Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency c. He fought at the French defeat at La Bicocca in that year, and after assisting in rebuffing the invasion of Constable Bourbon he was captured at the disastrous Battle of Pavia. Quickly freed he worked to free first the king and then the king's sons. In the mid s he found himself opposed to the war party at court led by Admiral Chabot and therefore retired. He returned to the fore after the Holy Roman Emperor invaded Provence , leading the royal effort that foiled his invasion, and leading the counter-attack.
In he was rewarded by being made Constable of France , this made him the supreme authority over the French military. For the next two years he led the efforts to secure Milano for France through negotiation with the Emperor, however this proved a failure and Montmorency was disgraced, retiring from court in He spent the next several years at his estates, relieved of the exercise and incomes of his charges, and removed as governor of Languedoc.
He allied with the dauphin, the future Henri II during this time in his rivalry with the king's third son. Upon the dauphin's ascent in Montmorency was recalled from his exile and restored to all his offices, with his enemies disgraced. He now found himself opposed at court by the king's mistress Diane de Poitiers and her allies the duc de Guise and Cardinal de Lorraine.
He led the crushing of the gabelle revolt of and then the effort to reconquer Boulogne from the English which was accomplished by negotiated settlement. In he was elevated from a baron to the first duc de Montmorency. In he led the royal campaign to seize the Three Bishoprics from the Holy Roman Empire, though was overshadowed by the glory Guise attained in the defence of Metz.
Montmorency led the inconclusive northern campaigns of and and was increasingly criticised for his cautious style of campaign. From he led the drive to peace that secured the Truce of Vaucelles in mid , however the peace would be shortlived. In he was again tasked with fighting on the northern frontier, and was drawn into the disastrous battle of Saint-Quentin at which he was captured and the French army destroyed.
