Battle of Renty

The Battle of Renty was fought on 12 August 1554, between France and the Holy Roman Empire at Renty, a northern French secondary theatre of the Italian Wars. The French were led by Francis, Duke of Guise, while the Imperial forces were led by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg.

On 8 August, the French appeared at Renty. The Spanish cavalry charged the French infantry forcing a retreat, while their infantry were in the Bois Guillaume. The French infantry were rallied by Gaspar de Saulx-Tavannes who charged, while the Spanish infantry were pushed out of the woods by Gaspard de Coligny, and routed by Francis, Duke of Guise.

Aftermath

Duke Francis had already forced the emperor to abandon the Siege of Metz in 1552. King Henry II of France had occupied the city according to the terms of the Treaty of Chambord he had signed with several Protestant Imperial princes. The French repelled Charles' 1554 invasion, the emperor abdicated two years later and King Henry II ultimately retained the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Toul and Verdun.