Editing Franz von Sickingen (section)

== Knights' War ==<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not add photographs to this section. It would quickly become too unwieldy. Thank you. -->
[[File:Franz de Sickingen, by Albert Dürer.jpg|thumb|upright|''Franz von Sickingen'', by [[Ferdinand Wolfgang Flachenecker]], after the Paumgartner altarpiece by [[Albrecht Dürer]], 1889. Lithograph on chine collé.<ref>{{cite web |title=print {{!}} British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0813-926 |website=The British Museum |access-date=15 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref>]]
{{Main|Knights' War}}
After the failure of the French expedition, Sickingen, aided by Hutten, formed, or revived, a large scheme to overthrow the spiritual princes and to elevate the order of knighthood, the Knights' War. He hoped to secure this by the help of the towns and peasantry, and promote his own situation.  A large army was soon collected, many nobles from the upper Rhineland joined the standard, and at Landau, in August 1522, Sickingen was formally named commander. He declared war against his old enemy, [[Richard Greiffenklau zu Vollraths|Richard Greiffenklau of Vollraths]], [[Archbishop of Trier]], and marched against that city. [[Trier]] was loyal to the archbishop, and the landgrave of Hesse and Louis V, count palatine of the Rhine, hastened to his assistance. Sickingen, without the help he needed, was compelled to fall back on his castle, [[Nanstein Castle]], above [[Landstuhl]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

===Siege of Nanstein===
On 22 October 1522 the council of regency placed him under the ban, to which he replied, in the spring of 1523, by plundering [[Kaiserslautern]]. The Archbishop of Trier, [[Louis V, Elector Palatine|Palatine Elector Louis V]], and the [[Philip I of Hesse|Landgrave of Hesse]] decided to move against him, and having obtained help from the Swabian League, marched on Nanstein Castle. He refused to negotiate, and during the siege was mortally wounded. This was one of the first occasions artillery was used, and breaches were soon made in an otherwise impregnable fortress. On 6 May 1523 Sickingen was forced to capitulate, and died the following day.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} He was buried in the old Mary's Chapel (present-day St. Andreas-Kirche), Landstuhl.