Until the middle of the 15th century, the monarchs of France tried to end feudal fragmentation exclusively by force. Louis XI decided to act deceitfully.
At one time, Napoleon said to one of his unlucky brothers: "If they say about some sovereign that he is kind, it means that the reign has failed." The French king Louis XI was such a not at all "kind" ruler. He had a responsible historical mission: the creation on the site of the former feudal anarchy of the "single and indivisible" French kingdom. Louis fulfilled this task. But he did it in such a way that sometimes you wonder whether to class him among the "outstanding statesmen" or among the "outstanding" villains?
Louis XI preferred intrigue to feasts.
Women's question
First of all, an amazing detail should be noted: Louis XI was not interested in bed entertainments. The vivid details of the amorous adventures of the French monarchs created the cult of "courtly romance". The names of the famous favorites have become no less famous than the names of their patrons. But Louis XI was a unique king. He, of course, had mistresses (in addition to his legal wife). But they did not have the slightest influence on the king.
In general, Louis was contemptuous of the female sex, considering it "the focus of stupidity." He made an exception only for his daughter Anna, who was reputed to be a great clever girl. Anna received a very peculiar compliment from her father. Louis XI said about her: "This is the least stupid woman in France, because I have never met a single really smart woman."
Perhaps this attitude of Louis to women comes from youthful psychotrauma. His father, King Charles VII, with his wife alive, got himself a young mistress - the famous Agnes Sorel. The 20-year-old dauphin was very painful in his father's departure from the family. He saw his mother suffer, and with all his heart he hated this “insolent girl” who destroyed their family.
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On the basis of personal drama, young Louis began to intrigue against his father, to participate in various rebellions and conspiracies. By the time of Charles VII's death (1461), father and son were bitter enemies.
"White crow" of feudal France
In addition to indifference to female charms, Louis XI was distinguished by another feature. The king was completely indifferent to knightly prowess. All these tournaments, hunts, duels, "glorious feats" and the observance of "noble honor" caused not only boredom in the king, but even malicious mockery. For the nobles of that era, such an attitude towards the "ideals of chivalry" was something exceptional.
Louis XI was ironic about the royal tournaments. To one of the competitions, he brought an ambala butcher and forced the knights to fight with him. The mighty commoner with his club easily dealt with a whole group of professional tournament players, clad in armor.
Kingpin fights with knights.
The king was not interested in the external trappings of royal power either. The famous diplomat and memoirist of the 15th century, Philippe de Commines, recalled that more than once he felt embarrassment for his monarch - he was dressed so “unseemly”.
Money? Louis was stingy. But for a useful cause, he spared no resources. Gold interested him not in itself, but as a means of solving state problems.
One, but fiery passion …
Louis XI was indifferent to women, luxury goods, honors … What interested him? Oh, he had one but all-consuming passion. The name of this passion is power. That power that is not manifested in the form of a crown, mantle and magnificent titles. And real, real power: the ability to dispose of the fate of people and control events. Louis XI saw his goal clearly. And he did not hesitate to go to her by various, including very unscrupulous means.
However, the king was not a bloody tyrant. He, of course, could not deny himself small pleasures with elements of sadism (his famous cells are known, in which especially guilty enemies were kept for years).
Cardinal Jean la Balue spent 11 years in a cage.
However, Louis XI never set bears on anyone in public, never fried anyone in pans or boiled anyone alive. Although at about the same era, such methods easily strengthened the "vertical of power" by his crowned "colleagues": Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible and the ruler Vlad Tepesh (Dracula).
Liar, liar …
The main method by which Louis strengthened his power was not terror at all, but virtuoso, talented, incomparable deceit. It is not for nothing that historians consider Louis an outstanding diplomat. And what is diplomacy if not the ability to outwit your rivals? And the French king was very tricky.
Even at the beginning of his reign, Louis XI faced a hostile coalition of French feudal lords. Then the famous Milan condottiere Francesco Sforza gave the king wise advice: "Divide your enemies, temporarily satisfy the requirements of each of them, and then defeat them one by one." An experienced mercenary found a worthy student in Louis XI. “No one knew how to quarrel and divide people like the French king,” contemporaries recalled.
Louis XI was not distinguished for his beauty and athletic stature.
An unsurpassed master of deception, Louis XI became very angry with his assistants if they allowed someone to fool themselves with beautiful chatter. "You see, you damned dogs, you can't trust him!" - in such, not entirely delicate terms, the ruler reprimanded his envoys, who believed the promises of a foreign nobleman.
The king lectured: "Do not believe the words, believe only what you see with your own eyes!" The most important piece of advice that Louis XI gave to his diplomats could be the motto of his entire reign: “Are they lying to you? Good. Lie to them even more!"
"Godfather" of France
Louis XI did not like to fight. He reasonably believed that one unsuccessful battle could erase the fruits of all his many intrigues that had been woven over the years. When the English king Edward of York landed in France with an army, Louis XI preferred to give him a substantial amount of "compensation". And at the same time he undertook to pay the same amount annually. To the reproach of those close to him, the French monarch replied: "The war with England would cost me even more."
Louis XI avoided open military confrontation.
The king rarely resorted to armed force. He knew that the most powerful weapon was gold. Louis XI spent impressive sums on bribing foreign nobles.
In the immediate circle of every foreign sovereign there was a "double agent" - a friend or colleague, overbought by Louis. The cynic king believed that incorruptible people do not exist. The only question is the price. As a result, the French king was aware of absolutely all the plans and moods of his enemies. The outcome of the struggle in such a situation was predetermined in advance.
The main rival of the king was the famous Burgundian duke Charles the Bold (a fan of the great Hannibal). But even such an extraordinary person could not resist the combined power of gold and deceit.
Karl the Bold.
Louis XI simply paid generously to the Swiss mercenaries. And the landsknechts did all the dirty work for the king. In several battles, they smashed the knights of Charles the Bold to smithereens. "Eck how they got us off!" - bitterly joked the ducal jester after the failed battle of Grandson (1476).
Duke Charles the Bold was rich, talented in commanding troops and skillfully used the achievements of military thought of his time. In particular, the Burgundians had the largest artillery park in Europe. After high-profile victories, Karl was very close to turning his title into royal.
The death of the duke at the Battle of Nancy canceled these plans. And the Burgundian lands were divided between France and the Hapsburgs. Louis XI took possession of Burgundy almost bloodlessly. The last force that could challenge the leadership of Paris ceased to exist.
Victories over his main enemy, Charles the Bold, the king of France owes the fighting qualities of the Swiss mercenaries. Satisfied Louis XI, in gratitude, allowed them to plunder the tent of the Burgundian duke.
Swiss mercenaries rob the tent.
Two hundred years later, the omnipotence of the French monarch will become so absolute that the "Sun King" Louis XIV will be able to utter the famous words: "The state is me!" Louis XI did not say that. He didn’t like verbal art at all. It was enough for him simply to know that from now on there is only one power on the territory of "beautiful France". His personal power.
Mark with Louis XI.
Despite his bad reputation, modern France values the king for ending the fragmentation of the country.