alternatehistory.com
1337-8: Flanders
1337-8: VAN "THE MAN" ARTEVELDE
"...Sometimes, history lifts up a man from obscurity to become one of the linchpins of an age. We know nothing in truth of Jacob van Artevelde before his sudden entry into Flemish politics, though a thin patina of nationalistic myth has been created to cover this gaping void, birthing the figure of "the Wise Brewer of Ghent". In truth we have no reason to imagine that Jacob was a brewer at all--by most accounts his money was in the weaving industry, like most of his fellow city fathers[1]. Likewise, the image of Jacob as a populist reformer is largely legendary--like many wealthy merchants, Jacob was eager to see his children join the ranks of the nobility, working to get his son a knighthood and his daughter a noble marriage. But as opposed to Louis Dampierre, he was a realist who put the interests of Flanders first. 'If we do not have the friendship of England, then we die,' he reportedly said, 'for it is by their wool that we live.'[2] This was Artevelde's maxim and it was what guided his thinking when he came to power during the uprising...
"Despite the little we know about Artevelde, it was clear he was a man of substance prior to this, for he was one of Ghent's five elected captains. And it is also clear he was a man of very firm character, for from this position he was able to easily dominate the government of Ghent as events unfolded so that within a handful of weeks he, and not the Count, was its lord and master[3]... Entering into talks with Ypres and Bruges, Jacob laid the foundation for an alliance that would dominate Flemish politics for decades to come. Meanwhile, in Ghent itself, he created a personal bodyguard that would swiftly become Artevelde's enforcers there. It was a dictatorship based on force and charm, not unlike the Dogeship of Simon Bocanegra that would begin a year later[4], and like that one, it would likely have failed swiftly had not the situation been as grim as it was. But the failure of Louis Dampierre's rule had been so complete--so against the interests of the Flemish that they were willing to consider anything...
"According to many sources, van Artevelde envisioned an alliance with England from the first. This may be so--as he would swiftly prove, Jacob van Artevelde was not a man of limited ambition or imagination. However, at this stage, political realities constrained him--while the Flemmings had rebelled against the Count, they still were unwilling to consider a true break with France. For now, the order of the day was neutrality--though Flanders was a part of France, it would take no part in this war, and would indeed continue to conduct business with England[5]. Edward's emissaries, eagerly looking for markets for wool, took the deal eagerly...
"Throughout all this, Count Louis was a cipher. Artevelde controlled the government, and while the Count was allowed to sign and approve its actions, they did not originate from him. It was of course, an unsustainable state of affairs, and ultimately the Count ended it through a deception. Secretly sending a missive to his wife, he had her send a message to him claiming that she was deathly ill, and begging him to come to her bedside. Louis swiftly left Flanders for France, never suspecting that he would never return[6]. Artevelde, once it became clear that the Count had lied, dug in, and prepared for a French response..."
--This Tumultuous Age: The Revolts and Upheavals of the 14th Century, Elizabeth Eckermann (1976)
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[1] This is OTL, including the dubious nickname.
[2] Jacob reportedly stated similar views IOTL.
[3] Jacob's shadowy path to power appears to have been roughly similar IOTL.
[4] More on this in a later update.
[5] Jacob was a bit more active in seeking an alliance IOTL, where a path towards his goal was a bit more obvious, if somewhat tortured--by encouraging Edward III to declare himself King of France, he could have Flanders pledge fealty to him. Of course, as ITTL, this took some time to build towards, and so, as in this one, neutrality was the initial order of the day.
[6] Louis used a similar stratagem to escape the rebels IOTL. Yes, even when his plans worked, they tended to be rather pathetic.
"...Sometimes, history lifts up a man from obscurity to become one of the linchpins of an age. We know nothing in truth of Jacob van Artevelde before his sudden entry into Flemish politics, though a thin patina of nationalistic myth has been created to cover this gaping void, birthing the figure of "the Wise Brewer of Ghent". In truth we have no reason to imagine that Jacob was a brewer at all--by most accounts his money was in the weaving industry, like most of his fellow city fathers[1]. Likewise, the image of Jacob as a populist reformer is largely legendary--like many wealthy merchants, Jacob was eager to see his children join the ranks of the nobility, working to get his son a knighthood and his daughter a noble marriage. But as opposed to Louis Dampierre, he was a realist who put the interests of Flanders first. 'If we do not have the friendship of England, then we die,' he reportedly said, 'for it is by their wool that we live.'[2] This was Artevelde's maxim and it was what guided his thinking when he came to power during the uprising...
"Despite the little we know about Artevelde, it was clear he was a man of substance prior to this, for he was one of Ghent's five elected captains. And it is also clear he was a man of very firm character, for from this position he was able to easily dominate the government of Ghent as events unfolded so that within a handful of weeks he, and not the Count, was its lord and master[3]... Entering into talks with Ypres and Bruges, Jacob laid the foundation for an alliance that would dominate Flemish politics for decades to come. Meanwhile, in Ghent itself, he created a personal bodyguard that would swiftly become Artevelde's enforcers there. It was a dictatorship based on force and charm, not unlike the Dogeship of Simon Bocanegra that would begin a year later[4], and like that one, it would likely have failed swiftly had not the situation been as grim as it was. But the failure of Louis Dampierre's rule had been so complete--so against the interests of the Flemish that they were willing to consider anything...
"According to many sources, van Artevelde envisioned an alliance with England from the first. This may be so--as he would swiftly prove, Jacob van Artevelde was not a man of limited ambition or imagination. However, at this stage, political realities constrained him--while the Flemmings had rebelled against the Count, they still were unwilling to consider a true break with France. For now, the order of the day was neutrality--though Flanders was a part of France, it would take no part in this war, and would indeed continue to conduct business with England[5]. Edward's emissaries, eagerly looking for markets for wool, took the deal eagerly...
"Throughout all this, Count Louis was a cipher. Artevelde controlled the government, and while the Count was allowed to sign and approve its actions, they did not originate from him. It was of course, an unsustainable state of affairs, and ultimately the Count ended it through a deception. Secretly sending a missive to his wife, he had her send a message to him claiming that she was deathly ill, and begging him to come to her bedside. Louis swiftly left Flanders for France, never suspecting that he would never return[6]. Artevelde, once it became clear that the Count had lied, dug in, and prepared for a French response..."
--This Tumultuous Age: The Revolts and Upheavals of the 14th Century, Elizabeth Eckermann (1976)
-------------------------------------------------------
[1] This is OTL, including the dubious nickname.
[2] Jacob reportedly stated similar views IOTL.
[3] Jacob's shadowy path to power appears to have been roughly similar IOTL.
[4] More on this in a later update.
[5] Jacob was a bit more active in seeking an alliance IOTL, where a path towards his goal was a bit more obvious, if somewhat tortured--by encouraging Edward III to declare himself King of France, he could have Flanders pledge fealty to him. Of course, as ITTL, this took some time to build towards, and so, as in this one, neutrality was the initial order of the day.
[6] Louis used a similar stratagem to escape the rebels IOTL. Yes, even when his plans worked, they tended to be rather pathetic.
- Space Oddity
- Word Count: 740