Louis XI, king of France
Louis XI, 1423–83, king of France (1461–83), son and successor of Charles VII.Early Life
As dauphin Louis was almost constantly in revolt against his father. He was pardoned after joining (1440) the Praguerie Praguerie (prägərē`), 1440, revolt against King Charles VII of France, so called in allusion to the Hussite uprising in Prague.
..... Click the link for more information. ; after conspiring (1446) against Agnès Sorel Sorel, Agnès (änyĕs` sôrĕl`), c.1422–1450, mistress (1444–50) of Charles VII of France.
..... Click the link for more information. and Pierre de Brézé, he was exiled to the Dauphiné, which he governed himself. His continued intrigues forced another exile (1456–61), this time to the court of Philip the Good Philip the Good, 1396–1467, duke of Burgundy (1419–67); son of Duke John the Fearless. After his father was murdered (1419) at a meeting with the dauphin (later King Charles VII of France), Philip formed an alliance with King Henry V of England.
..... Click the link for more information. of Burgundy.
Conflict with the Nobility
Louis began his reign by dismissing many of his father's best advisers; but he soon deserted his former allies of the Praguerie and began the task of centralizing all authority in the crown. His measures to curb the power of the great nobles aroused (1465) the League of the Public Weal, headed by Charles the Bold Charles the Bold, 1433–77, last reigning duke of Burgundy (1467–77), son and successor of Philip the Good . As the count of Charolais before his accession, he opposed the growing power of King Louis XI of France by joining (1465) the League of Public Weal.
..... Click the link for more information. , son of Philip the Good; Francis II Francis II, 1435–88, duke of Brittany. He succeeded (1458) his uncle Arthur III. In his struggle with the French crown for the independence of his duchy, Francis entered (1465) the League of the Public Weal against King Louis XI and invaded Normandy in 1467.
..... Click the link for more information. , duke of Brittany; Jean, comte du Dunois Dunois, Jean, comte de (zhäN kôNt də dünwä`), c.
..... Click the link for more information. ; Antoine de Chabannes Chabannes, Antoine de, comte de Dammartin (äNtwän` də shäbän` kôNt də dämmärtăN`)
..... Click the link for more information. ; and the dukes of Alençon and Bourbon, under the nominal leadership of the king's brother Charles. The lesser nobility, the bourgeoisie, and the lower classes supported Louis, who also allied with the citizens of Liège, a Burgundian protectorate, against Charles the Bold. Louis successfully defended Paris, but in Oct., 1465, he granted the demands of the rebels in the treaties of Conflans and Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. He soon violated the treaties, taking Normandy from his brother Charles, to whom it had been granted.
In 1467 a new coalition against the king was formed by Charles the Bold, now duke of Burgundy, with Francis II; Charles also obtained the support of King Edward IV of England. When the duke of Brittany invaded Normandy, Louis arranged a truce with him. In 1468, at the expiration of the truce with Brittany, he subdued Normandy and forced Francis II to sign the Peace of Ancenis (1468). Having visited Péronne for an interview with Charles the Bold, Louis was made (1468) prisoner and forced to sign a treaty granting important concessions and compelling him to participate in suppressing the revolt of Liège, which he had helped instigate. After his release Henry involved himself in English affairs against Edward IV (see Roses, Wars of the Roses, Wars of the, traditional name given to the intermittent struggle (1455–85) for the throne of England between the noble houses of York (whose badge was a white rose) and Lancaster (later associated with the red rose).
..... Click the link for more information. ), aiding the restoration of King Henry VI.
Conflict with the French nobles continued. The death (1472) of Louis's brother Charles removed one opponent, and after a brief campaign Louis signed truces with Francis II and Charles the Bold. Charles renewed his alliance with Edward IV, who had regained the English throne. Louis, however, succeeded in buying off Edward IV when he invaded (1475) France to aid Charles, and in uniting the enemies of Charles the Bold, among whom the Swiss were the strongest. The Swiss victories over Charles and his death (1477) at Nancy enabled Louis to take Burgundy, Picardy, Boulogne, Artois, and Franche-Comté from Charles's daughter, Mary of Burgundy Mary of Burgundy, 1457–82, wife of Maximilian of Austria (later Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I ), daughter and heiress of Charles the Bold of Burgundy.
..... Click the link for more information. . Mary's husband, Maximilian of Austria (later Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I Maximilian I, 1459–1519, Holy Roman emperor and German king (1493–1519), son and successor of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. As emperor, he aspired to restore forceful imperial leadership and inaugurate much-needed administrative reforms in the
..... Click the link for more information. ), defeated (1479) Louis at Guinegate, but was ultimately forced to concede the Burgundian territories to Louis in the Treaty of Arras (see Arras, Treaty of Arras, Treaty of.
1 Treaty of 1435, between King Charles VII of France and Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. Through it, France and Burgundy became reconciled. Philip deserted his English allies and recognized Charles as king of France.
..... Click the link for more information. ). On the extinction of the house of Anjou, Louis acquired Anjou, Maine, Bar, and Provence.
Characteristics of Louis's Reign
A born diplomat, Louis skillfully checked his foreign and domestic enemies and set up an efficient central administration. He used commissions (and the one States-General he convoked) to give his acts the appearance of popular approval. He diminished the prestige of the courts. Despite his revocation (1461) of his father's pragmatic sanction Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, issued by Charles VII of France in 1438, sharply limited the papal authority over the church in France and established the liberty of the Gallican Church (see Gallicanism ).
..... Click the link for more information. of Bourges, he intervened freely in church affairs. He imposed heavy taxes, using much of the revenue to purchase support. He also encouraged industry and expanded domestic and foreign trade. Louis preferred men of humble origin, and among his advisers were Olivier Le Daim Le Daim or Le Dain, Olivier (both: ôlēvyā` lə dăN), d.
..... Click the link for more information. , Louis Tristan L'Hermite, and Cardinal Balue Balue, Jean (zhäN bälü`), c.1421–1491, French statesman, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.
..... Click the link for more information. , whom he rewarded liberally, though he was niggardly in his own expenses. Fearing assassination, he spent his last years in virtual self-imprisonment near Tours Tours (t
r), city (1990 pop. 133,403), capital of Indre-et-Loire dept.
..... Click the link for more information. . He was succeeded by his son, Charles VIII Charles VIII, 1470–98, king of France (1483–98), son and successor of Louis XI. He first reigned under the regency of his sister Anne de Beaujeu .
..... Click the link for more information. .
Bibliography
See writings of a contemporary, Comines Comines, Philippe de (fēlēp` də kōmēn`), c.1447–c.1511, French historian, courtier, and diplomat.
..... Click the link for more information. ; biographies by P. H. Champion (tr. 1929, repr. 1970), J. Cleugh (1970), and P. M. Kendall (1971).
Louis XI
(born July 3, 1423, Bourges, France—died Aug. 30, 1483, Plessis-les-Tours) King of France (1461–83). He plotted against his father, Charles VII, and was exiled to Dauphiné (1445), which he ruled as a sovereign state until Charles approached its borders with an army (1456). Louis then fled to the Netherlands, returning to France to become king on his father's death in 1461. He fought rebellious French princes (1465) and made concessions to Charles the Bold (1468). Seeking to strengthen and unify France, he destroyed the power of the Burgundians in 1477. He regained control of Boulonnais, Picardy, and Burgundy, took possession of Franche-Comté and Artois (1482), annexed Anjou (1471), and inherited Maine and Provence (1481).
Louis XI
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