The Pope's Army

The Papacy in Diplomacy and War

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Rome, Military, Other, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book The Pope's Army by John Car, John Carr, Pen and Sword
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Car, John Carr ISBN: 9781526714916
Publisher: Pen and Sword Publication: June 30, 2019
Imprint: Pen and Sword Military Language: English
Author: John Car, John Carr
ISBN: 9781526714916
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication: June 30, 2019
Imprint: Pen and Sword Military
Language: English

For much of its 2,000-year history, the Roman Catholic Church was a formidable political and military power, in contrast to its pacifist origins and its present concentration on spiritual matters. The period of political and military activism can be dated to roughly between 410, when Pope Innocent I vainly tried to avert the sack of Rome by the Visigoths, and about 1870, when Pope Pius IX was abandoned by his protectors, the French Army, and forced to submit to the new Italian state by surrendering any political power the Vatican had left.

During those centuries, the popes employed every means at their disposal, including direct military action, to maintain their domains centered on Rome. Some pontiffs, such as Alexander VI, Julius II (15th century), plus the energetic Borgia popes later, built the Papal States into a power in their own right. In the following century and a half, Europe’s destructive religious wars almost always had a papal component, with the Lateran and later Vatican fielding their own armies. Climaxing the story are the little-known yet bitter late-nineteenth century battles between the papal volunteers from all over Europe and America, and the Italian nationalists who ultimately prevailed. John Carr narrates the story of Papal military clout with engaging verve.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For much of its 2,000-year history, the Roman Catholic Church was a formidable political and military power, in contrast to its pacifist origins and its present concentration on spiritual matters. The period of political and military activism can be dated to roughly between 410, when Pope Innocent I vainly tried to avert the sack of Rome by the Visigoths, and about 1870, when Pope Pius IX was abandoned by his protectors, the French Army, and forced to submit to the new Italian state by surrendering any political power the Vatican had left.

During those centuries, the popes employed every means at their disposal, including direct military action, to maintain their domains centered on Rome. Some pontiffs, such as Alexander VI, Julius II (15th century), plus the energetic Borgia popes later, built the Papal States into a power in their own right. In the following century and a half, Europe’s destructive religious wars almost always had a papal component, with the Lateran and later Vatican fielding their own armies. Climaxing the story are the little-known yet bitter late-nineteenth century battles between the papal volunteers from all over Europe and America, and the Italian nationalists who ultimately prevailed. John Carr narrates the story of Papal military clout with engaging verve.

More books from Pen and Sword

Cover of the book Tracing Your Liverpool Ancestors by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book German Halftracks At War 1939-1945 by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Baling Out by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book British Armoured Divisions and their Commanders, 1939-1945 by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Southern Railway by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book The Suffragette Bombers by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Sieges of the English Civil War by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Combat Over Korea by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Vintage Lighting by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book The Red Baron by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Gaius Marius by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Naseby-June 1645 by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Omar Al-Bashir and Africa's Longest War by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Explorers and Their Quest for North America by John Car, John Carr
Cover of the book Fighting the Somme by John Car, John Carr
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy