Philip+the+Good

=Philip the Good=

Duke Philip III, otherwise known as Philip the Good, was the duke of Burgundy for nearly fifty years. Like the family who ruled before him, he was well known for changing the way that Burgundy treated its neighbors both in times of peace and war. Philip III became the ruler of Burgundy after his father, John the Fearless, was murdered in 1419.

Philip the Good initially used his time as duke trying to repair relationships with surrounding countries. At age 23, the first thing he did was attempt to improve Burgundy’s relationship with England. He tried to accomplish this by signing the “Treaty of Troyes” with King Henry V of England. Once signed in 1420, it granted the king of England future rule over France. During England’s fight against the French in the Hundred Years’ War, Philip was successful in capturing Joan of Arc, who was an influential and important representation of the French mission, and sold her to England. Unlike many rulers at the time, Philip saw opportunity in bringing countries together for common purpose.

Once the relationship between Burgundy and larger territories began to improve, Philip the Good focused on developing the size of his own territory. He accomplished this by defeating many smaller regions. Along with the land that the family before him had previously gained rule over, Philip III gained rule over many smaller territories including Alsace, Holland, Hainaut, Friesland, Brabant, and eventually Luxembourg. With the new expansion of his country, Philip often celebrated and showed his pride of his land and people through the arts. At the height of Burgundy’s power, it was also home to some of the most talented artists and musicians of that time. Philip the Good paved a path for future leaders of his territory and those surrounding it. The way he ruled showed as an example to others that power was not always necessary to have a successful and influential country.