KEY:
- The Early Politics: 1477-1485
- The Forgotten French Queen: 1482-1493
- The Coming Storm: 1507-1515
- Northern Company: Where a Story Begins
- [Refences]
The Early Politics: 1477-1485
The late 1400s and early 1500s is a crucial time period in the history of European affairs that would have world-changing consequences that would stretch well into the middle of the 16th century and influence the destructive Thirty Years War. To simplify the historical players and fallout, I will divide the following history between The Empire, The Kingdom, and the Road to Endless War.
*Academic references listed at the bottom of this page. Wikipedia links included for ease of reader access to information without the same access to my source material. Wikipedia links may differ from source material in authenticity.
--- The Empire ---
The Holy Roman Empire, for better or worse, is in a period of transition from the sluggish, cautious, and war-torn 41-year leadership of Emperor Frederick III (Hare; pg. 19, 21). Dying in 1493, the last emperor to be crowned in Rome by the Catholic Pope (Hare; pg. 10), Frederick's son Maximilian I would inherit an empire deeply indebted to political and territorial differences with the Kingdom of France. These differences would reach a flashpoint that would dominate European affairs for decades to come with the death of Charles the Bold (r. 1467-1477), the marriage of Charles' daughter (Mary of Burgundy; r. 1477-1482) to Maximilian I in 1477, and the question of the Duchy of Burgundy as a Fief of the French Crown and the greater Low Countries by extension (Hare; pg. 29, 44, 46-48, 51-56). This flashpoint would become known as the War of the Burgundian Succession (1477-1482) and would largely shape the political and military dialogue between Emperor Charles V (r. 1519-1558) and King Francis I (r. 1515-1547) going forward for their respective governments. The Peace of Arras (1482) between The Kingdom and The Empire would make things unimaginably worse for all involved.
--- The Kingdom ---
Following the fall-out of the Hundred Years War (Frieda; pg. 9), which led to widespread societal and financial ruin, the Kingdom of France was ruled by a royal monarchy destined for the history books for all the wrong reasons. These French rulers would include Charles VI (The Mad; r.1388-1422), the overshadowed & uninspired reign of Charles VII (The Victorious; r. 1422-1461), and Louis XI (The Spider King; r. 1461-1483) (Frieda; pg. 9-12). The consequences of The Spider King's reign, in particular, would result in The Mad War (1485-1488) in France. Worsening the situation between The Empire and The Kingdom was the political marriage of Maximilian I's daughter, Margaret of Austria (Hare; pg. 58) at the age of 3 years-old, to the French during the Peace of Arras; this treaty included the guardianship of Maximilian's 4-year-old son, Philip the Handsome, to the Lords of Ghent as regent for the young heir to the Duchy of Burgundy (Hare; pg. 56-58). The treaty aimed to end the dispute of Maximilian's authority over the lands of the Duchy of Burgundy after the death of Maximilian's wife, Mary of Burgundy, who was the daughter to the recently deceased Charles the Bold. Even more damning for the two world powers, Maximilian was never consulted in the treaty (Hare; pg. 57), which was conducted largely between French King Louis XI and the Council of Four of the Burgundian State in secret (Hare; pg. 56-57) (to avoid the House of Habsburg from controlling the Netherlands).
--- Road to Endless War ---
By 1485, Maximilian was successful in arms against the Lords of Ghent, who held his son in captivity (Hare; pg. 61). In that same year, Maximilian was proclaimed regent over his 7-year-old son for the Duchy of Burgundy and its associated lands under his son's late mother. In 1486, Maximilian I was declared King of the Romans and Emperor-Elect by the Imperial Diet of 1486, an appointment his own father (Frederick III) opposed due to jealously and his unwillingness to share his authority, especially after humiliation and loss of the Duchy of Lower Austria to Magyar King Matthias Corvinus (Hare; pg. 62).
Despite Maximilian's successes in the latter half of the 1480s and early 1490s and the Treaty of Senlis (1493), which returned both his daughter (Margaret of Austria) from France and gave him sole possession of the Duchy of Burgundy, all of this would be muted by The Coming Storm after the assassination of his son (Philip the Handsome) at age 28 in 1506 (Hare; pg. 116).
*Academic references listed at the bottom of this page. Wikipedia links included for ease of reader access to information without the same access to my source material. Wikipedia links may differ from source material in authenticity.
--- The Empire ---
The Holy Roman Empire, for better or worse, is in a period of transition from the sluggish, cautious, and war-torn 41-year leadership of Emperor Frederick III (Hare; pg. 19, 21). Dying in 1493, the last emperor to be crowned in Rome by the Catholic Pope (Hare; pg. 10), Frederick's son Maximilian I would inherit an empire deeply indebted to political and territorial differences with the Kingdom of France. These differences would reach a flashpoint that would dominate European affairs for decades to come with the death of Charles the Bold (r. 1467-1477), the marriage of Charles' daughter (Mary of Burgundy; r. 1477-1482) to Maximilian I in 1477, and the question of the Duchy of Burgundy as a Fief of the French Crown and the greater Low Countries by extension (Hare; pg. 29, 44, 46-48, 51-56). This flashpoint would become known as the War of the Burgundian Succession (1477-1482) and would largely shape the political and military dialogue between Emperor Charles V (r. 1519-1558) and King Francis I (r. 1515-1547) going forward for their respective governments. The Peace of Arras (1482) between The Kingdom and The Empire would make things unimaginably worse for all involved.
--- The Kingdom ---
Following the fall-out of the Hundred Years War (Frieda; pg. 9), which led to widespread societal and financial ruin, the Kingdom of France was ruled by a royal monarchy destined for the history books for all the wrong reasons. These French rulers would include Charles VI (The Mad; r.1388-1422), the overshadowed & uninspired reign of Charles VII (The Victorious; r. 1422-1461), and Louis XI (The Spider King; r. 1461-1483) (Frieda; pg. 9-12). The consequences of The Spider King's reign, in particular, would result in The Mad War (1485-1488) in France. Worsening the situation between The Empire and The Kingdom was the political marriage of Maximilian I's daughter, Margaret of Austria (Hare; pg. 58) at the age of 3 years-old, to the French during the Peace of Arras; this treaty included the guardianship of Maximilian's 4-year-old son, Philip the Handsome, to the Lords of Ghent as regent for the young heir to the Duchy of Burgundy (Hare; pg. 56-58). The treaty aimed to end the dispute of Maximilian's authority over the lands of the Duchy of Burgundy after the death of Maximilian's wife, Mary of Burgundy, who was the daughter to the recently deceased Charles the Bold. Even more damning for the two world powers, Maximilian was never consulted in the treaty (Hare; pg. 57), which was conducted largely between French King Louis XI and the Council of Four of the Burgundian State in secret (Hare; pg. 56-57) (to avoid the House of Habsburg from controlling the Netherlands).
--- Road to Endless War ---
By 1485, Maximilian was successful in arms against the Lords of Ghent, who held his son in captivity (Hare; pg. 61). In that same year, Maximilian was proclaimed regent over his 7-year-old son for the Duchy of Burgundy and its associated lands under his son's late mother. In 1486, Maximilian I was declared King of the Romans and Emperor-Elect by the Imperial Diet of 1486, an appointment his own father (Frederick III) opposed due to jealously and his unwillingness to share his authority, especially after humiliation and loss of the Duchy of Lower Austria to Magyar King Matthias Corvinus (Hare; pg. 62).
Despite Maximilian's successes in the latter half of the 1480s and early 1490s and the Treaty of Senlis (1493), which returned both his daughter (Margaret of Austria) from France and gave him sole possession of the Duchy of Burgundy, all of this would be muted by The Coming Storm after the assassination of his son (Philip the Handsome) at age 28 in 1506 (Hare; pg. 116).
The Forgotten French Queen: 1482-1493
It is entirely impossible to discuss the Habsburg Netherlands, the rise of Charles V to Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, and the historical French plot of William de Croy against Charles V and the empire without first acknowledging that it is often overlooked that Margaret of Austria was a French Queen for 13 years (Longh; pg. 45-51, 62-67, 79-81, 76-84 / Hare; pg. 58-61, 70-72). This little-known French Queen was the sole catalyst for keeping the House of Habsburg on the imperial throne, thwarting William's historic French plot to put Francis I on the imperial throne or (by default) using Charles V as a Manchurian Candidate (Parker; pg. 24, 38, 38-43, 49, 63, 63-65, 70, 70-71, 81-82, 85, 89, 109-110, 114-115, 126, 128-129 / Longh; pg. 189-190), and largely keeping the Holy Roman Empire from crumbling inward from its own mounting debt crisis. The last point, keeping the empire's debt in a manageable situation, was conducted by purposely extending the Guelders Wars to pay down the government debt (Tracy; pg. 70-73, 82), all of which was supervised by Margaret herself.
Margaret never forgot the betrayal at the hands of the Kingdom of France. The hurt, shame, and humiliation would drive her the rest of her days. Her governmental policies reflected this, where she came into conflict often with William de Croy's policies that were more pro-French (Parker; pg. 24, 38-43, 49, 113). The importance of Margaret's views on the French and William de Croy to the greater story of No Tears are in no small part highlighted in Chapter One, Boy King, of No Tears (Northern Company) nonetheless. For sake of brevity, as the historical specifics of her time in France are few, I will highlight the footnotes located on pg. 296 of No Tears (Inheritance) to highlight known facts of her time as a French Queen:
#342 --- Margaret of Austria, daughter to Maximilian I & Mary of Burgundy (Duke and Duchess of Burgundy), was married off to the French as their future queen for the son of French King Louis XI (the future Charles VIII, r. 1483-1498) in a peace treaty between France and Burgundy on December 23rd, 1482, to end the war between them. Margaret was 2 years old, Charles VIII was 13 years old. Pg. 45-51 (Jane de Longh, 1953)
#343 --- Margaret would be well educated and thoroughly prepared for the life of a royal under the French, from age 3 through age 11 (8 years) at the royal castle of Amboise, as their future French Queen. Pg. 62-67; pg. 79-81 (Jane de Longh, 1953)
#344 --- However, her husband, the French King in Charles VIII, would not keep his word and would marry Duchess Anne of Brittany on December 6th, 1491. Anne was betrothed to Maximilian I, in whom she had never seen, but married Charles to keep her lands & titles as the French were besieging Brittany with weapons of war. The marriage between Charles and Margaret, now 12 years old, would end in May, 1493 in the Treaty of Senlis. Of her 10 years with the French, Margaret would spend little more than 8 years as the French Queen and just under 1 and a half years as, essentially, a French Queen-in-exile within France itself at Melun. Pg. 76-84 (Jane de Longh, 1953)
Margaret never forgot the betrayal at the hands of the Kingdom of France. The hurt, shame, and humiliation would drive her the rest of her days. Her governmental policies reflected this, where she came into conflict often with William de Croy's policies that were more pro-French (Parker; pg. 24, 38-43, 49, 113). The importance of Margaret's views on the French and William de Croy to the greater story of No Tears are in no small part highlighted in Chapter One, Boy King, of No Tears (Northern Company) nonetheless. For sake of brevity, as the historical specifics of her time in France are few, I will highlight the footnotes located on pg. 296 of No Tears (Inheritance) to highlight known facts of her time as a French Queen:
#342 --- Margaret of Austria, daughter to Maximilian I & Mary of Burgundy (Duke and Duchess of Burgundy), was married off to the French as their future queen for the son of French King Louis XI (the future Charles VIII, r. 1483-1498) in a peace treaty between France and Burgundy on December 23rd, 1482, to end the war between them. Margaret was 2 years old, Charles VIII was 13 years old. Pg. 45-51 (Jane de Longh, 1953)
#343 --- Margaret would be well educated and thoroughly prepared for the life of a royal under the French, from age 3 through age 11 (8 years) at the royal castle of Amboise, as their future French Queen. Pg. 62-67; pg. 79-81 (Jane de Longh, 1953)
#344 --- However, her husband, the French King in Charles VIII, would not keep his word and would marry Duchess Anne of Brittany on December 6th, 1491. Anne was betrothed to Maximilian I, in whom she had never seen, but married Charles to keep her lands & titles as the French were besieging Brittany with weapons of war. The marriage between Charles and Margaret, now 12 years old, would end in May, 1493 in the Treaty of Senlis. Of her 10 years with the French, Margaret would spend little more than 8 years as the French Queen and just under 1 and a half years as, essentially, a French Queen-in-exile within France itself at Melun. Pg. 76-84 (Jane de Longh, 1953)
The Coming Storm: 1507-1515
The assassination of Philip the Handsome in 1506 changed everything. Not only were the Habsburg Netherlands up for control, but so was the Kingdom of Castile and the title for the King of Spain, where the young Charles V's mother was locked up in a tower and unfit to rule due to mental insanity (Joanna the Mad). The mentally ill queen's regent, her father King Ferdinand II, would die in 1516 (Kennedy; pg. 96 / Hare; pg. 116-117) and leave the vast Spanish lands to Charles to inherit. The thought of Charles V, favored to be crowned the next Holy Roman Empire's emperor, controlling not only the Habsburg's ancestry lands in Austria but the empire's Germanic lands, its Netherlands holdings, and the inherited Spanish lands to be too much control, influence, and power over the world. Moreso for France itself than anyone else, the kingdom found itself surrounded by enemies: the empire on 2 sides, the Spanish lands on another side, and the hostile English across the pond on the 4th side. A course, that did not stop the kings of France or England from thinking they were the rightful appointees for such a massive task, either, and by that logic the other kings welcomed the prospect of having the opportunity to control most of The Known World. Even more concerning for the empire in the short term, however, was the influence and involvement of France's King Louis XII. The French King was nearly successful in taking back the Duchy of Burgundy from Maximilian I, who gained full control of the old French dominion after the Treaty of Senlis in 1493, under the old political divides that had not healed in the Low Countries since the death of Mary of Burgundy in 1482 (Hare; pg. 119-120).
Even before the death of the heir to the Burgundian State, however, the Kingdom of France was going through its own political turmoil that would bring it into direct conflict with the Habsburg Netherlands years later. After the unforeseen death of Charles VIII (r. 1483-1498) without an heir or a clear line of succession, the French monarchy was left in shambles. The power vacuum would see Louis XII, second cousin once removed and brother-in-law of Charles VIII, rise to power as regent to Francis I and in no small part do his duty to see Francis I denied his rightful place as ruler in order to hold onto power himself (Frieda; pg. 36, 41-46); not to mention the Pierre de Rohan scandal that rocked the powerful upper echelons of the French ruling class (Frieda; pg. 16-17, 31). As if things could not get anymore historically prophetic for the French, the rise of Francis I was being seen as divinely appointed with a prophecy from a Catholic seer in the name Francis of Paola (Frieda; pg. 7). The pressure of being young (assuming the French throne at the age of 20 in 1515), being prophesied over, and seen by the French population as their savior from their recent decades of ruin would send Francis I into direct conflict with Charles V in later years, the other upstart young new ruler who would be styled Prince d’Espaigne and Duke of Burgundy in 1515.
Leading up to a clash of Titians, which would include King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) of the Kingdom of England to a lesser degree, Margaret of Austria was diligently at work as Governor of the Netherlands and regent to the young and future Charles V (heir and son to the slain Philip the Handsome). After a short reign of 18 months, William de Croy would be replaced by Margaret in 1507 and except for a period between 1515 and 1519, she would serve at that post until her death in 1530. While it is well-documented that William felt slighted at being replaced by Margaret (Parker; pg. 16-17 / Longh; pg. 136-138, 189-191), and that he would get his revenge against her in later years (Parker; pg. 23-24 / Longh; pg. 136-138, 191-199), it is not known---historically---what made William de Croy a French plant within Charles V's reign, both as duke and as emperor. This is a mystery lost to the sands of time.
Entering the year 1515, Margaret has become a victim of her own political maneuvering (Longh; pg. 191-199), Charles has been appointed earlier than planned as the Duke of Burgundy with William de Croy at his right ear as a French plant, Francis I is the newly elected French King, and within 3 years by 1518, not only would Maximilian I's influence and power be on the decline since 1517 (Hare; pg. 206-208), but the old emperor would also be dying (Hare; pg. 229-230). The race to the imperial throne as King of the Romans and ruler of not only The Empire's lands but that also of the Kingdom of Castile between Charles V (r. 1519-1558, Francis I (r. 1515-1547), and King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) had started and there would be no small amount of intrigue spared until 1519 and the crowning of the new Holy Roman Emperor.
Even before the death of the heir to the Burgundian State, however, the Kingdom of France was going through its own political turmoil that would bring it into direct conflict with the Habsburg Netherlands years later. After the unforeseen death of Charles VIII (r. 1483-1498) without an heir or a clear line of succession, the French monarchy was left in shambles. The power vacuum would see Louis XII, second cousin once removed and brother-in-law of Charles VIII, rise to power as regent to Francis I and in no small part do his duty to see Francis I denied his rightful place as ruler in order to hold onto power himself (Frieda; pg. 36, 41-46); not to mention the Pierre de Rohan scandal that rocked the powerful upper echelons of the French ruling class (Frieda; pg. 16-17, 31). As if things could not get anymore historically prophetic for the French, the rise of Francis I was being seen as divinely appointed with a prophecy from a Catholic seer in the name Francis of Paola (Frieda; pg. 7). The pressure of being young (assuming the French throne at the age of 20 in 1515), being prophesied over, and seen by the French population as their savior from their recent decades of ruin would send Francis I into direct conflict with Charles V in later years, the other upstart young new ruler who would be styled Prince d’Espaigne and Duke of Burgundy in 1515.
Leading up to a clash of Titians, which would include King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) of the Kingdom of England to a lesser degree, Margaret of Austria was diligently at work as Governor of the Netherlands and regent to the young and future Charles V (heir and son to the slain Philip the Handsome). After a short reign of 18 months, William de Croy would be replaced by Margaret in 1507 and except for a period between 1515 and 1519, she would serve at that post until her death in 1530. While it is well-documented that William felt slighted at being replaced by Margaret (Parker; pg. 16-17 / Longh; pg. 136-138, 189-191), and that he would get his revenge against her in later years (Parker; pg. 23-24 / Longh; pg. 136-138, 191-199), it is not known---historically---what made William de Croy a French plant within Charles V's reign, both as duke and as emperor. This is a mystery lost to the sands of time.
Entering the year 1515, Margaret has become a victim of her own political maneuvering (Longh; pg. 191-199), Charles has been appointed earlier than planned as the Duke of Burgundy with William de Croy at his right ear as a French plant, Francis I is the newly elected French King, and within 3 years by 1518, not only would Maximilian I's influence and power be on the decline since 1517 (Hare; pg. 206-208), but the old emperor would also be dying (Hare; pg. 229-230). The race to the imperial throne as King of the Romans and ruler of not only The Empire's lands but that also of the Kingdom of Castile between Charles V (r. 1519-1558, Francis I (r. 1515-1547), and King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) had started and there would be no small amount of intrigue spared until 1519 and the crowning of the new Holy Roman Emperor.
Northern company: Where a Story Begins
In the backdrop of this political race to control the known world, the fictional mercenary company known as Northern Company is working for the French-aligned robber-baron Duke Karl von Egmond. Essentially working as a proxy war for the Kingdom of France against the Habsburg Netherlands (controlled Holy Roman Empire), the long-running Guelders Wars (1502-1543) not only drains resources from other imperial objectives, but it also keeps the pressure on the empire to revert the lands of the Duchy of Burgundy back to French control. During the years of the Saxon Feud (1514-1517) and the Frisian Peasant Rebellion (1515-1523), this is a very real French possibility. However, by 1519, any prospects of a French victory in their former holdings are a dying dream...a dream that would finally die in 1543 with the long overdue Treaty of Venlo.
Working for the French funded robber-baron duke, Captain Lafontaine Vayssière ensures there is plentiful work for the independent mercenary company. Until 1515, the mercenary captain has maintained a rule of strict independence from the greater waring political ideologies, instead choosing a policy of highest coin paid for the company's services. This environment of independence is shattered after Vayssière accepts a young Venetian mercenary by the name of Giovanni Salzano into his ranks, the acceptance of which will bring the mercenary company into the middle of the fire storm between Margaret, William de Croy, and Egmond in No Tears (Northern Company).
Working for the French funded robber-baron duke, Captain Lafontaine Vayssière ensures there is plentiful work for the independent mercenary company. Until 1515, the mercenary captain has maintained a rule of strict independence from the greater waring political ideologies, instead choosing a policy of highest coin paid for the company's services. This environment of independence is shattered after Vayssière accepts a young Venetian mercenary by the name of Giovanni Salzano into his ranks, the acceptance of which will bring the mercenary company into the middle of the fire storm between Margaret, William de Croy, and Egmond in No Tears (Northern Company).
[REFERENCES]
By order of appearance:
- Maximilian the Dreamer; Holy Roman Emperor, 1459-1519 (Christopher Hare, 1913)
- Margaret of Austria Regent of the Netherlands (Jane de Iongh, 1953)
- Emperor: A New Life of Charles V (Geoffrey Parker; 2019)
- Holland Under Habsburg Rule, 1506-1566 (James D. Tracy, 1990)
- Francis I: The Maker of Modern France (Leonie Frieda; 2018)
- A Concise History of the Netherlands (James C. Kennedy, 2017)
BOOK QUOTE
“Have a bit of naive in you still, boy?” Marcus asked, adding, “Coin is the currency of this world, and a man needs to make a living somehow. You best wise up to that fact sooner than later."
(Marcus Felix Brutus, AD 1514)
---Chapter 11; A Story of the Beginning (Revised Edition)---
(Marcus Felix Brutus, AD 1514)
---Chapter 11; A Story of the Beginning (Revised Edition)---