Charles the Bold

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

Duke of Burgundy, son of Philip the Good and Isabella of Portugal, was born at Dijon, Nov. 10, 1433. While his father yet lived Charles left Burgundy, and forming an alliance with some of the great French nobles for the purpose of preserving the power of the feudal nobility, he marched on Paris with 20,000 men, defeated Louis XI. at Montlheri, and won the counties of Boulogne, Guines, and Ponthieu. Succeeding his father in 1467, he commenced his reign by severe repression of the citizens of Liege and Ghent. In 1468 he married Margaret of York, sister of Edward IV. of England. Liege having rebelled, the duke stormed and sacked the town. In 1470 the war with France was renewed, and though the duke was forced to sue for a truce he soon took up arms anew, and, crossing the Somme, stormed and fired the city of Nesle. Louis meanwhile involved him in greater embarrassments by exciting against him Austria and the Swiss. Charles, ever ready to take up a quarrel, threw himself on Germany with characteristic fury, and lost 10 months in a futile siege of Neuss. He was successful, however, in conquering Lorraine from Duke Rene. Charles now turned his arms against the Swiss, took the city of Granson, putting 800 men to the sword. But this cruelty was speedily avenged by the descent of a Swiss army, which at the first shock routed the duke's forces at Granson, March 3, 1476. Mad with rage and shame Charles gathered another army, invaded Switzerland, and was again defeated with great loss at Morat. The Swiss, led by the Duke of Lorraine, now undertook the reconquest of Lorraine, and obtained possession of the city of ver it, Nancy. Charles marched to recover but was utterly routed and himself slain, in 1477.