Sforza's entry into Milan

Name: Sforza's entry into Milan
Start: 1447
End: 1450

Type Event Region Milan Time 1447–1450

After the Visconti duke's death in 1447, Francesco Sforza intervened in Milan, first defending the republic then besieging the city, marking his rise…

Timeline

1447–1448Lombardy · LombardyThe Ambrosian Republic hired Sforza to lead mercenaries against rivals backed by Venice and the Holy Roman Empire; Sforza at times controlled most of the countryside of the duchy and several key fortresses, becoming the republic's de facto military mainstay.
1448–1449Milan · MilanWith territorial promises such as Cremona unfulfilled and pay in arrears, Sforza openly broke with the republic and instead besieged Milan, cutting off supplies and winning over surrounding towns.
1450Milan · MilanThe prolonged siege and famine forced Milan to open its gates; Sforza entered with relative restraint, the Ambrosian Republic ended, and Sforza was subsequently recognized as Duke of Milan, founding the Sforza dynasty.

Sources

Francesco Sforza — Evelyn S. Welch (2004) https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-25139
Mercenaries and their Masters: Warfare in Renaissance Italy — Michael Mallett (1974)