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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Louis XI Biography LOUIS XI (1423-83). King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the eldest son of Charles VII and was born at Bourges, July 3, 1423. Louis was by nature cruel, tyrannical, and perfidious, and in 1446 and 1456 he made unsuccessful attempts against his father's throne. He was compelled to flee to Flanders in 1456 and sought the protection of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, with whom he remained till his father's death in 1461, when he succeeded to the crown. He lived simply and traveled constantly in order to learn all about his Kingdom. He was very devout and gave much to the Church. He had great ability to attract people and was skillful as a diplomat. He employed mainly people of humble rank and was prodigal to those who served him faithfully. The severe measures which he adopted against the great vassals led to a coalition against him, at the head of which were the great houses of Burgundy and Brittany. (See LEAGUE OF THE PUBLIC WEAL.) Louis owed his success over the nobles more to his artful policy than to arms. When the war threatened to break out anew, he invited Charles the Bold (q.v.), Duke of Burgundy, to a friendly conference at Péronne in October, 1468. His agents meanwhile had stirred up the people of Liege to revolt against the Duke, upon the news of which occurrence Charles made the King a prisoner and extorted from him a humiliating treaty. Louis, however, did not observe this treaty, and a contest broke out, which lasted until the death of Charles the Bold, in 1477. Charles was aided by Edward IV of England, while Louis incited the Swiss and René of Lorraine to oppose the ambitious undertakings of Charles. Charles the Bold left an only daughter, the celebrated Mary of Burgundy, who married Maximilian of Austria. Louis claimed a great part of the Burgundian territories as male fiefs lapsed to the superior. He seized the Duchy of Burgundy, conquered Artois, and subjugated Franche-Comté. War was waged with Maximilian until 1482, when the Treaty of Arras was concluded, by which the daughter of Maximilian was betrothed to the Dauphin, afterward Charles VIII, and Louis was allowed to retain his conquests. In 1480-81 Anjou, Maine, and Provence were united with the crown. By his warfare against the feudal lords Louis XI rid France of the anarchical conditions which had prevailed and made the central power paramount. He died Aug. 30, 1483. He also materially advanced civilization in France by encouraging manufactures, commerce, and mining. He improved the public roads and canals, aided in establishing printing presses, and founded a university. One of his officials during a large part of his reign was the historian Philippe de Commynes (Comines). Consult: Jules Michelct, Histoire de France, vol. vi (Paris, 1879); Henri Sée, Louis XI et les villes (Paris, 1891); G. W. K. Kitchin, History of France, vol. i (Oxford, 1896); Ernest Lavisse, Histoire de France, vol. iv, part ii (Paris, 1902); Christopher Hare (pseud.), The Life of Louis X1 (London, 1907). The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XIV (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 389-390. |