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Louis VII

Louis VII. 1137-1180. The later Capetian kings Revival of royal power between 1108-1226. Rise of the French monarchy - Louis VI, Louis VII, Philip II ‘Augustus’, (Louis VIII).

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Louis VII

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  1. Louis VII 1137-1180

  2. The laterCapetiankingsRevival of royal power between1108-1226

  3. Rise of the French monarchy- Louis VI, Louis VII, Philip II ‘Augustus’, (Louis VIII) When Louis VIII (great-grandson of Louis VI) died in 1226, royal lands included a well-disciplined and well-administered royal principality, togetherwith the duchy ofNormandy, the counties of Maine and Anjou and most of Poitou. • The king’ssuzerainty – whatwas the king’s position? • The king and the French church • Consolidation of power

  4. Capetian royal power

  5. Historiographyhistoricaldebate over the rise of the French monarchy • Reminder of historicaldebate . . . Was the Capetian revival an inevitabledevelopment? • Seemaps pages 163, 175 & 352 of text book • The earlyCapetianmonarchs (Hugh Capet and his descendants) laid the foundations of ‘theoretical’ power of the laterCapetiankings (Louis VI, Louis VII, Philip II ‘ Augustus’ & Louis VIII). • Also….. See notes for Louis VI and the revival of Capetian power in the 12th century….

  6. Character of Louis VII • Chroniclers descriptions • Stephen of Paris described Louis VII as «pious» and «a man of religion whosefaith shone out fromhim» • Odo of Deuil said of Louis « A just man with simple tastes but with a high view of monarchy» • Walter Map (English writer) « a lover of justice» (Compare to Henry I of England, described as a «lion of justice»)

  7. Historiansviews of Louis VII • Historianslessenthusiasticthan Louis’ contemporaries • «a colourlessnonentity». . . • Key advisors - under the heavy influence first of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Abbot Suger of Saint Denis and then Bernard of Clairvaux • Committed a dangerouspoliticalerror in allowing the formation of hte Angevin Empire.

  8. Revisionistsview • Pacaut and Sassier • Louis VII wasrespected for hisuprightcharacter and piety • He became more resolute in the second part of hisreign . . . a time whenhesuccessfullyconsolidatedhisdomain (demesne)

  9. Capetianstronghold

  10. Heir to the throne? • Louis was the second son of Louis VI. What made himheir to the throne? • Whyisthispotentiallysignificant? • Weaknesses as a ruler? • ….. • Easilyinfluenced and capable of bothdeeds of impetuousrashness and of periods of lassitude and indecisiveactivity (EVIDENCE)

  11. Strengths • Civil War in England . . . • Domestichostilitiesbetween Stephen and Geoffrey the Fair of Anjou and hiswife the Empress Matilda (daughter of Henry I of England and mother of Henry II) over the title to the kingdom of England and duchy of Normandy made Louis in a strong position at the time. • Marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, heiress to the duchy in 1137.

  12. EconomicGrowth and prosperity

  13. Urban and rural communities • Quickening of in the economic life becamewidespread in the second half of the 11th century and the whole of the 12th century. • Coinagewascirculatingwidely in much of France. • Urbancommunitieswerebecomingincreasingly important in the 12th century. • Trade in salt and winewasincreasing and the marchands de l’eau didwellunder royal protection. • From 1180 (reign of Philip II ‘Augustus’) the growth of Paris couldbedemonstrated by pavedstreets, a larger area surrounded by newlybuiltwalls (1189-90), the construction of the Louvre castle and the emergence of the university of Paris from the schools.(Seedetails in Monarchies booklet)

  14. Louis VII’s Main threats • 1138 Poitou Rebellion • Theobald of Blois-Champagne refused to give Louis VII aid to crush the rebellion – mountinghostilitybetweenthem • Rift widened by marital problems of Raoul*, count of Vermandois, Louis’ seneschal. • 1142-3 - parts of Champagne burned and ravagedwithextremeferocity (William of Saint-Thierry). • Culminated in the burning of the churchatVirty, with 1,500 people caught in the flames.

  15. Furtherthreats • Whilst disputes withTheobaldcontinuedwith Bernard of Clairvaux and Suger acting as peace-makers Geoffrey the FairhadoverrunNormandy. • Louis negotiatedwith Geoffrey – how?

  16. Break in Louis VII’sreign • Louis movedawayfrom Eleanor of Aquitaine’s influence and came underthat of Bernard of Clairvaux and Abbot Suger • Historial debate – historians (Pacaut and Sassier) saw the break as comingafter Louis’ crusade – an attempt by the king to regain hislostreputationafter the burning of Vitry. • Petit-Dutaillis has suggested the burning of Vitry was a shockwhichtransformed the king.

  17. The Second Crusade

  18. Reasons for going on crusade • Regain hisreputationafter the burningat Vitry • Zeal for the Christian faith (Odo of Deuil) and longing to save the Holy Places • Political humiliations at home neededredeeming (Louis VII was the first kinginvovleddirectly in a crusade) • Western armyneeded to relieve the kingdom of Jerusalem. 1144 fall of Edessa. Melisende, queenregent of Jerusalem, wrote to Pope Eugenius III asking for help.

  19. Vezalay – Easter 1146 • Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusadewithdramaticsuccess. • The Emperor Conrad II joined the western forces.

  20. Whowasleft as regent?Whatproblemsexisted? • Abbot Suger Problems • Louis’ brother, Robert of Dreux, hadreturnedfrom the East and wasplottingwith a group of dissident nobles to take over the throne. Solution • Suger called an assembly of the French nobility 1149 (Soissons) and remindedthem of theirduty to the absent king. • Threat of rebelliondied down.

  21. Financial state of the kingdom • Costs of the crusade • Easter 1149 Suger called on Louis to return to France • 1151 – Suger retired to Saint-Denis and diedthere. • Suger had been a valuedadministrator and loyal counsellor to Louis VII (and to Louis VI).

  22. Problems on return fromcrusade • Build-up of Angevin power in Normandy – whywasthis a problem? • Whatdid Louis do? • Put forwardEustace, Stephen’s son against Henry (son of Geoffrey the Fair and Matilda) whohad been given the duchy of Normandy, and wagedwar. • 1151 peacewas made with Geoffrey and Henry. Louis gained the Norman Vexin including Gisors.

  23. Personal and politicaldisaster • Rift between Louis VII and hiswife Eleanor of Aquitaine. Why? • 1152 the council of Beaugency declared the marriagenull and void on grounds of consanguinity. • A few monthslater Henry Plantagenet (now count of Anjou on death of hisfather Geoffrey the Fair in 1151) married Eleanor.

  24. Louis VII and Henry II of EnglandThe significance of Homage • When Henry becameking of Englandhewasalso the greatestlandholder in France. His lands overshadowedthose of his suzerain the French king– eclipsedhim. • Henry paidhomage to Louis for his French lands in 1156. Why? • Capetians must have felt the Plantegenetthreat • Did Henry have designs on the French crown? • Louis (until the birth of Philip in 1165) had no male heirs…. Whywasthis a problem?

  25. Homage – feudal obligations? • Henry carried out acts of homage to Louis VII and Philip for Normandy in 1169 and 1183. • Most of themwereperformed on the borders. • Whatwas the function of suchhomage? • Whogainedfromtheseacts of homage?

  26. The build-up of CapetiansuzeraintyThe importance of homage • Henry’s sons and theirhomage to the Capetians: • Henry the Young king in 1160 • Richard in 1188 and 1189 • Arthur of Brittany in 1199 • John in 1200 Whyweretheseacts of homage (collectively) important? How and whydidHenry’s sons use theseacts of homage? How didthey help the Capetians in the revival of royal power vis-a-vis the Angevin Empire?

  27. Louis VII – phases of hisreign • First phase – effective in militaryterms • After the accession of Henry II to the throne of England(withhisvast dominions in France) War and negotiation - whynegotiation? • Influence of the Cistercians (order of monks) and other ecclesiastics • The Capetianswereknown as «most Christian kings».

  28. Louis VII and Henry II of Englandphases of Louis’sreign • Late 1150s Plantegent power continued to expand – Louis athisweakest • Death of Henry’sbrother Geoffrey (Lord of Nantes). Henry claimedoverlordship of Brittany and overranit. Louis put up no resistance • 1159 Henry tried to take Toulouse – Louis tookfirm action…. • Betrothal of Henry’s son and heir, the young Henry to Louis’sdaughter Margaret

  29. Louis VII and Henry II of England • 1162 Henry celebrated the marriage of the young couple and seized the Norman Vexin, Margaret’sdowry, for himself. • Resulted in open rupture with Louis • 1160s Louis began to build up supporters againsthis rival, Henry II of England • Marriage to Adela of Champagne – a male heir Alliance of Louis with Henry of count of Champagne • Dukes of Burgundyfavourablyinclinedtowards Louis VII • Louis alsohad a following of nobles in the Languedoc.

  30. French kings and the princes of Francerevival of royal power • Gradualacknowledgement of king’srole as suzerain – obligations • Military service (more common in later 11th century and continued revival in 12th) • Leadinglay and ecclesiasticalmagnatesbegan to sitwith the king and makejudgements as peers of the realm. • The princes began to attend royal councils more frequentlyduring 12th century (numberswerelimited) 1111, 1124 (militarygathering)1128 1130 (under Louis VI).

  31. French kings and the princes of France • 1146 major council (under Louis VII) • Princes and great nobles appeared far more frequentlyat court: • 1152 at Beaugency when Louis VII divorced Eleanor of Aquitaine • 1155 at Soissons • 1173 at Paris • 1178 at Reims for the coronation of the young Philip Augustus • Princes whoattended and endorsed royal decisionsweredescribed in royal charters as ‘barones’ • Royal counsellorsdrawnfrom the nobilityratherthan the royal householdbegan to appear(compare to developments in English governmentunder Henry I)

  32. Louis VII and the Church • 1159 Papal Schism • 1164 – ecclesiasticalrefugee in France – Archbishop Thomas Becket of England Louis VII an ally of the church – his opposition to Henry II wasgiven a moral dimension • 1170murder of Becket Henry blamed by all Christendom • Louis gainedgreatgeneralapproval (hehadprotected the martyr) • 1170-1180 - Last decade of Louis VII’sreign – muchstrengthened moral position • Louis’ opposition to Henry and his sons became more effective, eventhough the royal principalitywasovershadowed by the Planteganet lands.

  33. Louis VII and hisrole in the rebellion of 1173-4 against Henry II of England • Whatwas Louis’ role in the rebellion of the Young king and hisbrothers in 1173-4? • Did Louis campaignagainst Henry? • 1174 – Peace – whatwasLouis’sroleafterHenry’svictory in 1174?

  34. Final phase of Louis VII’sreign • More peaceful • 1179 – greatassembly of lay and ecclesiasticalmagnates in Paris – his son Philip was elected, anointed and crowned as his successor. • 1180 - Louis VII, the oldking, diedhavingjustmanaged to control Angevin power.

  35. Syllabus expectations - connections betweenEnglish and French monarchsEssay questions • Duchy of Normandy, development and relations with, and effects on, France. • Rivalries – dukes of Normandy as kings of England and the kings of France. • French royal power under the Capetian dynasty: Louis VI (1108-37); Louis VII (1137-80) and Philip II ‘Augustus’ (1180-1223). • Comparison of royal government: England and France. • ‘Assess the successes and failures of Louis VII, King of France, from 1137-1180 (Nov 2011).’

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