Burgundy's main interest despite the last phase of the war of the roses and regency of Charles VIII would still be firmly rooted in expansion eastward in the Holy Roman Empire. In the previous 8 years under Charles and Philip, a pursuit of expansion towards and across the Rhine was pursued and with the majority of this expansion complete in 1485 with the reconquest of Frisia and Guelders. The brutal campaign against Frisia would circle sharks around Burgundy as primarily Saxony would begin to fight tooth and nail to influence the Rhine electors. Burgundy who had firmly influenced only Trier at this point would lose Cologne due to a new Hesse-Saxony alliance. Mainz would elect a Nassau branch bishop as their new elector in 1484. Nassau was a soft Burgundian ally with ties to Brabant as John V who was appointed into the Staadholder of Guelders and Zutphen. Yet, Mainz would be the strongest anti-Burgundian elector out of the 7 electors.
The archbishop of Mainz, Berthold von Henneberg would pursue a reformist agenda that would rival against the Burgundians as the proposals of eternal peace, an imperial Supreme Court and a new elector based imperial government. Both the Habsburgs and Burgundians would be firmly opposed to this, Philip even more so as the eternal peace would force him to give up reluctantly his invasion or more accurately conquest of Frisia and Guelders, the appointment of a new imperial Supreme Court would bring a new Paris Parlament but instead from Paris it would be from Frankfurt. The elector based government while taking away power from the emperor would give power to the electors and Philip would not give further strength to his future vassals. The Habsburgs would be slightly more open to the idea, Maximilian who acknowledged the reality of the necessity of imperial reform would begin negotiations with the elector of Mainz agreeing to the imperial eternal peace and the new Supreme Court of the Holy Roman Empire.
The election of 1486 was only between two candidates, the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Rich and the Archduke of Austria, Maximilian the Last Knight. Ironically it would be the first elector, the archbishop of Trier would vote for Philip the Rich, the betrothal of Charles II of Charolais and Elizabeth of the Palatine would get Philip the Upright of the Palatine to vote for, Philip would achieve two votes for emperor, while Maximilian now firmly backed by Saxony, Cologne, Brandenburg, Mainz and Bohemia would win the majority but importantly for Philip during the rounds of negotiation and trying to appeal to the two dissenters. While Maximilian would pressure the Burgundians with the marriage of himself to Isabella of Burgundy, Philip's masterful politic got him to extend the privilegium Burgundiae to expand to all of Philip's current holdings, and he would be crowned Duke of Frisia and count of Alsace at this time. The Burgundian's stranglehold on the electoral palatine and Trier would further concern the emperor but ironically the Burgundians would never be able to seize the imperial crown.
The election of Maximilian, the last knight as King of the Romans, would call the reichstag in 1488 nearing the end of the Austro-Hungarian war to form a Swabian league, and this would ostensibly be used to support Maximilian against the Swiss confederation but Philip who rightfully feared that this league would be used against Burgundy would firmly oppose this conciliar way of governance fearing more opposition to Burgundian expansion. His inclusion as Count of Alsace however, would weaken any attempt to deal with Burgundy as Philip rightfully claimed that his county of Alsace was part of the stem duchy of Swabia in which the Swabian league was formed around. What would be even worse was during the diet of 1487 and 1488, were the discussions regarding both roman law implementation and the improvements of sounder administration by imperial circles.
The Austro-Hungarian war of 1477 - 1491 would be the key to Habsburg domination, ironically funding Burgundy's greatest rival. The battle of Leitzerdorf in 1484 would be a decisive victory against the black army of Hungary and it would cement Maximilian as a brilliant general and warrior. The campaign into Moravia joined by Vladislaus II the new king of Bohemia would lead to the reclamation of Moravia, Lusatia and Silesia against Hungary. The assistance of Poland now led by Vladislaus II's father Casimir IV would put Matthias Corvinus on the back foot for the remaining years of his life. His death however would spark a succession crisis between Bohemia, Poland, Austria and Hungary. John Corvinus, illegitimate son of Matthias would claim the crown through his father and would be backed by the remaining loyalists of Matthias, Vladislaus would claim the crown by blood relation, and finally Maximilian who had the lion's share of the kingdom would claim it both on his father's claim to the crown and the treaty of Wiener Neustadt. This war was brief as was referred to the war of Hungarian succession, as John Corvinus would be defeated within months while Vladislaus would fight for another year but finally agreeing to the peace of Pressburg in which Vladislaus would renounce all rights to the crown of Hungary, agree to Maximilian becoming his heir if he did not have any legitimate sons. Importantly for the Bohemian king was he would not have to pay the 300 thousand florins that was owed to Maximilian over his reconquest of the lands of the Bohemian Crown. Maximilian would be crowned king of Hungary within a month of the treaty.
The victory of the Habsburgs was funded through a mixture of Burgundian, and Fugger Loans. Maximilian would be able to pay off the Fugger loans by giving them various estates around the Nitra copper mines but for the Burgundians he was hard pressed into signing the Privilegium Lotharingia. The inheritance of Tyrol by Maximilian in 1490 due to a pointless war in Venice would be of greater concern to Burgundy as Philip noted, "It is not completely out of question the Habsburgs would claim Alsace through this inheritance, they fought over inheritance against relatives after all." Fortunately Maximilian was more warm to Burgundy whether it was a personal enjoyment of Burgundy itself as his tales of the lavish Burgundian court were quite flattering or just his realpolitik in believing the Habsburgs could inherit Burgundy through luck is debated. What was more pressing for the twice crowned king was the Burgundian loans which were quite substantial and the only way Burgundy would agree to a forgiveness of the loans was the expansion of the privilegium Burgundiae, into the privilegium Lotharingia. Arguably, Maximilian realized the expansion of the empire under his rule would grant him immense prestige especially if it was directed westward considering his predecessors only lost lands in the Kingdom of Burgundy under their imperial reign, perhaps importantly a strengthened alliance with Burgundy would be necessary for his ambitions north to Bohemia. Key to this reform however was the ambition of the archbishop of Mainz who wanted a court independent of the emperor and yet above him in determining the law, and the already in place reforms of the previous two Burgundian dukes, Philip the Good and Charles the Absolute which made signing this privilege remarkably more like an acceptance of the status quo.
The signing of the privilegium Lotharingia which was forced into imperial law in 1491 would fundamentally reshape the Holy Roman Empire, and would act as a precursor to the formation of the fourth Kingdom of Burgundy. This privilegium would give all of Philip's current domains four main things, it would be inseparable from inheritance and automatically inherited through male-preference primogeniture. A fully independent jurisdiction with no possibility of appealing to any higher court backed by the emperor or empire.The strengthening of the vicarate of the Kingdom of Burgundy which now governed all the lands of the defunct Kingdom of Burgundy/Arles and all imperial lands west of the Rhine River excluding the elector states. A fully independent legislature which would take the form of the Estates General of Burgundy, and importantly to Burgundian historians who emphasis nationalism permission to display certain symbols of rule. This privilegium would coincide with the treaty of Dijon recognizing all independent Burgundian fiefs in the treaty of Beaune and any other domains of Philip the Rich to join the Holy Roman Empire.
Burgundy would not wait patiently before pulling off this masterpiece of imperial politics as Philip who had consolidated his control the left bank of the Rhine by influencing an election for the free city of Aachen and Cologne through bribes. The war of Lotharingia would drag Cleves who under the leadership of the nascent John II and his brother Englebert disputed count of Nevers would fight a desperate war for their independence ending with John II giving up his county to Philip who was anointed by their estates in late 1491 as count of Cleves and Englebert himself, dying in battle. This final major expansion by Burgundy under Philip the Rich in the Holy Roman Empire would be followed an era of internal golden peace for Burgundy, arguably the first Burgundian Golden age but this is not the end of the story of Philip the Rich's meddling in geopolitics as Italy would become the focus of Europe and Burgundy.
The archbishop of Mainz, Berthold von Henneberg would pursue a reformist agenda that would rival against the Burgundians as the proposals of eternal peace, an imperial Supreme Court and a new elector based imperial government. Both the Habsburgs and Burgundians would be firmly opposed to this, Philip even more so as the eternal peace would force him to give up reluctantly his invasion or more accurately conquest of Frisia and Guelders, the appointment of a new imperial Supreme Court would bring a new Paris Parlament but instead from Paris it would be from Frankfurt. The elector based government while taking away power from the emperor would give power to the electors and Philip would not give further strength to his future vassals. The Habsburgs would be slightly more open to the idea, Maximilian who acknowledged the reality of the necessity of imperial reform would begin negotiations with the elector of Mainz agreeing to the imperial eternal peace and the new Supreme Court of the Holy Roman Empire.
The election of 1486 was only between two candidates, the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Rich and the Archduke of Austria, Maximilian the Last Knight. Ironically it would be the first elector, the archbishop of Trier would vote for Philip the Rich, the betrothal of Charles II of Charolais and Elizabeth of the Palatine would get Philip the Upright of the Palatine to vote for, Philip would achieve two votes for emperor, while Maximilian now firmly backed by Saxony, Cologne, Brandenburg, Mainz and Bohemia would win the majority but importantly for Philip during the rounds of negotiation and trying to appeal to the two dissenters. While Maximilian would pressure the Burgundians with the marriage of himself to Isabella of Burgundy, Philip's masterful politic got him to extend the privilegium Burgundiae to expand to all of Philip's current holdings, and he would be crowned Duke of Frisia and count of Alsace at this time. The Burgundian's stranglehold on the electoral palatine and Trier would further concern the emperor but ironically the Burgundians would never be able to seize the imperial crown.
The election of Maximilian, the last knight as King of the Romans, would call the reichstag in 1488 nearing the end of the Austro-Hungarian war to form a Swabian league, and this would ostensibly be used to support Maximilian against the Swiss confederation but Philip who rightfully feared that this league would be used against Burgundy would firmly oppose this conciliar way of governance fearing more opposition to Burgundian expansion. His inclusion as Count of Alsace however, would weaken any attempt to deal with Burgundy as Philip rightfully claimed that his county of Alsace was part of the stem duchy of Swabia in which the Swabian league was formed around. What would be even worse was during the diet of 1487 and 1488, were the discussions regarding both roman law implementation and the improvements of sounder administration by imperial circles.
The Austro-Hungarian war of 1477 - 1491 would be the key to Habsburg domination, ironically funding Burgundy's greatest rival. The battle of Leitzerdorf in 1484 would be a decisive victory against the black army of Hungary and it would cement Maximilian as a brilliant general and warrior. The campaign into Moravia joined by Vladislaus II the new king of Bohemia would lead to the reclamation of Moravia, Lusatia and Silesia against Hungary. The assistance of Poland now led by Vladislaus II's father Casimir IV would put Matthias Corvinus on the back foot for the remaining years of his life. His death however would spark a succession crisis between Bohemia, Poland, Austria and Hungary. John Corvinus, illegitimate son of Matthias would claim the crown through his father and would be backed by the remaining loyalists of Matthias, Vladislaus would claim the crown by blood relation, and finally Maximilian who had the lion's share of the kingdom would claim it both on his father's claim to the crown and the treaty of Wiener Neustadt. This war was brief as was referred to the war of Hungarian succession, as John Corvinus would be defeated within months while Vladislaus would fight for another year but finally agreeing to the peace of Pressburg in which Vladislaus would renounce all rights to the crown of Hungary, agree to Maximilian becoming his heir if he did not have any legitimate sons. Importantly for the Bohemian king was he would not have to pay the 300 thousand florins that was owed to Maximilian over his reconquest of the lands of the Bohemian Crown. Maximilian would be crowned king of Hungary within a month of the treaty.
The victory of the Habsburgs was funded through a mixture of Burgundian, and Fugger Loans. Maximilian would be able to pay off the Fugger loans by giving them various estates around the Nitra copper mines but for the Burgundians he was hard pressed into signing the Privilegium Lotharingia. The inheritance of Tyrol by Maximilian in 1490 due to a pointless war in Venice would be of greater concern to Burgundy as Philip noted, "It is not completely out of question the Habsburgs would claim Alsace through this inheritance, they fought over inheritance against relatives after all." Fortunately Maximilian was more warm to Burgundy whether it was a personal enjoyment of Burgundy itself as his tales of the lavish Burgundian court were quite flattering or just his realpolitik in believing the Habsburgs could inherit Burgundy through luck is debated. What was more pressing for the twice crowned king was the Burgundian loans which were quite substantial and the only way Burgundy would agree to a forgiveness of the loans was the expansion of the privilegium Burgundiae, into the privilegium Lotharingia. Arguably, Maximilian realized the expansion of the empire under his rule would grant him immense prestige especially if it was directed westward considering his predecessors only lost lands in the Kingdom of Burgundy under their imperial reign, perhaps importantly a strengthened alliance with Burgundy would be necessary for his ambitions north to Bohemia. Key to this reform however was the ambition of the archbishop of Mainz who wanted a court independent of the emperor and yet above him in determining the law, and the already in place reforms of the previous two Burgundian dukes, Philip the Good and Charles the Absolute which made signing this privilege remarkably more like an acceptance of the status quo.
The signing of the privilegium Lotharingia which was forced into imperial law in 1491 would fundamentally reshape the Holy Roman Empire, and would act as a precursor to the formation of the fourth Kingdom of Burgundy. This privilegium would give all of Philip's current domains four main things, it would be inseparable from inheritance and automatically inherited through male-preference primogeniture. A fully independent jurisdiction with no possibility of appealing to any higher court backed by the emperor or empire.The strengthening of the vicarate of the Kingdom of Burgundy which now governed all the lands of the defunct Kingdom of Burgundy/Arles and all imperial lands west of the Rhine River excluding the elector states. A fully independent legislature which would take the form of the Estates General of Burgundy, and importantly to Burgundian historians who emphasis nationalism permission to display certain symbols of rule. This privilegium would coincide with the treaty of Dijon recognizing all independent Burgundian fiefs in the treaty of Beaune and any other domains of Philip the Rich to join the Holy Roman Empire.
Burgundy would not wait patiently before pulling off this masterpiece of imperial politics as Philip who had consolidated his control the left bank of the Rhine by influencing an election for the free city of Aachen and Cologne through bribes. The war of Lotharingia would drag Cleves who under the leadership of the nascent John II and his brother Englebert disputed count of Nevers would fight a desperate war for their independence ending with John II giving up his county to Philip who was anointed by their estates in late 1491 as count of Cleves and Englebert himself, dying in battle. This final major expansion by Burgundy under Philip the Rich in the Holy Roman Empire would be followed an era of internal golden peace for Burgundy, arguably the first Burgundian Golden age but this is not the end of the story of Philip the Rich's meddling in geopolitics as Italy would become the focus of Europe and Burgundy.
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