← This is History: History’s Greatest Fails
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- [00:00]
Danielle Cybylski
Hey everyone. In a moment I'm going to introduce you to a French duke who puts the fear in Fearless. But before I do, I want to take a second to remind you of the fun you could be having with this is History's Royal Favorites. There are fans of the show from around the world who want to delve deeper into the history behind each episode. Favorites get all the perks of a regular subscription, and they get the chance to chat to the producers and me and share what they've been seeing, hearing and reading since temporarily taking over this royal court as Queen Regent. I've been loving reading the Favorites, excellent takes on the kings and queens of seasons past, as well as seeing what castles and relics they've spotted on their travels. If you want to join the Favorites, you can sign up@patreon.com thisishistory now, on with the show and just a gentle reminder that this episode contains a grisly description of violence that may not be suitable for some ears before we start, this episode contains a grisly description of violence that may not be suitable for some listeners in the cold November darkness, horses stamp their feet on the frigid cobblestones of a Parisian street. Dressed in the blue and gold of the House of Orniel, their riders shift in the saddles as they wait. Before long, a gate opens and through it steps the king's brother, Louis, Duke of Orleans. Louis stops for a moment and stretches, looking up towards the starry sky. He's just had an exquisite meal with the queen and he's feeling relaxed and content. The messenger leading Louis is rushed and nervous. He's called the duke away from the queen's apartments to take him to see King Charles. But Louis isn't worried. The king has been ill off and on for 15 years now, and Louis knows just how to handle him. He'll murmur some soothing words and gently shove Charles in the direction of his royal mistress. Big Brother will be right as rain in no time. With practiced ease, Louis swings himself into his saddle and sets off. As Louis and his party make their way down the street, a door opens and more than a dozen men rush out. Louis has only a moment to notice. The men are huge and armed. One of them yells, kill him. In a mad rush, the assassins swarm Louis. The men of Orleans draw their swords and begin to fight for their lives. One of them spurs his horse and speeds off, screaming for help. Louie, armed only with a dagger, struggles and flails as he's dragged from his horse. On his knees in the street, he looks up to see a figure looming over him holding an axe. It's the last thing Louis will ever see. Men begin furiously stabbing and kicking the fallen duke, slashing his belly open and spilling his organs. He is beaten so savagely his fist face becomes unrecognizable. Mercifully, Louis is already dead. But there's one last humiliation to come. One of his assailants steps forward, carrying a torch, as bells begin to ring out the alarm and neighbors raise the hue and cry. The king's brother lies in the street, his broken body in flames. It's a savage, brutal parody of the fire he'd accidentally started so many years ago. But if the man behind Louis assassination is pleased with his own sense of irony, he'll soon learn, just as Louis did, that if you play with fire, you're going to get burned. I'm Danielle Cybylski and from Sony Music Entertainment, this Is History presents the glass King Episode 3 Agent of Chaos.
- [04:36]
Chris Hemsworth
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- [05:37]
Danielle Cybylski
Want to live better? We got a lot of work to do.
- [05:40]
Chris Hemsworth
Join Chris Hemsworth in National Geographic's new Disney plus original series, Limitless Live Better Now.
- [05:46]
Danielle Cybylski
I'm diving headfirst into cutting edge science.
- [05:49]
Chris Hemsworth
To uncover three powerful secrets to living better right now.
- [05:54]
Danielle Cybylski
The growth that occurs through any challenging experience is really what we see.
- [05:59]
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth stars in Limitless Live better.
- [06:02]
Danielle Cybylski
Now, streaming August 15th on Disney and Hulu. It's showtime. Since the death of his irritating uncle Philip the Bold Duke of Burgundy in 1404, life has been pretty great for Louis of Orleans. He and the Queen Isabeau of Bavaria finally have some peace from factional politics and the pair settle into routine. When they aren't dealing with the business of the kingdom, they're having boozy brunches, hitting up haute couture maisons and collecting cute accessories like parrots. For Louis, this is the type of lavish magnificence he's always felt he deserved. And as for Isabeau, well, it's not hard to see why she might indulge in a little retail therapy. By this point, her husband of nearly two decades has been mentally ill for most of their marriage, and half the time he can't stand the sight of her. When it's delicately suggested to her that Charles has needs, and maybe those needs should be met by someone other than her, Isabeau swallows her pride and agrees. A young woman named Odette de Chandiver is given the task of becoming the King's mistress. And now people are calling Odette the Little Queen. So it's no wonder that Isabeau chooses to live in a different palace. So spend time with her charming brother in law, Louis of Orleans, and like Louis, enjoy the decadence of a royal life. But it's hard to pay the bills when every night is the Met Gala. To keep the party going and the money flowing, Louis abruptly turns off the tap to the Duchy of Burgundy. It'll prove to be a fatal mistake. On the death of Philip the Bold, Burgundy had come into the hands of his son, a man named John the Fearless. 33 year old John is just a year older than Louis of Orleans. But the two men couldn't be more different. While Louis is refined and charming, John is thin skinned and aggressive. Louis is the kind of guy who would deftly pick your pocket while lavishing you with compliments. John is the kind of guy who would grab you by the lapels and shake you until your wallet fell out. John the Fearless is not the kind of guy you want to make an enemy of. But two things influence Louis decision to cut off his allowance. Okay, maybe three things. First of all, Louis outranks John by a lot. While John's father had been the uncle and sometimes regent of King Charles, John is merely Charles cousin. As such, he doesn't merit the same lavish payouts as Philip the Bold. Secondly, given that John has spent most of his life in Burgundy and Flanders, Louis doesn't actually know him all that well. And third, well, Louis is just plain greedy. The first inkling that John the Fearless is not going to take this slight lying down comes in 1405. Never one for subtlety, he decides to take his grievances straight to the royal court. And he brings a Burgundian army with him. Louis and Isabeau loudly announce they're going hunting and promptly book it out of Paris to hide. Their plan is to sneak out the heir to the throne, the eight year old dauphin Louis of Guyenne, to join them. But John is one step ahead. He intercepts the little Dauphin on the road and escorts him back to Paris. Although no one dares to say it out loud, Jon the Fearless has just kidnapped the heir to the throne in broad daylight. At that moment, it becomes clear to everyone that Jon isn't going to play by the rules. The trouble is, both Louis and John want to keep all the marbles for themselves. Louis strategy has always been wait until your opponent is looking the other way and then take everything. John, on the other hand, is a hungry hungry hippo. For the next two years, he lunges and retreats and lunges and retreats. He'll make a brazen move one moment, only to back down the next. No one, probably not even John himself, knows for sure whether he wants his cousin's throne or just wants the next shiny thing he sees. If Louis had thought boring, predictable Philip the Bold was a pain in the ass. He soon learns John the Fearless is next level, swinging wildly between all out war and flimsy bids for peace. On one occasion, Louis is forced to share a meal and a bed with his chaotic cousin to seal the latest ceasefire. I think it's safe to say Louis probably slept with a knife under his pillow. So in November 1407, when the city of Paris wakes up to the news that Louis of Orleans has been savagely murdered, it's not long before the rumors start. Although King Charles is in no shape to whip up a manhunt to find his brother's killer, the Royal Council is full of people faithful to Louis. In immediately they call an inquiry. At the meeting, the high ranking nobles of France loudly offer to allow their homes to be searched to prove their innocence. But John the Fearless is not one of them. He calls a quick timeout and pulls his uncle, the Duke of Barry, aside. There's a teensy problem with having his place searched. John confesses because he ordered Louis assassination and some of the assassins may or may not be still at his house. The Duke of Barry, uncle to both the killer and the victim, is pretty devastated by this confession. But he doesn't turn his nephew in. Instead, he rushes John the Fearless out the door and tells him to get out of Paris pronto. John doesn't need to be told twice. But while he apparently hasn't learned to rein in his murderous impulses, John the Fearless has learned another thing or two in his time making trouble in the capital city, he's learned that possession of the king is 9/10 of the law. He quickly hires a theologian named Jean Petit to come up with a rousing sermon proving that killing Louis of Orleans is what was best for the kingdom. And Jean Petit comes up with a banger. He says the late Louis was so inflamed with covetousness and vain honors and worldly riches that he plotted and studied by trickery and sorcery and evil devices to destroy the person of the King. He was infatuated with tyranny and temptation of the enemy of hell. In other words, brutally assassinating Louis in the street was a patriotic act. Armed with this finely crafted load of bs, John returns to Paris with an army at his back, as usual, and throws himself on the mercy of the king. Now, most kings would probably lop off the head of their brother's murderer on the spot, or at least sentence them to a gruesome punishment. If you don't believe me, listen back to my other miniseries, the Iron King, to find out how Philip the Fair dealt with lesser crimes. But sweet, confused and endlessly kind King Charles forgives his cousin, and he takes it a step further. Not only is John not to be blamed for the murder of Louis, but he's also given permission to hunt down anyone who slanders him over it. Charles has just handed the most unpredictable man in the kingdom a license to kill, and Jon the Fearless has every intention of using it.
- [14:15]
Chris Hemsworth
When I was younger, toiling in the fields for feudal overlords, I never thought I'd have to think about inventory. I imagined that would be a world miles above my station. I was a dreamer, a peasant with a passion for history. But first I had to learn how to read and write. I could never have imagined. Everything else that comes with this is history. Websites, logos, modern English. It can all feel overwhelming, but thankfully Shopify is here to help. It's an online commerce platform that's helped millions of dreamers turn their ideas into reality. From Mattel to Heinz to businesses just getting started, Shopify helps you power through all the tasks you need to get your products out there, like building an online store, marketing campaigns, and yes, inventory. So turn your dream into to give it the best shot at success with Shopify, sign up for your 1 pound per month trial and start selling today at shopify.co.uk thisishistory Go to shopify.co.uk thisISHistory shopify.co.uk thisIShistory.
- [15:16]
Simon Kabosh
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- [16:44]
Danielle Cybylski
A smug John the Fearless spends the spring of 1408 in Paris, enjoying having gotten away with murder in and rubbing it in everyone's faces. In late summer, he gets an urgent text. It's his brother in law. He's asking for help crushing a rebellion in Liege, a city in modern Belgium. For John the Fearless, this seems like the perfect opportunity to shore up old alliances, try out some sweet new cannons and show everyone how badass Burgundy can be. But heading out to battle is a massive tactical error, because the second John turns his back, Isabeau pounces. The Queen convinces King Charles to revoke John's pardon and she starts to push her son, the Dauphin into a greater position of power. Under her guidance and that of the royal council, the 11 year old Dauphin starts to take the kingdom in hand. Behind him forms a mighty alliance of leading noblemen from the southwest west of France, all of whom owed their loyalty to the late Louis of Orleans. Since Louis heir is too young to lead the posse himself, the boy's soon to be father in law, a man called Bernard, Count of Armagnac, becomes the frontman. There are so many dukes and counts involved in the alliance that people get Tired of listing them all, so the squad starts calling themselves the Armagnacs for short. But no matter whose name they have printed on their jackets, the Armagnacs know that John the Fearless is still the most powerful man in the kingdom. And he has no intention of taking a back seat. When John and his Burgundian army return to France. Fresh from cracking skulls in Liege, the Armagnacs feel it might be sensible to broker a peace deal with him. Queen Isabeau is forced to allow John's son some influence over the Dauphin. And to her great disappointment, her son becomes a big fan. Maybe it's because John insists that the prince should finally be able to consummate his marriage to his daughter, Margaret of Burgundy. How convenient. Even with the Dauphin miraculously on his side, John the Fearless soon learns that bumping off Louis of Orleans hasn't solved his problems. It's compounded them. Because the Armagnacs are not about to allow a murderer to rule in the king's place. Before the wax seal on the peace treaty has dried, the Burgundians and Armagnacs are at war again. But the two powerful factions soon realize they're hopelessly deadlocked. So they start looking around for allies they can drag into the vortex. And both sides look to England. As we heard in season seven, episode 11 of A Dynasty to Die For, King Henry IV has a lot to thank France for. After all, it was Louis of Orleans who funded Henry's campaign to overthrow Richard ii. And a Lancastrian always pays his debts. So when the Armagnacs come to him for help, promising to give him a big chunk of land in return, King Henry agrees. Things get a little tense around the dinner table when King Henry finds out his son Henry of Monmouth is stubbornly pro Burgundian. And young Henry is grudgingly forced to ditch John the Fearless if he wants to stay in Daddy's will. But knowing that both sides have been flirting with England is enough to bring the Burgundians and Armagnacs together again. They agree to another permanent peace, so long as it means keeping the English out of France. Like every peace treaty so far, it's unsatisfying for everyone involved. So John the Fearless decides it's time to play dirty again.
- [20:43]
Simon Kabosh
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- [21:22]
Danielle Cybylski
Outside the thick limestone walls of the Hotel St. Paul, a crowd is baying shoulder to shoulder. They stomp their feet and shout obscenities at the windows of the fortress like palace. A howling mob is never a good thing. But the one that has gathered here in the spring of 1413 is dangerous in the extreme. They clash together. The tools of their trade, long knives, iron hooks and sharp cleavers. These are the butchers and flayers or skinners of Paris. And they're here with a list of royal councillors who they say are ruining the kingdom through greed and corruption. Strangely, everyone on the list is an Armagnac. The mob has gathered here under the leadership of a flayer named Simon Coutier. Everyone in town just calls Simon Kabosh. So the rebels have taken on the name Cabochians, which roughly translates to noggins or nuts. And there are some familiar noggins in the crowd, including that of the chamberlain of John the Fearless. Kibosh is whipping the crowd into a frenzy, preparing to storm the palace where the king, the queen and the Dauphin have sought refuge with their terrified council. As the rebels prepare themselves to break down the door it opens, the crowd begins cheering as they recognize the figure of John the Fearless. He modestly gestures for them to quiet down. Magnanimously, he hears their complaints and promises to to help advocate for them. But while John makes promises to the crowd in the palace behind him, his chamberlain is already sneaking up the stairs with a gang of rebels. It won't be long before his enemies find themselves behind bars. Growing up in and around Flanders, John the Fearless had had a lot of experience with rough and tough tradesmen. For more on the toughness of the Flemings, check out episode four of the Iron King. A John had developed a knack for presenting himself as a man of the people, when in reality he was nothing of the sort. Years of fighting the Armagnacs had revealed to him a simple strategy for getting the common people onside. And by 1413, he's perfected it. First he tells them they're paying, we're paying too much tax. Then he tells them it's the current government's fault they're corrupt and greedy. Then he says, follow me and I'll Fix it. And the people fall for it every single time. Using this playbook. It takes very little effort for John to stir the butchers of Paris into action. And as they sweep into power, he stands back and watches what we now call the Kaboschian revolt play out. He doesn't want to openly admit he's supporting the rebels, you understand? The Kabosians nominate new people to the Royal council, people supremely unqualified for their positions, but for the fact that they're loyal. And as the rebels settle into place, John the Fearless prepares to take center stage once again. But John has made another critical error. Because at 16, the Dauphin Louis of Guienne is no longer a child. And while the butchers may be up in arms, the rest of Paris has no desire to raise John above the heir to the throne. All his life, the Dauphin has watched his relatives fight over his father's crown. It stung his pride. Each time he's discovered he's been used yet again as a pawn by both the Burgundians and and the Armagnacs. But his mother, Isabeau, has taught him that this is his kingdom and it's his sacred duty to rule it. And he'll be damned if John the Fearless and a bunch of butchers are going to shove him to the side. For five long months, the dauphin Louis bides his time as the offices of the kingdom change hands around him. He grits his teeth and plays nicely. But the second, the barest threads of a peace treaty are on the table. He makes his move. On August 4, 1413, Louis calls all faithful citizens of Paris to join him. Armed and mounted, he rides through the city, collecting throngs of people tired of the Cabotians and their violence. The Kabashians had gathered, gathered in the Place de Greve, what is now the forecourt of Paris city Hall, to make a stand. But when they see the sheer number of citizens who have come out against them, they panic. The butchers and flayers flee Paris to save their own skins. At the head of the cheering crowd, the Dauphin orders the Armagnac prisoners be freed and graciously thanks everyone who has worked towards peace defeated. John the Fearless tries to sneak King Charles out of the city under the pretext of taking him. Hawking sound familiar? But this time it's John's plans that are foiled. King Charles is gently returned to Paris. John, the so called fearless, scuttles back to Burgundy. For Louis of Guyn, the summer has ended in absolute triumph. Everyone can see how much the people love Him. This is his moment and he's feeling it. He sends some tennis balls over the channel just to rub it in the face of the brand new king of England, Henry V. That he, Louis, is the creme de la creme of Europe. Oh, and by the way, his family came to the throne legitimately. As her 16 year old son preens in front of the mirror, Isabel of Bavaria gets to work. She declares John the Fearless Persona non grata and prepares the city of Paris for any retaliation from the Burgundians. She also orders the arrest of John's followers. King Charles wakes from his delusion long enough enough to support her choices, then fades out again. Not surprisingly, John the Fearless is fighting mad. He howls his innocence to anyone who will listen as he gathers his troops yet again. Soon, Isabeau is forced to call up the legendary Knight Boucico to lead a royal army against the Burgundians. At the head of the army is the King himself, although how much he understands of the situation is anyone's guess. When peace between the two factions is once again made in the early months of 1415, Isabeau can't help but notice it's made through some shady double dealing by her son. All that time with John the Fearless has taught Louis some dirty tricks. If his mother is wary, it's with good reason. Now 18, with two treaties under his belt, the Dauphin Louis of Guienne has started to believe his own hype. But with the ink not yet dry on the latest peace agreement, it's a bit early to gloat. Because even if Louis has forgotten about the tennis balls he sent over the channel, King Henry V hasn't. And he's about to return the princely gift with with one powerful backhand. But that's next. Time on this is History presents the Glass King. Hello again. I really do hope you enjoyed that episode. It certainly looked like games set and matched for John the Fearless. At least until the Dauphin Louis took center court. Speaking of whom, royal favorites, it's time to get your brains ready. I want you to imagine yourself in Paris during these chaotic years. Would you cheer on John the Fearless and the Burgundians? Or are you team Dauphin Louis and the Armagnacs? What faction would you bet your survival on? As always, look out for producer Al's Discussion post on patreon.com thisishistory I can't wait to read your thoughts. Welcome to paradise. The Platinum Cart's 5 times Membership Rewards points on flights got us here. Now let's make our trip. Next level hottest restaurant booked with Frezzi Unforgettable except experiences, event access, endless vibes.
- [30:32]
Simon Kabosh
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Danielle Cybylski
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Simon Kabosh
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