The Death of Philip of Saint-Pol and the Succession Crisis in Brabant (1428–1430)

By 1428, Duke Philip of Saint-Pol faced mounting pressure from the nobility, forcing him to grant concessions to secure their support. Meanwhile, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was consolidating power in the Low Countries, leading to tensions over Brabant’s succession.

In an attempt to counterbalance Burgundy’s growing influence, Philip of Saint-Pol sought an Angevin alliance, marrying Yolande of Naples, daughter of Louis II of Naples. However, this marriage remained childless, and upon Philip’s death in 1430, his lands were divided:

• Brabant passed to Philip the Good, solidifying Burgundy’s hold on the Low Countries.
• Saint-Pol and Ligny were inherited by his great-aunt, Joan of Luxembourg, based on proximity of blood.
• Yolande was placed under the guardianship of Philip the Good, where she remained until her remarriage in 1431 to Francis I, Duke of Brittany.

I. Philip of Saint-Pol’s Struggles and the Rise of Burgundy

• Wary of Philip the Good’s expansionist policies, Philip of Saint-Pol sought an alternative alliance through marriage to Yolande of Naples.
• His weak political position forced him to grant concessions to the nobility in 1428, attempting to maintain stability.
• His death in 1430 without an heir resulted in Brabant’s absorption into the Burgundian state, further strengthening Burgundy’s dominance in the Low Countries.

II. The Division of Philip’s Territories

• Brabant fell into Burgundian hands, advancing Philip the Good’s long-term goal of unifying the Low Countries.
• Saint-Pol and Ligny passed to Joan of Luxembourg, maintaining a degree of regional independence.
• Yolande of Naples, now a widow, was placed under Burgundian custody until she remarried Francis I of Brittany in 1431.

III. Consequences: The Further Expansion of Burgundy

• Philip the Good’s inheritance of Brabant in 1430 marked a major step in the Burgundian unification of the Netherlands, bringing one of the last independent duchies into his control.
• The House of Luxembourg retained control over Saint-Pol and Ligny, but Burgundy’s territorial expansion was now unstoppable.
• The failure of Philip of Saint-Pol’s Angevin alliance weakened resistance to Burgundian rule, setting the stage for Burgundy’s eventual dominance in the region.

Philip of Saint-Pol’s untimely death in 1430 allowed Burgundy to absorb Brabant, further strengthening Philip the Good’s power in the Low Countries, while Yolande’s remarriage linked her to Brittany, marking a shift in her political influence.

The Death of John V of Brittany and Succession of Francis I (1442)

John V (VI), Duke of Brittany, whose complex relationship with King Charles VII of France included early efforts toward reconciliation in the 1430s, later became involved in significant rebellions against royal authority, notably the Praguerie Revolt in 1440 and the League of Nevers in 1442. Despite this political turbulence, within Brittany itself John had successfully carried out substantial reforms, enhancing governmental efficiency, strengthening military organization, and improving economic stability.

Upon John's death on August 28, 1442, his eldest son, Francis I, born from his marriage to Jeanne de Valois, a French princess, succeeded to the ducal throne. Francis had previously married Yolande of Anjou, daughter of Louis II of Anjou, at Nantes in 1431; Yolande died in 1440. To reinforce Brittany's political alliances, Francis remarried soon after his accession, marrying Isabella Stuart, a Scottish princess and daughter of the assassinated King James I, on October 30, 1442, at the Château d'Auray.

Francis I’s succession, marked by these strategic marital alliances, underscored Brittany’s ongoing attempt to maintain political independence and regional power amid shifting allegiances and tensions with the French crown. This transitional moment highlighted Brittany’s continued role as a significant, if sometimes disruptive, political force in Atlantic West Europe.