Francis by the Treaty of Crépy in late 1544, but the death of Francis's younger son, the Duke of Orléans—whose proposed marriage to a relative of the Emperor was the cornerstone of the treaty—made it moot less than a year afterwards. (more...)
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Did you know...
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From Wikipedia's newest articles:
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In the news
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- The discovery of the largest Anglo-Saxon treasure trove ever found (pictured), in Staffordshire, England, is announced.
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- Irina Bokova of Bulgaria is elected Director-General of UNESCO, the first woman and first Eastern European to fill the role.
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- A 6.3 Mw earthquake strikes Bhutan and India, killing at least 11 people.
- The Renault F1 racing team is given a two-year suspended ban by the FIA, after accepting a charge of conspiring to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
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