Jacqueline of Bavaria is back in the Low Countries with a new husband. While Philip the Good, John IV of Brabant, and John the Pitiless are all arrayed against her, the Countess of Hainaut-Holland-Zeeland is going to fight for her Counties and now she has the English backing her up...right? Time Period Covered: 1421-1425 Notable People: Philip the Good, Jaqueline of Bavaria, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, John IV of Brabant, Philip of Saint-Pol, John Duke of Bedford, John the Pitiless Notable Events/Developments: Marriage of Jacqueline of Bavaria and Humphrey of Gloucester, Death ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 Jacqueli ..read more

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 Inher ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more