In 1465 a League of Public Good is formed by great feudal lords against Louis XI led by his younger brother Charles, Duke of Berry and his (distant) cousin Charles of Burgundy, Count of Charolais and heir to the Duke Philip III of Burgundy. The only confrontation took place in Montlhéry, south of Paris, where royal troops and league troops clashed. The course of the confrontation is undecided and each of the forces arrogates the victory (Louis XI enters Paris triumphantly while Charles of Burgundy is out of the field). The king pretends to bow down and signs advantageous peace treaties for the feudal lords that he will eventually submit one by one throughout his reign.
The idea is as follows: During the confrontation, Louis XI decides to go and fight the rebels directly but he is disarmed and believes him to be dead, but it is by a miracle that he gets up and sounds the retreat of his forces. So what would have happened if he had remained on the ground, mortally wounded or killed instantly?
A few leads:
The idea is as follows: During the confrontation, Louis XI decides to go and fight the rebels directly but he is disarmed and believes him to be dead, but it is by a miracle that he gets up and sounds the retreat of his forces. So what would have happened if he had remained on the ground, mortally wounded or killed instantly?
A few leads:
- Charles of Berry became king under the name of Charles VIII at the age of 19, the character was versatile and subject to his favorites as his influential friends (notably Charles of Charolais). Single, he can claim the hand of some interesting princesses, in particular Mary of Burgundy then barely 8 years old and as heir presumptive, the young Duke Louis II of Orléans (Louis XII in OTL) aged 3 years.
- The ambitions of Charles the Bold will not be thwarted by Louis XI (he can in particular obtain indirect control of Champagne) and have more chances to obtain the title of King of the Romans.
- What policy would England adopt in the face of this?
- If Richard Neville is still revolting against Edward IV, will he be able to ally himself with Margaret of Anjou without the intervention of Louis XI ( If this does not happen, could Edward of Lancaster eventually bind himself with the French court and marry a French princess?) ?
- If Charles (VIII) of Berry died as an OTL in 1472 at age 25 childless (note that if he is married to Mary, she would only be 15 at the death of the king) what would be the reign of Louis XII then aged 10?