France

Rebellions Again

Young Charles was recognized on November 4 1380 and entered Paris later that month. Since technically taxes were abolished, but the king still needed money, the estates were told that new aids would be requested. This sent the citizens of Paris into revolt.

Rebellion was in the air anyway. Workers in Florence had rebelled in 1378, and the workers of Ghent were even at that moment in arms. Because power was fragmented in France, the Paris rebels went to one of the uncles, the Duke of audio gifAnjou, demanding an end to all taxes. Anjou went to the king and Council and on the 14th, all taxes were confirmed as abolished. Instead, Charles turned to other sources of income, including taxing other cities. Income throughout his reign continued to be sporadic and unreliable. The incident would be echoed the following year in England, with the Peasants Revolt of 1381.

New taxes were unavoidable, though. Early in 1382, the Duke of Anjou feared that he was about to lose his inheritance of the Kingdom of Sicily. He got the Council to approve an aid (a special, one-time tax), but weeks elapsed before anyone had the nerve to proclaim it publicly. When they did, riots ensued. Rouen rebelled and sacked the monastery. Then Paris rose at the beginning of March.s

The uncles managed in this crisis to form a united front. They dealt harshly with Rouen, and the citizens of Paris backed down. Normandy, in fact, actually voted new subsidies to the crown (which really meant to Anjou). After some negotiations and some displays of force, Paris was also subdued. Royal control over the south of France was much weaker, though, and rural rebellion continued there for a couple of years. Small bands of men roamed the countryside, attacking priests, monks and nobles where they could. These bands were known as Tuchins, and simply added to the woes war had already brought to that part of France.

Anjou went off in April 1382 to Italy. The Duke of Burgundy, along with the lords of Berry and Bourbon, led an army into Flanders to put down the revolts there. The king, now fourteen and of age, rode with them. They recaptured Ypres and then advanced on Ghent, the center of the rebellion, led by Philip van Arteveldt. In late November, the French forces were completely victorious and van Arteveldt was killed in the battle.

The army returned to France in 1383, replenished by indemnities paid by the Flemish cities. With the army at hand, the uncles and king were able to cow Paris into final submission. Two full years of insurrection, unleashed by Charles V's deathbed decree and mishandling by his brothers, were at last over.