Grand Dukes of the West: A History of Valois Burgundy

After the fall of the Cabochiens, John the Fearless fled Paris and left the city wide open for the Armagnacs to return. Now at the helm of government, the Armagnacs work to use France's resources to settle their scores with the Duke of Burgundy. Time Period Covered:  1413-1415 Notable People:  John the Fearless, Louis of Guyenne, John Duke of Berry, Anthony of Burgundy Duke of Brabant, Margare...

John the Fearless continues to be dominant in Paris, but with the Peace of Auxerre coming into effect, the Armagnacs are attempting to share in the Government of France once more. To ensure his power, John the Fearless courts the radicals of Paris and the Estates General, but soon the radicals develop a mind of their own and a medieval French Revolution might be in the making. Time Period Covered:...

After the first showdown with the League of Gien, John the Fearless managed to maintain his grip on power. But the Armagnacs are regrouping and the war is about to escalate as both parties court support from the King of England. Time Period Covered:  1410 - 1412 Notable People:  John the Fearless, John Duke of Berry, Charles Duke of Orleans, John V Duke of Brittany, Charles d'Albret Constable...

When John the Fearless left Paris for Liege in 1408, his position was shaky, but his return as a conquering hero quickly established his dominance over the capital. However, his enemies and rivals are beginning to unify, and the League of Gien poses a significant threat to his continued mastery of France. Time Period Covered:  1408 - 1410 Notable People:  John the Fearless, John Duke of Berry, Que...

John the Fearless controls Paris, but his brother-in-law John of Bavaria is in the process of losing control of his territory, the Prince-Bishopric of Liege. To save John of Bavaria's skin, John the Fearless will team up with his other brother-in-law William of Bavaria and leave France to his domestic enemies in order to secure Burgundian influence over the Low Countries. Time Period Covered:...

The Duke of Orleans is dominant in Paris and he takes every opportunity to exclude his cousin John the Fearless from power. Seeing every opportunity vanish before his eyes, the Duke of Burgundy decides to take drastic steps and arranges for Louis of Orleans to be assassinated. But once the breach has been opened, can it ever be mended? Time Period Covered:  1406 - 1408 Notable People:  John the Fe...

After Philip the Bold's death, Louis of Orleans took no time establishing his dominance in Paris. But Philip's son John wasn't willing to cede the Burgundian position. Shortly after coming into his inheritance he headed to Paris in order to claw back a share of power. Time Period Covered:  1404 - 1406 Notable People:  John the Fearless, Louis Duke of Orleans, John Duke of Berry, Queen...

Philip the Bold is dead and now a new generation steps into the spotlight. His sons have taken over the vast Burgundian complex of territories while Louis of Orleans works to expunge the vestiges of Burgundian influence from Paris. Today we'll focus on how John and his brothers consolidated power in the Low Countries and Burgundy. Time Period Covered:  1404 - 1408 Notable People:  John the Fea...

Louis of Orleans grows more powerful by the day. The Duke of Burgundy had been out of Paris in mid-1401 dealing with affairs in his own territories, and in that time Orleans had taken control of the capital. In order to reestablish his hold on the French Government, Philip the Bold now has to turn to arms. The rivalry between Uncle and Nephew is consuming not only Paris, but France and its neighbo...

In 1396 Philip the Bold was the most powerful man in France, but his nephew Louis Duke of Orleans was coming for his position. The turn of the 15th century saw a number of political upheavals in Europe and Louis hoped that the new political landscape would favor him over his uncle. While over the past few years Philip's dominance was unchallenged, the Duke of Orleans was maturing and his ambit...

Over the course of the 14th Century the lords of a small county on the border between France and the Holy Roman Empire became the Kings of Bohemia, Hungary, and Germany and the lords of dozens of smaller principalities. The House of Luxembourg began its rise when the Count of Luxembourg was put forward as a compromise candidate for Holy Roman Emperor, and from there they became one of the most imp...

The Crusaders have reached Nicopolis! But as the Crusaders settle in and prepare for a siege the Ottoman army led by Sultan Bayezid the Thunderbolt is making it's way north. Time Period Covered:  1396-1398 Notable People:  John the Fearless, Sigismund of Luxembourg, Mircea the Elder, Bayezid the Thunderbolt, Engeurrand de Coucy, Philip of Artois Count of Eu, Jean Le Maingre/Boucicaut, Stefan L...

In 1396, Count John of Nevers, son of Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy, led a Crusade against the Ottoman Empire. In this second part of three on the Crusade of Nicopolis we will explore the legacy of the Crusades in Late Medieval Europe and begin our march towards Nicopolis. Time Period Covered: ~1300 - 1396 Notable People: John the Fearless, Philip the Bold, Philippe de Mezieres, King Charles VI...

In 1396, Count John of Nevers, son of Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy, led a Crusade against the Ottoman Empire. In this first part of three on the Crusade of Nicopolis we will explore the two other major players in this crusade. The Kingdom of Hungary which initiated the call, and the Ottoman Empire, the target of the Crusade. Time Period Covered: 1299 - 1395 Notable People: Charles Robert of Hu...

In 1392 while travelling to Brittany, King Charles VI fell into delusion. In the aftermath of this episode, Philip the Bold took the opportunity to once again seize power in France. The Duke of Burgundy had been shut out of the inner circle for the past four years, but with the King no longer able to truly rule, Philip asserted his own right by force of personality political savvy. Time Period Cov...

Last episode we saw Olivier de Clisson and John of Montfort at each other's throats. In this Supplemental Episode we'll explore the conflict that drove the two Breton Nobles apart. What could have been a minor conflict got tangled up with the Hundred Years War and the War of Breton Succession, also known as the War of the Two Jeannes, saw the Duchy of Brittany wracked with violence and chaos for d...

In 1388 King Charles VI dismissed his uncles and assumed control of the French Royal Government. The next four years saw Philip the Bold no longer controlling the realm, but rather dealing with issues in his own territories and looking to expand. With the Uncles on the outs a new circle came to dominate the French Crown known as the Marmousets. Time Period Covered: 1388 - 1392  Notable People...

The Court of Philip the Good was known as one of the foremost centers of art patronage in the late middle ages. But Philip the Good did not start from scratch. The Burgundian Court of Dukes Philip the Bold and John the Fearless were centers of art and culture and set the stage for the opulence and grandeur of the later dukes. Artists/Art Featured: Tres Riches Heurs of John of Berry (The Limbourg B...

Now that Philip the Bold is firmly in control of the Counties that he inherited from his father-in-law let's take a look at these lands. In this episode we'll  explore the Two Burgundies (The Duchy and County of Burgundy), The County of Nevers, the Champagne Lands, and Philip's 'Lands Down There' (Flanders, Artois, and Rethel). We'll also take a look at Brabant and Limburg where the Burgundia...

In 1386 Philip the Bold Duke of Burgundy, Count of Flanders, Count of Artois, Count of Burgundy, Count of Nevers, and Count of Rethel began the process of reorganizing the administration of his territories and building a Burgundian State. In this episode we will dive into the Burgundian State such that it existed under Philip.  Key Terms: Parlement, Chambre des Comptes, Bailiff, Receiver, Bailiwic...

In 1384, Philip the Bold inherited five counties from his father-in-law and became the most powerful man in France. His titles and his control of the regency of King Charles VI meant that Philip now had more wealth and influence at his disposal than ever before, and he would wield them both to further improve his position. The rise of Valois Burgundy had now truly begun. Time Period Covered: 1384...

In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, two rival houses dominated the Low Countries. The House of Dampierre ruled Flanders while the House of Avesnes ruled Hainaut and later Holland and Zeeland as well. Unfortunately for all involved these two houses were fierce rivals and entangled in a blood feud. Let's go back to the 13th Century to explore the origins of the Dampierre-Avesnes feud.  A...

In 1380 the death of King Charles V of France opened up all sort of doors for his younger brothers. Philip the Bold took charge and assumed control of the regency council of the new, young king, Charles VI. Philip's time at the helm of the ship of state would not be all smooth sailing. Revolts popped up all over the kingdom in response to taxes being raised, and Flanders was still being consum...

The 1370s were a time of recovery for France. The sons of John the Good set to work rebuilding their country and driving out the English. Philip the Bold found himself tasked with retaking a number of castles and harassing English raids. But Philip did not spent those years solely as a soldier. These years see Philip beginning to flex his diplomatic muscles and learning the secrets of state buildi...

Philip the Bold has finally been installed as Duke of Burgundy, but what's next? This episode we're going to catch up with Flanders and see how Philip spent the first few years of his reign. The 1360s saw Philip active both in the French Royal Court and in Burgundy. The past decade had been rough for Philip's new Duchy and when he came to power, it was facing many issues that required...