We shall make France great again!
Rouen, The year of the Lord 1284, early April
Three men were standing in that austere room in the old Ducal Castle of Rouen. One of them was King Charles IV of France and I of England. After the fire of castle of Vincennes, Charles had moved his preferred residence in Rouen, from where he could communicate easily with all his realms. He still held an aversion towards Paris and he had never liked London. Nevertheless, his presence on the political scene was frugal, inconsistent and… mostly with little futility. The affairs of the realm was still held on the thigh grasp by his uncle Philip of Arles, while the other magnates held different degree of power and influence.
The Capetian dominions saw a steadily economic recovery in the last decade and the money start flowing again in the coffers. This was also helped by the politics of reducing the costs and no more funding wars or campaigns. This politic, promoted by the King himself, was not wildly agreed by the power brokers of the kingdom but it was more or less followed as Philip of Arles start aging and was fighting with more and more severe health problems. The magnates saw in this a weakness and considered that the French interests are hampered.
The spring on 1284 had brought several social convulsions. The Kingdom was overcrowded and the last winter was particularly harsh. The people suffered from famine and for the lack of firewood. Even in Paris there were hundred which frozen to death, while across the country there were thousands which died. The law that Philip of Arles passed in the past year had confirmed the privileges granted by King Philip the Great in which he abolished the serfdom. During the civil war the barons tried to re-installed it but with mixing results.
Forced by the famine and lacking the means for cultivating the lands, or lacking the lands themselves, thousands upon thousands of peasants were leaving their villages and moved to the cities. But the cities were also crowed and the workforce was in surplus. They could barely live from temporary less payed jobs. The prices start raising and many knew that they could not resist another winter anymore. It seems that the government was overwhelmed by this situation as it lacked founds and vision as well as a clear strategy. The people start to protest for better conditions but they were… very expendable. The northern France, being the most populated, was the hardest hit. A famine was prefigured to happen next year if measures will not be taken.
But this volatile mass also created opportunities. There were agents which recruited people for emigrate abroad. By far, the most popular place to emigrate was the Kingdom of Andalusia. There was now a safe and direct land route to it and there was plenty of empty land waiting there. Well, it was not so empty, as there were a lot of Muslims leaving there, but King Henry promised lands to everyone who want to settle there in exchange for military service. These prospects attired many young men which enthusiastically enrolled. There was a long route to there but they could not fear brigands or enemy attacks as all the lands there were in friendly hands. King Henry of Andalusia had agreed to pay the tool taxes from his own coffers. He wanted to create a base of loyal population in his kingdom in order to counter-balance the Muslim population. While the new-comers often lacked any basic training as warriors, as well as equipment, he do not hesitated. He assigned captains charged with training them once per weak. Their weapons were mainly pikes and most lacked any armor, however he do not wanted them to be effective for conquests and aggressive wars in which he could employ mercenaries, but to be effective in keeping in check the locals. The King of Andalusia also employed a fair amount of Muslim soldiers, especially as light cavalry, archers and javeliners but never more than a third of his forces. In time, he wanted to co-opt the locals to his dynasty and to forge a new and cohesive nations. Till then, he knew that the way is to have constant success and expansion as he could not tolerate enemies on this borders. Importing settlers, was essential for his plans. While he accepted them from all the Christendom, France and, especially the northern side, was the obvious and the main supplier of immigrants.
Another beneficiaries of this conjuncture were the entrepreneurs. They could expand their business, taking advantage of low wages, high surplus on the labor market, low taxes, and less governmental control. Their only problem were the great magnates which had conflicting interests. The rising bourgeoisie gain more and more power while the nobles saw their power and wealth diminishing. The first militated for more political power, while the last wanted to keep their privileges.
For a century, the crown used the towns and the bourgeoisie to keep in check the great landowners and nobles. For a century, the communes and the clergy were defended by the crown and supported the crown. But now, this mutual contract was broken as the crown held little authority and the magnates sized most power. Philip of Arles tried to limit the rapacity of the nobles, but in the other hand he benefited massively from his position. He had turned the Languedoc in his personal fief were the King was just theoretical the overlord but in practice nearly absent. He used the Royal army and the Royal power to fight his enemies and even invaded Navarre in order to facilitate the seizure of Aragon by his younger son. He used the royal finances to promote the interest of his family both inside and outside of the kingdom, especially during the German civil war when he obtained huge concessions for himself and for his sons. All these in the name of the interest of the Kingdom and the Dynasty. Sadly, his health condition had worsened and he start to lose the grasp of the country and of the power. His enemies gathered up courage and start to defy him.
Therefore, by the spring of 1284, the tension could be fill in all circles in France. Despite the low taxes, the nobles start to impoverish, the great magnates wanted more power and lands, the peasants lacked land and were exposed to famine, the towns were overflowed by people searching for work.
***
In this ambiance, two men asked for a private meeting with the king. It was late in the evening but the room was lavishly illuminated by a great chandelier, backed by many candles. The King and the two men were standing in the middle of the room.
“We shall make France great again!” said the old grizzled man to the King.
The man that spoke these words was the count of Flanders and Hainault, Baldwin de Dreux. He was one of the oldest magnates in France, being ruler since 1231 when the death of his mother the Countess Joan de Constantinople, the own daughter of the Emperor Baldwin I, put him on the throne at barely 17.
His father, Peter de Dreux, sometime nicknamed the Mauclerk, had married in 1211 one of the most wanted heiress in Christendom grace of King Philip Augustus maneuvers to bring the rich county closer to the throne. Therefore, Baldwin the X of Flanders and the VII of Hainaut could claim both Capetian blood from his father and the Flemish bloodline from his mother which could go up to Charlemagne himself. With his grand-father and uncles being the Latin Emperors of Constantinople for a while, he was one of the most prestigious men in the entire Christendom.
After the fall of Constantinople in the hands of the Bulgarians, he dreamed for a while to go and conquer it back but the Mongol juggernaut shattered these wild dreams. He focused on gather money and political power inside the Capetian realms. In 1236 he married Blanche de Champagne, the daughter of Theobald IV of Champagne, linking the two principalities into a close alliance. Despite being sometime in opposition to the crown, his position and wealth keep him among the top levels of power and politics in the Kingdom.
During the civil war, he and his father in law, were one the leaders of the “
Ligue du Bien Public”, a conservative and reactionary party that fought for more Baronial power and liberties. While failing to capture Paris, he managed to capture Mathilde of Brabant, the mother of the King, which guarantee him a privileged position at the peace table and a good sum of money as ransom. Therefore, he was member of the Grand Council and a fierce opponent of King Philip of Arles. He had won the trust of King Charles during the war in England and, especially, when he had managed to rally the army caught in the ambush by Richard Plantagenet near Dartford.
Since then, Baldwin influence grew more and more while the position of Philips of Arles become shakier after the first Aragonese campaign, being also confronting with health problems.
However, he was not uncontested. Simon de Montfort “the younger”, the II Count of La Marche, had also raised to prominence, railing around him the middle and lower segments of the French nobility as well as the bourgeoisie, seeing themselves the progressive wing of the society. He had become one of the few and the closest friends of the King. One which Charles trust and admire. He admire him for his physical strength and beauty, for his martial prowess but, especially, for his high culture and education. The 44 years old Simon had received in his youth the best education, with focus in law, philosophy, history and martial arts. The two men spent many hours talking politics or different other subjects.
“When France stopped to be great?” asked Simon de Montfort.
The two guys intersected their views. High tension could be seen in the room, as it was obvious that they hate each other and both were fully convinced that they solely held the true.
“When our illustrious king Philip died in crusade!”
He throw a long look at the King. Other words come out from his mouth than the one which he thought. Some words could not be said even if they were obvious for everybody. Everybody knew about what the Count referred to. The King throw his eyes to the ground ashamed. He still suffered from a great inferiority complex about his acts in his youth when he had sink the country in civil war and lost a great deal of prestige.
“Since then”, continued the count even more boldness, “we had become the mockery of Christendom. Our kingdom was respected, our armies were feared. Everybody look to Paris to seek guidance and justice. Now… nobody respect us anymore. Hence, nobody believe that we are able to govern ourselves! They all look to Arles as the true King of France and England. We should stop this. Now it’s the time to action! Now it’s the time to take our country back again and stop the madness tyranny!”
“My King”, said calmly Simon de Montfort, “I agree that we shall curb the power of Arles and regain the prestige we have lost. However, I do not agree that this is the way. Acting now it’s too soon. Acting like that it’s not the right way to do it. My advice is to have patience. He is old and sick. His son and heir is far from what his father is. We have all the time in front of us. Have patience…”
“Patience?!” yelled Baldwin of Dreux. “Patience? We had enough of patience. Now is the time to action! His power is weak and the People had enough of him…”
“The People?” counter him Montfort. “The People you thought is a handful of Princes which are not the People.”
“They…, WE are the People! It’s all that matter.”
Both the King and Montfort nodded, but Baldwin continued his speech.
“Furthermore, His Holiness, the new Pope is a true Frenchman and he will back us in this endeavor. The time when Arles dictated and the Pope executed were now gone.”
“You Lie!” said Montfort.
“Gentlemens!” intervened the King when Dreux drought the sword to defend his honor. “My Lords, we are not here to fight, nor to profess injuries. Please, keep your words and swords in their scabbards“.
“I’m sorry, my King. My bad language betray me sometime and push me to act rashly. I do not want to offense Monseigneur de Dreux who I deeply consider him due to his age and position…”
Everybody knows that these were also lies. Dreux preferred to ignore the sarcasm of his interlocutor. For now…
“We do not know”, continued undisturbed Montfort, “if His Holiness will want or will be able to be involved in this political struggle. The vast number of the cardinals were still very in the favor of continuation of the old politics. Moreover, Rome could be overrun by the armies of King of Sicily and do not forget, your uncles are very close allies. I also heard that His Holiness is more interested to launch a crusade against the heretics in Bosnia and he need the support of Sicily for doing that.”
Baldwin de Dreux approached to the King. He was taller than him and dominated Charles with a head. He looked directly in his eyes and spoke with a deep voice:
“Mon Roi et mon Seigneur, if you prefer to be kept on leash by Arles, is up to you. But then do not have the claim that your country and your people will respect you! If you choose so, you are not worthily of the memory of your father, your grandfather, and all your ancestors before them. Please, let us make the Kingdom great again. Together we ca do it!”
“You have my blessing, Monseigneur!” said King Charles and left the room.
The two counts remained in the room alone and look each other for a moment before leaving without saying any other words, only slightly bowing their heads as sigh of salute.
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