The League of Cambrai

The League of Cambrai was an alliance formed in 1508 between several powerful states, including France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Pope, with the primary goal of limiting the influence of the Venetian Republic in Northern Italy. Venice, a major trading power at the time, was seen as a threat to their interests. The league sought to weaken Venice through military action, but internal disagreements led to its decline. By 1510, the alliance fell apart, and the participating states turned on each other, highlighting the complexities of alliances in early 16th-century European politics.