Episode 19: To the Brink

04/17/23 • 30 min

1 Listener

Grand Dukes of the West: A History of Valois Burgundy

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 ambitions were growing to match.

Time Period Covered: 1396 - 1401

Notable People: Philip the Bold, Louis Duke of Orleans, King Charles VI, Queen Isabeau of Bavaria, John Duke of Berry, Joan Duchess of Brabant, William I of Guelders and Julich, John of Bavaria, Waleran of Luxembourg Count of Saint-Pol, King Richard II of England, King Henry IV of England, Wenceslas of Luxembourg, Rupert of the Palatinate

Notable Events/Developments: French Expansion into Genoa, Guelders-Brabant War (1397-1399), French Withdrawal from Avignon, Overthrow of Richard II, Deposition of Wenceslas of Luxembourg

Check out The Siecle!

Cover Art by Brandon Wilburn

Music by Zakhar Valaha

Time Period Covered: 1396 - 1401

Notable Events/Developments: French Expansion into Genoa, Guelders-Brabant War (1397-1399), French Withdrawal from Avignon, Overthrow of Richard II, Deposition of Wenceslas of Luxembourg

Check out The Siecle!

Cover Art by Brandon Wilburn

Music by Zakhar Valaha

Previous Episode

Supplemental 3: Grand Dukes of the Center Part 1 - The House of Luxembourg

1 Recommendations

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 important houses in Central Europe. In this miniseries we'll explore three of these powerful and influential houses: The House of Luxembourg, the Wittelsbach House of Bavaria, and the Habsburg House of Austria.

Time Period Covered: 1308 - 1396

Notable People: Henry VII of Luxembourg, Baldwin of Luxembourg Archbishop of Trier, John the Blind, Charles IV of Luxembourg, Wenceslas IV of Luxembourg, Sigismund of Luxembourg, Henry of Carinthia, Ludwig IV the Bavarian

Notable Events/Developments: The Great Interregnum of the Holy Roman Empire, The Golden Bull of 1356, Founding of Charles University

Cover Art by Brandon Wilburn

Music by Zakhar Valaha

Next Episode

Episode 20: Uncle and Nephew

1 Recommendations

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 neighbors as well.

Time Period Covered: 1401 - 1404

Notable People: Philip the Bold, Louis Duke of Orleans, King Charles VI, Queen Isabeau of Bavaria, John Duke of Berry, Waleran of Luxembourg Count of Saint-Pol, King Henry IV of England, Jost of Moravia

Notable Events/Developments: 1401 Confrontation between Philip the Bold and Louis of Orleans, Transfer of Luxembourg to Louis of Orleans, Piracy between England and France, Anglo-Flemish Trade Negotiations, French Return to Avignon

Check out the Pontifacts Podcast!

Cover Art by Brandon Wilburn