Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328

The Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323–1328 was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe. Beginning as a series of scattered rural riots in late 1323, peasant insurrection escalated into a full-scale rebellion that dominated public affairs in Flanders for nearly five years until 1328. The uprising in Flanders was caused by both excessive taxations levied by the Count of Flanders Louis I, and by his pro-French policies. The insurrection had urban leaders and rural factions which took over most of Flanders by 1325.

The revolt was led by Nicolaas Zannekin, a rich farmer from Lampernisse. Zannekin and his men captured the towns of Nieuwpoort, Veurne, Ypres and Kortrijk. In Kortrijk, Zannekin was able to capture the count himself. In 1325, attempts to capture Gent and Oudenaarde failed. The King of France, Charles IV intervened, whereupon Louis was released from captivity in February 1326 and the Peace of Arques was sealed. The peace soon failed, and the count fled to France when more hostilities erupted. Louis convinced his new liege Philip VI of France to come to his aid, and Zannekin and his adherents were decisively defeated by the French royal army in the Battle of Cassel.

In September 1322, the old count Robert III died. Because Robert's son and heir Louis I had died two months earlier, the count was succeeded by his grandson Louis. Louis thus, within a time span of two months, inherited the counties of Nevers and Flanders from his father and grandfather, and in the name of his mother held real power in Rethel (which he would also formally inherit in 1328), making him one of the most powerful lords in France. In 1320, Louis married Margaret of France, second daughter of King Philip V of France and Joan II, Countess of Burgundy. This marriage alliance and Louis's own French upbringing made him break with the anti-French policy of his grandfather Robert III and great-grandfather Guy I. Instead, Louis started a pro-French and anti-English policy. These policies were detrimental to the economies of the Flemish cities, raising taxes in order to pay the financial consequences from the Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge.

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