The Duchy of Burgundy under Philip the…
July 1474 CE
The Duchy of Burgundy under Philip the Good had allied itself to the cause of Ruprecht, the newly elected Archbishop of Cologne,.
Ruprecht had proved immensely unpopular, and by 1471 several major towns in the archbishopric, as well as the Kölners themselves, were on the verge of revolt.
Attempts by the Emperor Frederick III to mediate the conflict had failed, and in 1474 Charles the Bold, Philip’s son and successor, signs a treaty with Ruprecht, which stipulates that Charles will subdue the rebels and serve as Ruprecht's lifelong protector in return for two hundred thousand florins a year.
To secure his western border, Charles concludes a treaty with Louis XI of France, then prepares to march into the Rhine valley; contemporaries suspect his real motive is the eventual reconquest of all of Alsace.
Charles's route towards Cologne leads him past Neuss, one of the centers of resistance against Ruprecht.
Fearing the threat Neuss will pose to his exposed rear if left uninvested, Charles prepares to lay siege to the city, and on July 29, 1474, the investment begins.
The Neussers, though they had have only a short time to prepare, lay in enough provisions to last until Christmas.
They are led by Hermann, Landgrave of Hesse, the younger son of the late Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse and his wife Anna, daughter of Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and have the support of many nearby towns and cities.
Locations
People
Groups
Commodities
Subjects
Regions
Central Europe
View →Subregions
