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1465: the War of the Public Weal

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Louis XI: the spider and the construction of the modern state (1461-1483) · RENAISSANCE

The War of the Public Weal (1465) was the first great trial of the reign of Louis XI. This revolt of the great feudal lords, led by the king’s own brother, Charles of France, and supported by the greatest lords of the kingdom, constituted the most serious threat to royal authority since the beginning of the reign.

🤝 The League of the Public Weal

In March 1465, the great vassals of the kingdom formed a coalition against Louis XI, whom they accused of wanting to strip them of their feudal privileges. This coalition, named the “League of the Public Weal”, brought together:

  • Charles of France, the king’s brother, Duke of Berry
  • Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
  • Francis II, Duke of Brittany
  • John II of Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon
  • John II of Alençon, Duke of Alençon
  • John V of Armagnac, Count of Armagnac

The rebels demanded the convening of the Estates-General and an end to Louis XI’s centralising reforms.

The causes of the revolt

The revolt stemmed from several factors:

  1. The buyback of the towns of the Somme (1463): Louis XI bought back for 400,000 écus the towns of the Somme (Amiens, Abbeville, Saint-Quentin) that had been ceded to Burgundy under the Treaty of Arras (1435). This buyback, intended to compensate for the assassination of John the Fearless at Montereau (10 September 1419), deeply angered Charles the Bold.

  2. Fiscal pressure: To finance this buyback, Louis XI imposed heavy taxes. He demanded loans from the clergy, forced religious institutions to provide him with an inventory of their assets, and stripped the University and the corps of archers and crossbowmen of Paris of their privileges.

  3. The abolition of the Pragmatic Sanction: Louis XI repealed the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges (1438), which angered the clergy.

  4. Opposition from the great vassals: The great lords united against growing royal authority. Discontent was not confined to the great vassals but also affected the towns and guilds.

⚔️ Military operations

The Battle of Montlhéry (16 July 1465)

On 16 July 1465, the royal army confronted the coalition forces near Montlhéry. The battle was militarily inconclusive but constituted a political victory for Louis XI, who succeeded in avoiding the destruction of his army.

The siege of Paris

The coalition forces besieged Paris, but the city, loyal to the king, held out. Louis XI, entrenched within Paris, conducted a skilful policy of parallel negotiations.

🏰 The peace treaties (October-December 1465)

After several months of fighting, Louis XI negotiated a series of treaties that brought the war to an end:

Treaty of Conflans (5 October 1465)

  • To Charles the Bold: restitution of the towns of the Somme and the county of Boulogne
  • To his brother Charles of France: the governorship of Normandy

Treaty of Saint-Maur (29 October 1465)

  • With the other league members: confirmation of their privileges
  • With Francis II of Brittany: maintenance of Breton privileges

Treaty of Caen (23 December 1465)

  • Definitive regulation of the terms of peace
  • Mutual recognition of the parties

Louis XI’s concessions

  • Restitution of the towns of the Somme to Burgundy
  • Grant of Normandy to his brother Charles
  • Confirmation of the privileges of the great vassals

The coalition’s concessions

  • Recognition of Louis XI as the legitimate king
  • End of the rebellion and formal submission
  • Recognition of royal authority

🏆 Consequences and aftermath of the war

Immediate aftermath

  • Charles of France failed to establish himself in Normandy and was forced into exile
  • Treaty of Ancenis (10 September 1468): Charles of France and Francis II of Brittany made peace with the crown
  • Treaty of Senlis (1475): definitive confirmation of peace with Brittany

For Louis XI

  • Political victory despite territorial concessions
  • Assertion of royal authority against the great vassals
  • Realisation of the need to strengthen royal power
  • Birth of his third son Francis (4 December 1466), who died 4 hours later

For the great vassals

  • Immediate territorial gains (the towns of the Somme for Burgundy)
  • Recognition of certain privileges
  • But a long-term political defeat

For the kingdom

  • Temporary weakening of royal authority
  • Strengthening of the idea of a centralised state
  • Groundwork laid for the annexation of Burgundy

🧠 Key takeaways

  • March 1465: formation of the League of the Public Weal
  • 16 July 1465: Battle of Montlhéry (an inconclusive battle)
  • October 1465: Treaty of Conflans
  • Louis XI kept the throne but had to make territorial concessions
  • The war revealed the fragility of royal authority in the face of the great feudal lords
  • Louis XI would learn the lessons of this war to strengthen his power