Историко-географический журнал (Jan 2024)
Geography of Voyages of Louis XI and the Count of Charolais during the Confrontation between the King and the “League of the Public Welfare”
Abstract
The article is devoted to the events of 1465 in France, when the fate of the future political structure of the kingdom was being decided in the confrontation between the King of France Louis XI and the “League of the Public Welfare”, headed by the Count of Charolais (the future Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold). A comparison of the itineraries of Louis XI and the Count of Charolais — sources that characterize the implementation of the management strategies of two sovereigns from the Valois dynasty — makes it possible to trace their political activity during a fateful period in the history of the kingdom of lilies. The article, using the mass material of royal ordonnances, analyzes the movements of the French king and his main opponent, the Count of Charolais, in the military and political confrontation. Comparing the routes of Charles and Louis XI on the map allows the authors not only to clarify specific episodes of their confrontation in 1465, but also to give a general assessment of the effectiveness of their actions. A formal description of the King’s struggle with the “League” could be reduced to a few simple facts: the gathering of dissatisfied lords under the leadership of the Count of Charolais, the meeting of the two sides in the Battle of Montlhéry, the victory of the “League” members and the signing of agreements fulfilling their demands. Meanwhile, a detailed analysis of the spatial activity of the King and the Count of Charolais indicates that the former managed to forestall many dangerous situations preventing his opponents from uniting and minimizing the consequences of an unsuccessful outcome of military operations. Thanks to his high and effective mobility, Louis XI managed to reduce the damage caused to him at all stages of the confrontation.
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