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Welcome to Grand Dukes of the West

The story of Valois Burgundy is one of the most exciting of the Late Middle Ages. The four Valois Dukes of Burgundy used political intrigue, calculated splendor, economic power, and good old-fashioned violence to forge a state out of the many Duchies and Counties between France and the Holy Roman Empire. During Burgundy’s height its Dukes were seen by many as the equals of Kings and Emperors and their court was at the center of Western Europe’s cultural and political development. And then it all fell apart. Please join me as I explore the history and legacy of this forgotten kingdom.

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  • Episode 60: The Ghent Revolt Part 2 – The Actual Revolt

    Left: The Siege of Poeke moments before disaster. Notice the cannonball heading straight for the Burgundian Knights.
    Right: The Burghers of Ghent submit to Philip the Good after the Battle of Gavere.

    By the Autumn of 1451, it looked like the political conflict between Ghent and Philip the Good had worked itself out, but this episode isn’t called the Ghent Revolt for nothing. The recently pacified city would erupt into revolutionary violence before the end of the year.

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    Time Period Covered: 1451-1453

    Notable People: Philip the Good, Lievin Boone, Simon de Lalaing, John of Nevers Count of Etampes, Cornille of Burgundy, Jacques de Lalaing

    Notable Events/Developments: The Ghent Revolt, Wapening of 1451, Battle of Gavere, Death of Cornille of Burgundy, Death of Jacques de Lalaing

    Key cities and sites during the Ghent War.
    Dulle Griette, a Bombard belonging to the City of Ghent. This gun was used by the Gentenaars in the Siege of Oudenaarde.

    Sources

    Philip the Good by Richard Vaughan

    The Promised Lands by Wim Blockmans and Walter Prevenier

    The Diary of Ghent

    The Chronicles of Enguerrand De Monstrelet

    The Artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy by Robert Douglas Smith and Kelly DeVries

    ‘The Walls Come Tumbling Down’: The Campaigns of Philip the Good and the Myth of Fortification Vulnerability to Early Gunpowder Weapons by Kelly DeVries

    Medieval Flanders by David Nicholas

    The Later Medieval City 1300-1500 by David Nicholas

    The Politics of Factional Conflict in Late Medieval Flanders by Jonas Braekevelt, Frederik Buylaert, Jan Dumolyn and Jelle Haemers

    Communes and Conflict: Urban Rebellion in Late Medieval Flanders by Jan Dumolyn and Jelle Haemers