Arms and Armour

Charles the Bold

Charles the Bold (Charles Martin; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), also called the Rash, was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. A member of the House of Valois-Burgundy, he was the only surviving legitimate son of Philip the Good and his third wife, Isabella of Portugal. In his youth, Charles was known for his chivalric ambitions and his admiration for Alexander the Great. As count of Charolais, he clashed with his father's ministers and developed an intense rivalry with King Louis XI of France. In 1465, he formed the League of the Public Weal, a coalition of French feudal lords, and led them in a war against Louis XI. As duke of Burgundy, Charles inherited a vast but fragmented collection of territories stretching from the Low Countries to the borders of Switzerland. Therefore, he pursued the creation of an independent Burgundian kingdom. To this end, he acquired Guelders and Upper Alsace, sought recognition as King of the Romans, and became increasingly involved in conflicts within the Holy Roman Empire. He married Margaret of York to secure an English alliance, and arranged the betrothal of his only child, Mary, to Maximilian of Austria. Charles was a patron of music and the arts, especially illuminated manuscripts, and his court was noted for its chivalric culture and elaborate etiquette. He reformed the Burgundian military through continous military ordinances. Pursuing an aggressive foreign policy, he increased his sphere of influence in Italy, allying himself with Milan, Naples and Venice, but repeatedly declined papal and Venetian requests to undertake a crusade against the Ottoman Empire. In the final years of his reign, Charles fought the Burgundian Wars against an alliance of Swiss, German, and Alsatian powers while trying to retain control of Upper Alsace. After his unsuccessful siege of Neuss, he was defeated by the Swiss at the battles of Grandson and Morat. He was killed at the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477 while fighting René II of Lorraine and his Swiss allies. His death triggered the War of the Burgundian Succession and contributed to the collapse of the Burgundian State. He was succeeded by his only child, Mary.

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See also

• ▸Anglo-Saxon paganism
• ▸KOMPSAT-3
• ▸Herschel C. Logan

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