After adding the Duchies of Brabant and Limburg and the Counties of Hainault, Holland, Zeeland, and Namur to his domains, Philip the Good set his sights on the Duchy of Luxembourg. But the Duke of Burgundy wasn't the only with designs on the Duchy. Time Period Covered: 1436-1443 Notable People: Philip the Good, Elizabeth of Gorlitz, Ladislaus the Posthumous, William III of Saxony, Rupert of Virneburg, Ernst of Gliechen, Frederick III, Jacob von Sierck, John of Nevers, Cornille of Burgundy, Antho...
Jun 23, 2025•35 min•Ep. 54
After the Kingships of Rudolf and Albert, the Habsburg's fortunes on the Imperial Stage diminished, but the family was still one of the leading Houses in the Holy Roman Empire, and their story is far from over. Time Period Covered: 1290-1440 Notable People: Albert II of Habsburg, Rudolf IV of Habsburg, Leopold III of Habsburg, Frederick of the Empty Pockets, Ernst the Iron, Albert V of Habsburg, Frederick III Notable Events/Developments: Birth of the Old Swiss Confederacy, Battle of Mortgarten, ...
May 26, 2025•32 min
When the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire chose Rudolf of Habsburg to be the new King of Germany, they were hoping that he'd be someone they could control. But Rudolf, despite being a minor Count from Swabia, would prove to be nobody's puppet, and over the course of his reign he transformed the fortunes of his family, and the Empire as a whole. Time Period Covered: 1250-1330 Notable People: Rudolf I of Germany, Albert I of Germany, Ottokar II of Bohemia, Frederick the Fair, Ludwig the Bavarian ...
Apr 28, 2025•31 min
The Hanseatic League was a major player in Northern Europe for centuries, it dominated trade in the North and Baltic Seas, fought wars with rival powers, and dictated terms to princes. But the League was not a state, proto-state, or quasi-state, it was a collection of Merchants, Guilds, and Towns. Time Period Covered: 1143-1441 Notable Events/Developments: Founding of Lubeck, Formation of the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic Boycotts of Bruges (1280-1282, 1358-1360, 1388-1391), Danish-Hanseatic War, ...
Mar 31, 2025•46 min
Throughout the later 1430s, Charles I Duke of Bourbon found his influence at the court of Charles VII falling day after day. Bourbon was not content to take his sidelining laying down, and so he began to plot, and when that failed he plotted again, and when that failed... Time Period Covered: 1435-1442 Notable People: Charles VII of France, Charles of Anjou Count of Maine, Charles I Duke of Bourbon, John Bastard of Orleans Count of Dunois, John II Duke of Alencon, Louis XI of France, Jean Louvet...
Mar 03, 2025•32 min•Ep. 53
When Philip the Good signed the Treaty of Arras, he hoped that he would be able to put all the years of war and strife behind him. However, the ill will built up over the years of Anglo-Burgundian alliance would be hard to surmount and the Duke of Burgundy is now on the lookout for allies at the French Court. Thank you to Emmanuel Dubois from the La Fayette, We Are Here! Podcast for reading one of Charles of Orleans poems. I will be speaking at the Intelligent Speech conference on February 8. Ch...
Feb 03, 2025•43 min•Ep. 52
As Philip the Good retreated from Calais, he found himself going out of the frying pan and into the fire. The militias of Flanders had mutineed and the county was on the brink of rebellion. Time Period Covered: 1432-1438 Notable People: Philip the Good, Isabella of Portugal Duchess of Burgundy, Roland d'Uutkercke, Jan Van Hoorn, Simon de Lalaing, Colard de Commines, Raase Rouven Notable Events/Developments: Revolt of Ghent (1432), Rebellion of Cassel (1430), Failure of the Siege of Calais (1436)...
Jan 06, 2025•50 min•Ep. 51
As soon as the ink was dry on the Treaty of Arras, the military situation in France was turned on it's head. The English position is now in free fall, and as they struggle to regain control, their former allies the Burgundians are only adding to their troubles. Time Period Covered: 1435-1437 Notable People: Philip the Good, Jean de Villiers Lord of l'Isle-Adam, John of Luxembourg, Charles VII of France Notable Events/Developments: Burgundian Volte-Face, Charles VII gains Paris (1436), Burgundian...
Dec 09, 2024•40 min•Ep. 50
In mid-1435 delegates from England, France, and Burgundy converged on Arras to discuss ending the Hundred Years War. Time Period Covered: 1435 Notable People: Philip the Good, Cardinal Niccolo Albergati, Charles I Duke of Bourbon, Cardinal Hugh de Lusignan, Cardinal Henry Beaufort Notable Events/Developments: The Congress of Arras, The Treaty of Arras, Death of John Duke of Bedford
Nov 25, 2024•39 min•Ep. 49
Philip the Good is tired of the Hundred Years War. He's tired of the destruction, he's tired of the death, and he's tired of his ally's inability to defend his lands. But the Duke of Burgundy finds himself trapped by an oath not to make a separate peace with the increasingly powerful French Court of Charles VII. Time Period Covered: 1431-1435 Notable People: Philip the Good, Charles VII of France, Cardinal Niccolo Albergati, Arthur de Richemont, Yolande of Anjou, Charles of Anjou Count of Maine,...
Nov 11, 2024•33 min
In the years after the capture of Joan of Arc, the French continued their resurgence while the English struggled to hold on to what they had. As the tables began to turn, the Duke of Burgundy began to worry that he had chosen the wrong side in the Hundred Years War. Time Period Covered: 1430-1434 Notable People: Philip the Good, Charles VII of France, Henry VI of England, John Duke of Bedford, Arnaud-Guilhem de Barbazan, Antoine de Toulongeon, Charles I Duke of Bourbon Notable Events/Development...
Oct 28, 2024•37 min
As Philip the Good expanded his reach into the Holy Roman Empire, some Imperial Princes greeted him as a new ally, but others saw Burgundian expansion as a threat. Sigismund of Luxembourg, the Holy Roman Emperor, fell into the latter category, and throughout his long career he was a determined, if mostly ineffective opponent of Burgundy. Time Period Covered: 1421-1437 Notable People: Philip the Good, Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg, Rene of Anjou, Antoine de Vaudemont, Louis de Chalon Prince of ...
Oct 14, 2024•34 min
Philip the Good was a prince of a European stature, and as such he interacted with the Church in a number of ways and on a number of levels. The Duke of Burgundy did his best to control the Church in his lands, influence the Bishoprics which neighbored his territories, and make his voice heard in Rome and in the emerging Council of Basel. Time Period Covered: 1428-1440 Notable People: Philip the Good, Pope Martin V, Pope Eugenius IV, John of Heinsberg, Rudolf von Diepholz, Guillaume Fillastre No...
Sep 30, 2024•44 min
1430 was a banner year for Burgundian magnificence. Philip the Good's marriage to Isabella of Portugal and his founding of the Order of the Golden Fleece demonstrated the wealth, influence, and power of Burgundy. Time Period Covered: 1430 Notable People: Philip the Good, Isabella of Portugal, John of Luxembourg, Hugh de Lannoy, Antoine de Croy, Jan van Eyck Notable Events/Developments: Marriage of Philip the Good and Isabella of Portugal, Founding of the Order of the Golden Fleece...
Sep 16, 2024•37 min
The late 1420s and early 1430s saw the rapid expansion of the Burgundian State. In this episode we'll trace the course of that expansion and explore just how the Duke of Burgundy was able to unite these disparate territories. Time Period Covered: 1430-1433 Notable People: Philip the Good, Jacqueline of Bavaria, Frank van Borselen, Philip of Saint-Pol Notable Events/Developments: The Treaty of Delft, Mortgage of Holland and Zeeland to the Borselen, Marriage of Jacqueline of Bavaria and Frank van ...
Sep 02, 2024•45 min
Joan of Arc is gone, but she certainly is not forgotten. In this episode we'll explore the legend of Joan of Arc as well as the legacy of the Maid.
Aug 05, 2024•20 min
Joan of Arc's run of uninterrupted successes stalled before the walls of Paris in September 1429. Now there were those in the Court of Charles VII who wanted to sideline the Maid, but Joan was determined to continue the fight. Time Period Covered: 1429-1431 Notable People: Joan of Arc, Charles VII, Georges de la Tremoille, Pierre Cauchon Bishop of Beauvais, John of Luxembourg, Philip the Good Notable Events/Developments: The Siege of La Charite (1429), The Siege of Compiegne, The Inquisition of ...
Jul 22, 2024•46 min
Joan of Arc had arrived at the Dauphin's court claiming that she would relieve the Siege of Orleans and lead the prince to Reims to be crowned. After successfully chasing the English away from Orleans, it was time to get Charles VII his crown. Time Period Covered: 1429 Notable People: Joan of Arc, Charles VII, John II of Alencon, La Hire, Poton de Xaintrailles, Georges de la Tremoille, John Duke of Bedford, The Bastard of Orleans, Arthur de Richemont Notable Events/Developments: The Loire Campai...
Jul 07, 2024•39 min
The fortunes of the Dauphin were at a low point, Brittany had capitulated to the English, Maine had been conquered, and now Orleans was under threat. The collapse of Charles' cause seemed imminent, but he would receive a second wind when a peasant girl named Joan arrived at his court claiming to be sent by God. Time Period Covered: 1429 Notable People: Joan of Arc, Charles VII, Yolande of Aragon, The Bastard of Orleans, La Hire, Poton de Xaintrailles, John II of Alencon, Robert de Baudricourt No...
Jun 24, 2024•37 min•Ep. 40
While Philip was occupied in Hainault, Holland, and Zeeland the Hundred Years War still raged in France. The steady advance of the English continues while the Dauphinists, consumed by internal conflict, attempt to stem the tide. Time Period Covered: 1424-1429 Notable People: Arthur de Richemont, Yolande of Aragon, Charles VII, Jean Louvet, Tanneguy du Chatel, Georges de la Tremoille, John Duke of Bedford Notable Events/Developments: Defection of Richemont to the Dauphin, Fall of Jean Louvet, Ris...
Jun 10, 2024•37 min
Philip the Good and his cousin Jacqueline of Bavaria are locked in a struggle for the Counties of Holland and Zeeland. But this conflict between cousins is only one part of the partisan clash between the Hook and Cod Factions which has been going on for decades. Now the dynastic and factional strife has combined and a brutal civil war is being fought for the Counties. Time Period Covered: 1425-1428 Notable People: Philip the Good, Jaqueline of Bavaria, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, Walter Lord Fi...
May 27, 2024•40 min
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 Even...
Apr 29, 2024•34 min
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 Covere...
Apr 15, 2024•35 min
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 t...
Apr 01, 2024•39 min
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
Mar 18, 2024•36 min
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 Joh...
Mar 04, 2024•36 min
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 Ut...
Feb 19, 2024•24 min
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
Feb 05, 2024•32 min
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 .
Jan 22, 2024•31 min
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 pag...
Jan 08, 2024•33 min
