Beginning his military career during the latter Italian Wars, he fought under François, Duke of Guise in Italy as captain of light horse.

With the outbreak of the French Wars of Religion the following year, he confirmed this attitude with a promise of support to the leader of the rebels, Condé.

In the following months, he sought to chart a middle path, encouraging Catholics and Protestants to share control of the city government and militia.

In December, now with the royal army in Normandy, he fought for the crown at the Battle of Dreux where he was fatally wounded, dying several weeks later.

They then moved to extricate him from the court while they consolidated, instructing him to present the signed peace of Cateau-Cambrésis to Philip II of Spain.

[7] In April 1562 as the first war of religion got underway, Nevers was approached by Condé, his uncle, who asked him to draw up funds and troops from Champagne to support the capture of Orléans.

Nevers made his way to the town, arriving on 21 April, entering after he had talked the Protestant militants into putting down their arms, promising they would not be harmed.

Nevers favoured a joint Catholic and Protestant control of the gates of the town, he also prohibited the possession of weapons, ordering judges to disarm the populace.

These policy moves made the Protestants nervous, concerned the Catholic judiciary would un-evenly enforce the prohibition however Nevers reassured them that no harm would come.

In July Nevers withdrew from Troyes, as it underwent a bout of plague and left his militant Catholic subordinate Bordes in charge of the town.