Historical Figures

Philip II the Bold(1342 - 1404)

Philippe is the fourth son of King Jean le Bon of France. He earned his nickname alongside his father at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. He received the Duchy of Burgundy in 1363 and won that of Flanders when his father-in-law died without a male heir. He thus inaugurates a matrimonial policy which will constitute in a few decades the Burgundian State. Through these marriages, he also brought the new dynasty of Burgundy into the alliance network of the house of Bavaria. After the Flemish uprisings of 1382, he concluded the Peace of Tournai (1385) which restored peace in Flanders. Very active at the court of France, he took an important part in the government of the uncles of Charles VI. The return of the Marmousets removed him from power for a time in 1388, but the king's illness brought him back there in 1392. He then entered into a rivalry with the king's brother, Louis, Duke of Orléans. On his death, his son Jean sans Peur succeeded him.