Episode 11: Foundations of a State

The King is dead, long live the King...whoever that might be. After the deaths of Henry V of England and Charles VI of France, the Duke of Bedford took the lead in continuing the Lancastrian conquest of France. Bedford's opponent, Charles VII, led a rump state in the south, known derisively as the Kingdom of Bourges. Philip the Good remained with the English after the death of Henry V, but his commitment to the cause was flagging, something noticed by both Bedford and Bourges. Time Period Covered: 1422-1424 Notable People: Philip the Good, John Duke of Bedford, Charles VII of France, John V Duke of Brittany, Arthur de Richemont, Anne of Burgundy, Margaret of Burgundy Notable Events/Developments: Treaty of Amiens (1423), Battle of Cravant, Battle of Vernuil

With the Treaty of Troyes, the English and Burgundians have come together to defeat the Dauphinists. But that's easier said than done, once the actual work of war and conquest began, difficulties popped up almost immediately. Time Period Covered: 1421-1422 Notable People: Philip the Good, Henry V of England, Charles VI of France, Charles VII of France, Jacques d'Harcourt, Tanneguy du Chatel, John Stewart Earl of Buchan, Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick Notable Events/Developments: Creation of the Army of Scotland, Battle of Bauge, Rebellion of Jacques d'Harcourt, Battle of Mons-en-Vimeu, Fall of La Charite to the Dauphinists

In the wake of the assassination of John the Fearless, the Burgundians came to the conclusion that no peace could be made with the Dauphin. Instead the Duke of Burgundy and his followers decided to throw their lot in with the English and sign the controversial Treaty of Troyes. Time Period Covered: 1419-1420 Notable People: Philip the Good, Henry V of England, Queen Isabeau, Charles VI of France

Between 1415 and 1419, the third generation of Burgundians came to power in the Low Countries. In this episode we'll explore the early careers of the grandchildren of Philip the Bold: Philip the Good, Jacqueline of Bavaria, John IV of Brabant, and Philip of Saint-Pol. Time Period Covered: 1415-1421 Notable People: Philip the Good, Jacqueline of Bavaria, John IV of Brabant, John the Pitiless, Philip of Saint-Pol, Bonne of Artois Notable Events/Developments: Hook and Cod Wars, Conflict between John the Pitiless and Jacqueline of Bavaria, Marriage of John IV of Brabant and Jacqueline of Bavaria

Throughout the later Middle Ages, the County of Holland was consumed by partisan fighting. These factions, the Hooks and Cods, arose from a power struggle between Margaret of Avesnes and her son William I of Bavaria. The fight between mother and son would only last a few years, but the factional strife would continue for over a century. Time Period Covered: 1299 - 1417 Notable People: John II of Avesnes, William II of Avesnes, Margaret of Avesnes, William I of Bavaria, Jan Van Arkel Bishop of Utrecht, Albert of Bavaria, William II of Bavaria, Jan V Van Arkel Notable Events: Bavarian Inheritance of Hainault-Holland-Zeeland, Formation of the Hook and Cod factions, The Hook and Cod Wars, The Arkel War

In the later middle ages, the House of Wittelsbach, rulers of Bavaria and the Palatinate, competed with the Houses of Luxembourg and Habsburg for land, power, and the Imperial Throne. Time Period Covered: 1273 - 1410 Notable People: Ludwig IV the Bavarian, Rupert of the Palatinate, Rudolph I of Bavaria, Frederick the Fair, Pope John XXII, Pope Clement VI, Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, Emperor Charles IV

The Rapondi were Philip the Bold and John the Fearless' favorite bankers. They funded everything from the day-to-day operations of the Burgundian Court to the Nicopolis Crusade to John's armies in the Civil War. For more on the Rapondi Company check out Bart Lambert's Book The City, The Duke, and Their Banker.

Christine de Pizan was the favorite court writer of many of the most important Lords and Ladies of France in the early 1400s. She started her career writing Love Poetry before expanding to writing treatises on Politics, History, Gender, and Theology. In this episode I'll trace her political thought as the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war rages by focusing on three of her writings: The Book of the Body Politic, The Lament on the Evils of Civil War, and The Book of Peace. Check out this episode's page on granddukesofthewest.com for a list of my sources and to read De Pizan's writings for yourself.

I've been saying for a while that the Burgundians used propaganda and public relations much more effectively than their opponents. In this episode I'll explore how they did that and what it meant. For more on Burgundian Propaganda check out the work of Dr. Emily J. Hutchison. Time Period Covered: 1401-1419

After years of Civil War John the Fearless and Dauphin Charles met on a bridge over the Yonne River to make peace... Time Period Covered: 1418-1419 Notable People: John the Fearless, Charles VII of France, Henry V of England, Tanneguy du Chastel, Lady of Giac, Queen Isabeau, Jean Louvet, Nicolas Rolin Notable Events/Developments: English Conquest of Rouen, Treaty of Pouilly-le-Fort, Assassination of John the Fearless