Recently I read through a short book on the 1323-28 Flemish revolt, considered the longest peasant revolt before the Reformation. The peasants were well-organised and had substantial urban support (especially from the city of Bruges). Flanders is in a unique position for Northern Europe since it sits between France (its nominal overlord) and the Holy Roman Empire, nearby England was its largest trade partner, and it was heavily urbanised to the point that three cities (Bruges, Ypres, and Ghent) were said to counterbalance the Count of Flanders, despite the Count of Flanders being one of the strongest and wealthiest vassals of the French king. In any case, the revolt in 1323-28 was due to the pro-French policy of the inept Count Louis I. He tried to continue enforcement of the vast sum his grandfather agreed to pay in 1306 (after the previous Flemish revolt, the monetary fine was in exchange for being restored as count) and in general due to a tumultuous period in Flanders which saw a constant standoff with France and several bad harvests.
The revolt was tremendously successful and occupied nearly the entire county and even captured the count, but it began to fade by the end of 1325 due to the city of Ghent holding out during a siege (Ghent's ruling class was mostly pro-French, and pro-rebel factions never gained power there), the excommunication of the rebels, and the French king negotiating peace with a few rebel cities and the elected ruler of Flanders, Louis's uncle Robert of Cassel. This weakened the rebels from within, but it took another 3 years to suppress the rebellion. The rebels also had poor foreign relations since they refused the English request to stop trading with Scotland and there was much propaganda exaggerating the size and spread of the rebellion which unnerved nearby rulers. My guess is taking Ghent and the pro-rebel faction coming to power there would have greatly changed the balance of power.
I mention Switzerland because it's a similar era and the rebels seemed to organise as a loose confederation. But would they have formed a republic after succeeding in a favourable peace with France, or is it more likely they force the count (or French king) to conduct fair negotiations (not the highly biased and limited ones the French king OTL did) that give the cities and wealthy peasants a bunch of new liberties and legal rights. Or do we get something like Robert of Cassel ruling as regent or even being named as count (which was his interest anyway) under many conditions from the local cities and peasant captains?
The revolt was tremendously successful and occupied nearly the entire county and even captured the count, but it began to fade by the end of 1325 due to the city of Ghent holding out during a siege (Ghent's ruling class was mostly pro-French, and pro-rebel factions never gained power there), the excommunication of the rebels, and the French king negotiating peace with a few rebel cities and the elected ruler of Flanders, Louis's uncle Robert of Cassel. This weakened the rebels from within, but it took another 3 years to suppress the rebellion. The rebels also had poor foreign relations since they refused the English request to stop trading with Scotland and there was much propaganda exaggerating the size and spread of the rebellion which unnerved nearby rulers. My guess is taking Ghent and the pro-rebel faction coming to power there would have greatly changed the balance of power.
I mention Switzerland because it's a similar era and the rebels seemed to organise as a loose confederation. But would they have formed a republic after succeeding in a favourable peace with France, or is it more likely they force the count (or French king) to conduct fair negotiations (not the highly biased and limited ones the French king OTL did) that give the cities and wealthy peasants a bunch of new liberties and legal rights. Or do we get something like Robert of Cassel ruling as regent or even being named as count (which was his interest anyway) under many conditions from the local cities and peasant captains?
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