The Dukes of Burgundy

By the early 1460s, the Dukes of Burgundy were some of the most powerful people in Europe. In some lands, they were practically independent, but in others, they were sworn vassals of the King of France. This made them the natural ringleaders of any potential revolt against royal power. Charles VII had seen France through the wars with England and brought the kingdom back from the brink of disintegration. But he hadn't been an especially forceful advocate of royal rights. His strategy had mostly been to let the princes jockey with each other for control of royal government. Louis XI had other ideas.