Although the Venetian Republic had reluctantly shifted sides and signed a defensive alliance with Charles V in July 1523 (see the penultimate debate above), when the French passed into Italy again its assistance to the Imperials was lukewarm at best. In particular, as the Imperials evacuated Milan upon the arrival of Francis I, in the autumn of 1524 (see the introduction to the previous debate),

It is not surprising, then, that upon the justifications that the Venetian ambassador made to Charles after his decisive victory at Pavia (24 February 1525), the Emperor ‘said to the attendants that his excuses were not true, however he would accept of them as such’ (ibid.).

More than any other Italian state, Venice could not possibly like the implications of the imperial success in Lombardy. The shaky position of Francesco Sforza entailed the possibility that Charles reserved the right to seize the Duchy of Milan, in which case the Republic would have found itself squeezed in between Habsburg and imperial dominions on all sides. In addition, the French eclipse from Italian affairs meant the disappearance of the only credible counterweight to Charles's power. At the same time, the Venetians could not challenge the Emperor on their own. The year was thus spent in negotiations with Charles, on the one hand, and with all those who had reason to oppose his triumph, on the other – especially Pope Clement VII and the French regency.