alternatehistory.com
1317-20: France
1317-1320: DIVERS SQUABBLES
"The Count of Poitiers began his regency under numerous shadows. Perhaps the most severe was a rather patchy war, his brother's lackluster effort to bring Robert of Flanders to heel. The Hutin had waged a monumentally ineffectual campaign again Count Robert, one which had succeeded in nothing but wasting funds and turning the region near Flanders into an increasingly lawless no-man's land. Bringing this situation to some sort of a conclusion would dominate the early portion of Philip's regency.
"But there were other problems to occupy his times--King Edward II of England continued to refuse to pay homage for his Gascon lands, maintaining the intransigent stance he had throughout Louis X's reign. Charles of Valois and Eudes of Burgundy both considered themselves robbed of their rightful position in the government, and deluged the Regent with countless complaints, debates on matters of precedence, and vague accusations of wrong-doing. While Eudes' complaints lessened with his marriage to Philip's eldest daughter[1], the Regent's uncle proved harder to satisfy.
"Ironically, it was the first problem that proved the easiest to solve--despite their relative success, Flemish support for the war was waning, both from below and, to a more immediate effect, at the top. While Robert had spent his life in measured defiance of the French crown, his son and grandson, Louis the Elder and Younger of Nevers and Revel, were different men--French nobles with heavy (and growing) ties to Paris. And Robert himself was an old man, increasingly aware of his mortality. As the calls came to reach a peaceable arrangement with France, he listened to them, though his grandson's marriage to the Regent's second daughter, Margaret in 1320 doubtless played a role as well.[2]
"Edward of England would prove more intractable, despite his arguably weaker hand. Even facing an ongoing war with Scotland that was going poorly, a situation in England itself that bordered on an undeclared civil war, and a constant sequence of embarassments that would include a one-eared man in Oxford claiming to be the true king of England[3], Edward refused to pay homage. His offered reasons for this would change constantly, ranging from claims of instability to matters of precedence--on several occasions, he would even suggest the homage be put off until John I reached his majority. Despite the risks of this approach, with its accompanying dangers of a confrontation with France, Edward kept it, possibly because it represented the only thing close to a success in his foreign policy. For now, he was able to escape any retribution simply because Philip was distracted by other business--poor harvests, regency disputes, the matter in Flanders, and in late 1320, something more severe...
--John I of France, Vol. 1; A King in His Cradle, Antony Oates (1978)
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[1] They were likewise married IOTL. While her status would be a little lower ITTL, the fact remains that young Joan happens to be a very tempting potential heiress even if she isn't a royal princess.
[2] See above.
[3] John Deydras, also known as John of Powderham was a clerk who claimed to have been the REAL Edward II, with the man who was going around being king being in reality some carter's child who had been swapped with him. In 1318, he started going around and challenging the King to single combat. This ended with his arrest, and execution, along with his cat, which he stated had given him the whole idea.
Not making any of that up.
"The Count of Poitiers began his regency under numerous shadows. Perhaps the most severe was a rather patchy war, his brother's lackluster effort to bring Robert of Flanders to heel. The Hutin had waged a monumentally ineffectual campaign again Count Robert, one which had succeeded in nothing but wasting funds and turning the region near Flanders into an increasingly lawless no-man's land. Bringing this situation to some sort of a conclusion would dominate the early portion of Philip's regency.
"But there were other problems to occupy his times--King Edward II of England continued to refuse to pay homage for his Gascon lands, maintaining the intransigent stance he had throughout Louis X's reign. Charles of Valois and Eudes of Burgundy both considered themselves robbed of their rightful position in the government, and deluged the Regent with countless complaints, debates on matters of precedence, and vague accusations of wrong-doing. While Eudes' complaints lessened with his marriage to Philip's eldest daughter[1], the Regent's uncle proved harder to satisfy.
"Ironically, it was the first problem that proved the easiest to solve--despite their relative success, Flemish support for the war was waning, both from below and, to a more immediate effect, at the top. While Robert had spent his life in measured defiance of the French crown, his son and grandson, Louis the Elder and Younger of Nevers and Revel, were different men--French nobles with heavy (and growing) ties to Paris. And Robert himself was an old man, increasingly aware of his mortality. As the calls came to reach a peaceable arrangement with France, he listened to them, though his grandson's marriage to the Regent's second daughter, Margaret in 1320 doubtless played a role as well.[2]
"Edward of England would prove more intractable, despite his arguably weaker hand. Even facing an ongoing war with Scotland that was going poorly, a situation in England itself that bordered on an undeclared civil war, and a constant sequence of embarassments that would include a one-eared man in Oxford claiming to be the true king of England[3], Edward refused to pay homage. His offered reasons for this would change constantly, ranging from claims of instability to matters of precedence--on several occasions, he would even suggest the homage be put off until John I reached his majority. Despite the risks of this approach, with its accompanying dangers of a confrontation with France, Edward kept it, possibly because it represented the only thing close to a success in his foreign policy. For now, he was able to escape any retribution simply because Philip was distracted by other business--poor harvests, regency disputes, the matter in Flanders, and in late 1320, something more severe...
--John I of France, Vol. 1; A King in His Cradle, Antony Oates (1978)
---------------------
[1] They were likewise married IOTL. While her status would be a little lower ITTL, the fact remains that young Joan happens to be a very tempting potential heiress even if she isn't a royal princess.
[2] See above.
[3] John Deydras, also known as John of Powderham was a clerk who claimed to have been the REAL Edward II, with the man who was going around being king being in reality some carter's child who had been swapped with him. In 1318, he started going around and challenging the King to single combat. This ended with his arrest, and execution, along with his cat, which he stated had given him the whole idea.
Not making any of that up.
- Space Oddity
- Word Count: 590