Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 9,001
Louis XI against Louis I - A Medieval Intrigue ...
On December 19, 1475, the French King Louis XI.
... leaves a competitor for power, Louis I of Luxembourg ...
... behead in public on the Place de Gréve in Paris.
It is the end of a power struggle between two enormously ambitious and power-mad princes!
Louis XI. is generally referred to by his nickname "the clever one", which he acquired during his lifetime. He was - and thanks to his highly effectively organized espionage service, he was one of the best-informed men of his time.
But he was only "smart", "generous" and "compensatory" in things that did not affect his direct ambitions, interests or power.
When it came to this, he could also be different, namely cunning, insidious and ruthlessly cruel - as well as being suspicious and cynical to the highest degree.
This is why the Frenchman also has a number of other epithets that had to be pronounced very carefully and quietly during his lifetime:
The best known is "l’araignée" ("the spider").
From his youth on Ludwig showed an exceptionally domineering, yet treacherous character, in short: the ruler had about the disposition of a tarantula sick with belly!
One of his main enemies was Charles "the Bold" of Burgundy (French: Charles le Temeraire) ...
... who would have liked to become King of France himself.
In 1468, Louis XI was taken prisoner by Charles the Bold near Péronne ...
... and had to free himself through the humiliating "contract" of Péronne (a ransom, paid in lands!) ...:
The other Louis - de Luxembourg - was, like the French, power-obsessed, ambitious and cruel, but perhaps not quite as devious and clever.
He sided with Charles "the Bold" early on - and together with him won the Battle of Monthlery on July 16, 1465, a humiliating defeat for the French Louis ...:
But then he let himself be blinded by the splendor of gold and power - and shortly after the battle ran over to the French!
(You can also put it another way: Louis XI bought the Luxembourger!)
The thing seemed to be worthwhile for the defector at first - he was literally showered with offices, titles, power and money!
Louis the French king made Ludwig the Luxembourgish Connétable de France (one of the highest ranks of the nobility!) On October 5, 1465, in 1466 governor and deputy to the king (Lieutenant du roi) in Normandy and then in the - richer - Picardy ( 1473).
In order to stay in today's picture, he expressed his "complete confidence", so to speak ...!
(For our former Chancellor Merkel, this formulation was always the last step before the dismissal of ministers for 16 years ...)
At the same time, however, he had him spied on around the clock, his mail monitored and surrounded by informants of all kinds.
The Luxembourg Louis did not notice any of this, saw himself in high favor and felt so secure that his ambition to become King of France flowed openly from his tongue more than once.
In 1475 the French struck:
The Lous I of Luxembourg, who performed his state office in Picardy from his native Luxembourg (and only checked and filed the bank statements) was arrested and shortly afterwards extradited to the king.
The one who handed him over was of all people - Charles "the Bold" of Burgundy, his former ally, who should have earned a pretty penny for it.
Yes, folks - this is how you do real politik! The French king almost wants to impress me ...
Then there was a really short process:
Accusation of high treason, of course a death sentence - and then the execution a few days later!
On December 19, 1475, the French King Louis XI.
... leaves a competitor for power, Louis I of Luxembourg ...
... behead in public on the Place de Gréve in Paris.
It is the end of a power struggle between two enormously ambitious and power-mad princes!
Louis XI. is generally referred to by his nickname "the clever one", which he acquired during his lifetime. He was - and thanks to his highly effectively organized espionage service, he was one of the best-informed men of his time.
But he was only "smart", "generous" and "compensatory" in things that did not affect his direct ambitions, interests or power.
When it came to this, he could also be different, namely cunning, insidious and ruthlessly cruel - as well as being suspicious and cynical to the highest degree.
This is why the Frenchman also has a number of other epithets that had to be pronounced very carefully and quietly during his lifetime:
The best known is "l’araignée" ("the spider").
From his youth on Ludwig showed an exceptionally domineering, yet treacherous character, in short: the ruler had about the disposition of a tarantula sick with belly!
One of his main enemies was Charles "the Bold" of Burgundy (French: Charles le Temeraire) ...
... who would have liked to become King of France himself.
In 1468, Louis XI was taken prisoner by Charles the Bold near Péronne ...
... and had to free himself through the humiliating "contract" of Péronne (a ransom, paid in lands!) ...:
The other Louis - de Luxembourg - was, like the French, power-obsessed, ambitious and cruel, but perhaps not quite as devious and clever.
He sided with Charles "the Bold" early on - and together with him won the Battle of Monthlery on July 16, 1465, a humiliating defeat for the French Louis ...:
But then he let himself be blinded by the splendor of gold and power - and shortly after the battle ran over to the French!
(You can also put it another way: Louis XI bought the Luxembourger!)
The thing seemed to be worthwhile for the defector at first - he was literally showered with offices, titles, power and money!
Louis the French king made Ludwig the Luxembourgish Connétable de France (one of the highest ranks of the nobility!) On October 5, 1465, in 1466 governor and deputy to the king (Lieutenant du roi) in Normandy and then in the - richer - Picardy ( 1473).
In order to stay in today's picture, he expressed his "complete confidence", so to speak ...!
(For our former Chancellor Merkel, this formulation was always the last step before the dismissal of ministers for 16 years ...)
At the same time, however, he had him spied on around the clock, his mail monitored and surrounded by informants of all kinds.
The Luxembourg Louis did not notice any of this, saw himself in high favor and felt so secure that his ambition to become King of France flowed openly from his tongue more than once.
In 1475 the French struck:
The Lous I of Luxembourg, who performed his state office in Picardy from his native Luxembourg (and only checked and filed the bank statements) was arrested and shortly afterwards extradited to the king.
The one who handed him over was of all people - Charles "the Bold" of Burgundy, his former ally, who should have earned a pretty penny for it.
Yes, folks - this is how you do real politik! The French king almost wants to impress me ...
Then there was a really short process:
Accusation of high treason, of course a death sentence - and then the execution a few days later!
