*** Welcome to piglix ***

War of Succession (Champagne)

War of the Succession of Champagne
Date 1216-1222
Location County of Champagne (mostly concentrated in southeastern Champagne), Duchy of Lorraine, Alsace
Result Loyalist victory, Theobald IV succeeds as Count, Countess-Regent Blanche centralizes authority over local barons
Territorial
changes
Champagne secures control over local barons east of the Marne river; Champagne's borders extended east at the expense of Lorraine
Belligerents
Blason région fr Champagne-Ardenne.svg Count of Champagne
France Ancient.svg King Philip II of France
Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head.svg Holy Roman Empire
Blason Ducs Bourgogne (ancien).svg Duchy of Burgundy
Bar Arms.svg County of Bar
C o a Innocenzo III.svg medieval Papacy
Armoiries Brienne-Ramerupt.svg Most of the local barons in the eastern and southern borderlands of Champagne, united under Erard of Brienne claiming succession by marrying Theobald IV's cousin Philippa.
Blason Lorraine.svg Duchy of Lorraine
Commanders and leaders
Blason région fr Champagne-Ardenne.svg Blanche of Navarre, Countess-Regent of Champagne
Blason région fr Champagne-Ardenne.svg Theobald IV of Champagne
France Ancient.svg King Philip II of France
Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head.svg Emperor Frederick II Stupor Mundi
Blason Ducs Bourgogne (ancien).svg Duke Odo III of Burgundy
Bar Arms.svg Count Henry II of Bar
C o a Innocenzo III.svg Pope Innocent III
Armoiries Brienne-Ramerupt.svg Erard of Brienne, lord of Ramerupt
Blason Lorraine.svg Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine
Simon of Joinville

The War of the Succession of Champagne was a war from 1216 to 1222 between the nobles of the Champagne region of France, occurring within that region and also spilling over into neighboring duchies. The war lasted two years and de facto ended in 1218, but did not officially end until Theobald IV reached the age of majority in 1222, at which point his rivals abandoned their claims.

In 1190, Henry II, count of Champagne, left his county for the Crusades with his two uncles Philip II of France and Richard I of England (Henry's mother was the daughter of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and thus half-sister to Philip via her father and to Richard via her mother). He made the barons of Champagne swear to pay homage to his brother Theobald if he should die on Crusade.

In the Holy Land, Henry was crowned king of Jerusalem and - to reinforce his legitimacy - married for the second time to queen Isabella, second wife and widow of Conrad of Montferrat, despite the fact that her first husband (from whom she had been forced to separate) was still alive. Henry and Isabella had three daughters and no surviving sons and so, when Henry II died in 1197, his brother inherited the county as Theobald III. Theobald III then died of a sudden illness four years later in 1201 while preparing to lead the Fourth Crusade, leaving his widow Blanche of Navarre nine months pregnant with their son Theobald IV, born after his father's death.

In 1215 Henry II's third daughter Philippa of Champagne married a nobleman from Champagne living in the Holy Land. His name was Erard of Brienne-Ramerupt, and he was a cousin of John of Brienne, king of Jerusalem. It was he who gave Philippa the idea of claiming the county of Champagne.


...
Wikipedia

...