Is this Table correctly formatted?

Hello /r/empirepowers! I’d like to claim the Duchy of Burgundy. This is a state that I’m very excited to play. I’ve read a few books on the duchy, as well as a couple of biographies of Charles the Bold in particular. If you’re curious about Charles’ relations with another ruler or nation I suggest ctrl-f, although there’s a lot of good information here.

 

Character and Titles

 

In 1470, the Duchy of Burgundy is the primary title of Charles the Bold, 4th Duke of the House of Burgundy. The state ruled by this house has, through marriage, conquest, or outright purchase, expanded to one of the largest realms in western europe. On the death of his father, Duke Philip the Bold, Charles went from being merely the Count of Charolais to the bearer of an impressive collection of titles:

 

Title Realm
Duke of Burgundy France
Duke of Brabant HRE
Duke of Limburg HRE
Duke of Luxembourg HRE
Duke of Lothier HRE
Margrave of Namur HRE
Count Palatine of Burgundy HRE
Count of Artois France
Count of Flanders France/HRE
Count of Hainault HRE
Count of Holland HRE
Count of Zeeland HRE
Count of Vermandois France
Count of Bar-sur-Seine France
Count of Auxerre France
Count of Charolais France
Count of Mâcon France
Count of Ponthieu* France
Count of Picardy* France
Count of Ferrette** HRE
Count of Hauenstein** HRE
Landgrave of Upper Alsace** HRE
Various Breisgau towns** HRE
Baron of Salins HRE
Small Swiss towns HRE

*Temporarily ceded/mortgaged by the Treaty of Conflans; PM for details **Mortgaged by Sigismund of Tyrol in the Treaty of St. Omer; PM for details

 

The cadet house of Burgundy-Nevers also held the following titles, though their allegiance often wavered:

 

Title Realm
County of Nevers France
County of Rethel France
County of Eu France
Barony of Iles France

 

By 1470, the House of Burgundy had obtained nearly total influence in the Prince-Bishoprics of Liege, Utrecht, and Cambrai as well, with Charles’ brothers serving as the bishops of the latter two.

An excellent map of the realm as a whole can be found here

At this time, Charles was one of the richest if not the richest man in Europe, and he used his wealth extravagantly: large armies, expensive artworks, and grand feasts and events were hallmarks of the Duke. Charles was also an important patron of the arts, particularly painting and music, and it has been said that the Burgundian court foreshadowed the renaissance to come.

 

Alliances and Relations

  Within the realm of international relations, Charles is married to Margaret of York, sister of King Edward IV of England. The alliance between Burgundy and England is very strong at this point, and the two men have exchanged their orders of chivalry: Edward is a Knight of the Golden Fleece, and Charles is a Knight of the Garter, a fact which he is immensely proud of. The pair frequently supported each other throughout Charles’ lifetime. One potential bone of contention, although it was downplayed historically, is Charles’ weak claim to the throne of England as a descendant of the House of Lancaster.

Relations between Burgundy and France were historically fairly bad, and January 1470 finds tensions rising after a period in which Louis XI and Charles were fairly cordial with each other. The two powers are bound by the treaties of Arras, Conflans, and Peronne, and are not at war, though they soon might be. Within France, Louis’ brother (also named Charles) is currently loyal to his brother and king, although he had often been a partisan of Burgundy in the past (and, historically, would be again.)

Charles counts as his ally Duke Francis of Brittany, and historically renewed that alliance in early 1470. The Duchy of Brittany was in much the same situation as Burgundy, resisting the power of the French monarchy by force when necessary.

Charles maintains good relations with many Italian states, including Savoy and Venice. By 1470, relations between Burgundy and Milan are strained. Tuscany is not a friend to Burgundy, though Charles does bank with the Medici. Although the Kingdom of Naples is not a Burgundian ally in 1470, relations are warming and they may be soon.

The Pope is an ally of Charles, in general, and the Duke is a very pious man. Records of expenditures for religious purposes as well as reports from contemporary chronicles make Charles’ intense personal faith very clear. The Duke often hosted papal legates at his court for one reason or another, and was supportive of the church.

In Iberia, Charles is half Portuguese on his mother’s side and enjoys excellent relations with that country. He is also a close ally of the Crown of Aragon, the two sides united mainly in their mutual distrust of Louis XI. John II of Aragon and Navarre is also a Knight of the Golden Fleece, and is considering inducting Charles into his own order of chivalry at this time. At least one chronicler claims that Castile was an ally of Burgundy as well, although there is no other surviving evidence for any official collaboration, and Charles did not list the King of Castile amongst his allies in any official capacity. Isabella of Castile, on the other hand, was counted as a friend by Duke Charles, along with her husband, Ferdinand of Aragon.

Though John II of Lorraine was an ally of Charles in the War of the Public Weal against Louis XI of France, by January 1470 he had been enticed into an alliance with Louis via the (fraudulent) promise of Anne of France as the wife of his son Nicolas, heir to Lorraine and Bar. Charles acted as a mediator in inheritance conflicts between Thibaud IX de Neuchâtel and John II (represented by Nicolas as John II was in Catalonia at the time) during 1467-1469.

The Count of Holland had a historical claim on Friesland, a region which was not governed as a whole at this time. Charles sought to make this claim a reality, but not as a priority. The creation of the County of Ostfriesland under the Cirksenas would complicate this ambition.

Duke John of Cleves is a Knight of the Golden Fleece and a close Burgundian ally.

The situation in the Duchy of Guelders is complicated. It is undoubtedly an area of Burgundian influence, with Adolf van Egmond a Knight of the Golden Fleece. Charles is attempting to act as a mediator in the dispute between father and son.

Charles’ relations with the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III of Austria, are on the whole neutral in 1470. Frederick is very interested in obtaining the hand of Mary of Burgundy for his son Maximilian; he is less interested in Charles’ condition for this match, namely, that Charles be crowned King of the Romans and future Holy Roman Emperor. Charles’ principal ally in Imperial politics is Frederick the Victorious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine (Palatinate). Unfortunately, Frederick the Victorious and Frederick III are rivals, and the Duke of Burgundy may soon have to choose which Frederick he supports. The merchants of the Hanseatic League (The Hansa) are a ubiquitous sight in the Burgundian Netherlands, though they are generally displeased with Charles’ treatment of the rebellious Liégois. The great Imperial Cities are similarly displeased, and relations with Aachen, Trier, Köln, and Frankfurt are poor.

Charles counted King Christian I of Denmark as an ally on at least one occasion, though relations between the two are likely more cordial than anything else. A similar situation exists for King James III of Scotland, probably due to his reconciliation with Edward IV of England.

 

Goals

 

The principal goal of Charles’ life is to secure for himself a royal crown. Building off of the power base consolidated by his forebears, but lacking a direct male heir of his own, Charles is obsessed with how he will be remembered by posterity. He desires to be seen as a victorious conqueror, with comparisons to Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.

The precise crown Charles seeks varies over time. In January 1470 he was engaged in what can best be described as a propaganda campaign to convince Frederick III and the electors of the Holy Roman Empire to crown him King of the Romans and perhaps also make him a vicar of the Empire, with an eye to Charles’ ultimate accession to the Imperial throne.

In this iteration of empirepowers, I will try to play Charles true to character, seeking to impress and influence his way to a kingdom, or even the position of Emperor. Charles was a man with an overdeveloped sense of honor; allies will be trusted and enemies, particularly oath or treaty breakers, are unlikely to be forgiven. Charles was pious and the Papacy and church will be supported.

 

If you finished reading this, thank you for your patience. If your character or nation was mentioned anywhere in here, feel free to comment or PM. If you have questions about sources, I’d be happy to provide them.

I hope that my passion for the Duchy of Burgundy is evident, and I’m looking forward to the third installment of empirepowers!

/r/lgbtyo_test Thread