Flemish War of Succession

The War of Flemish Succession was a series of disputes between the children of Countess Margaret II in the mid-13th century . It concerned their succession in the counties of Flanders and Hainaut , the first being a French and the second a German fief.

prehistory

When Count Balduin IX. von Flanders and Hainaut set out for the Fourth Crusade in 1202 and died in the course of which in 1205, he left his European property behind for his eldest daughter Johanna . Countess Johanna was married to the Portuguese Infante Ferdinand (Ferrand) , who, however, had been imprisoned for many years since the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, making Johanna's younger sister Margarete the Black one the most promising candidate for successor.

However, Margarete's married life caused considerable problems. In 1212 she married the nobleman Burkhard von Avesnes , who was indeed the Bailli of Hainaut, but was originally intended for a spiritual career by his family and had already received the ordination as subdeacon. Countess Johanna had therefore achieved the nullity of this marriage with the clergy in 1216, but Margarete continued this relationship, which resulted in two sons. It was only after Burchard of Avesnes was excommunicated under pressure from King Philip II in August 1216 that Margarete expelled him. In 1223 she married Wilhelm II von Dampierre , from whom she also had three sons. In order to forestall an inheritance dispute, Countess Johanna negotiated an inheritance division with her sister in 1235, according to which the Avesnes sons would receive two sevenths and the Dampierre five sevenths of the inheritance. King Louis IX guaranteed this regulation, although as King of France he was only the feudal lord of the Crown Flanders, but not for its territories in the Holy Roman Empire.

Countess Johanna died in 1244, despite two marriages without children of her own, which enabled Margarete to succeed her as Countess of Flanders and Hainaut. Despite the inheritance regulation of 1235, the Flemish succession dispute developed over the question of their inheritance among their sons. The Avesnes sons claimed the inheritance based on the birthright, while the Dampierre sons affirmed their legitimate origins against them. Margarete herself favored her Dampierre sons as heirs against the Avesnes sons.

The Avesnes:

The Dampierre:

Course of war

In 1246 King Ludwig IX turned himself off. into the fighting in Flanders. He ordered the parties to the conflict to Paris , where he worked out a new peace formula together with a papal legate. In the Dit de Paris (saying of Paris) he gave Johann von Avesnes the Hainaut, while Flanders should go to the Dampierre. Countess Margarete then appointed Wilhelm von Dampierre as her fellow count, but refused to allow Johann von Avesnes to participate in the government in Hainaut.

The absence of King Louis IX. on the sixth crusade , Margaret used, ignoring the royal arbitration, to take action with her Dampierre sons against the Avesnes. Mainly because their position had improved after they were legitimized by the Pope in 1249. In 1250 her son Wilhelm von Dampierre returned from the crusade, but died in a tournament in 1251, after which the Avesnes were suspected of murder.

Margarete made her second Dampierre son co-count in Flanders and urged him to attack Zeeland , which she viewed as a fiefdom of Flanders. Above all, she tried to hit the Count of Holland and Roman-German King, Wilhelm von Holland , who had sided with Avesnes. The fighting was decided on July 4, 1253 in the Battle of Westkapelle , in which Guido von Dampierre experienced a crushing defeat against the brother of the German king, Florens the Vogt, and was taken prisoner. Margarete actually had to give up Hainaut, which Johann von Avesnes was able to take over with the support of King Wilhelm.

Margarete, however, did not consider herself finally defeated. In 1253 she managed to win over the ambitious brother of the French king, Karl von Anjou , for her cause by promising him Hainaut. He opposed John of Avesnes and took Valenciennes and Mons , but avoided a meeting with King William.

End of war

The situation changed when King Ludwig IX. Returned from the crusade in 1254. He appeared in person in Ghent and prevented any further acts of war by his brother, especially as he wanted to prevent an impending confrontation between France and the Reich. Once again the French king was accepted as arbitrator by all parties, who in Péronne in 1256 confirmed the ruling made by Paris in 1246. Hainaut went to the Avesnes, Flanders to the Dampierre. Karl von Anjou was able to pull himself out of the affair without losing face because Countess Margarete had to buy the inheritance promise made from him. She also had to buy her Dampierre sons out of captivity for a lot of money, who then reconciled with their Avesnes half-brothers.

Another winner of this conflict was the French crown, which was able to considerably expand its influence in Flanders, especially in relation to the count's house. However, this did not meet with unanimous approval among the population. When King Louis IX. When he returned to Ghent in 1255, he was greeted by the people with angry insults. These were the first signs of an antagonism between the Flemings and the French crown, which began an open war under Ludwig's grandson, Philip the Fair .

literature

Jacques Le Goff: Saint Louis (Klett-Cotta, 1996)