Burgundian Wars

In this episode, we focus on the Burgundian Wars, a decisive late-15th-century conflict that pitted the powerful Duchy of Burgundy against the Swiss Confederacy, René II of Lorraine, and their allies. We explore how Charles the Bold’s ambitions for territorial expansion brought Burgundy into a series of battles that exposed the limits of cavalry and artillery against disciplined Swiss deep pike formations. The episode highlights the Battle of Nancy in 1477, where Charles was killed and Burgundian power collapsed, creating a major political vacuum in Europe. We also examine how France and the Habsburgs moved to absorb Burgundian lands, reshaping the balance of power, while considering the cultural legacy of the wars through captured treasures, historical memory, and later artistic and literary portrayals.