Formation of the Franco-Ottoman Alliance

Timeline

1. 1525–1526Paris · FranceAfter the defeat at Pavia, Francis I sought aid from Suleiman I through secret channels, intending to pin down Charles V's Habsburg hegemony from the south.
2. 1526Constantinople · Ottoman EmpireFrench envoy Jean de La Forêt arrived at the Ottoman court and reached an understanding with Suleiman I on jointly confronting the Habsburgs; the Ottomans promised to apply military pressure in the Mediterranean.
3. 1526–1529Mediterranean · MediterraneanOttoman naval commander Hayreddin Barbarossa coordinated with France at Marseille and elsewhere, raiding the Spanish and Italian coasts and forcing Charles V to disperse his forces to meet threats on both northern and southern fronts.