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Ferdinand of Flanders

Type Figure Region Flanders Time 1188–1233 Also known as Ferdinand of Flanders、Ferrand of Flanders、Ferran de Flandes

Fernand of Flanders (1188–1233), Count of Flanders, born at Comines, captured at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214 and held in France until 1227, a key …

Timeline

  1. 1212–1214Bruges · BrugesHe inherited the County of Flanders in 1212 after the death of his brother Philip. In 1213–1214 he organized and joined the Fifth Crusade to Egypt, while allying with King Philip Augustus of France and Emperor Otto IV of the Holy Roman Empire, preparing to counter French expansion in the Low Countries.
  2. 1214–1227Paris · Île-de-FranceAt the Battle of Bouvines on 27 July 1214, Ferdinand led a combined Flanders and Boulogne force against Philip Augustus and was captured after a crushing defeat. He was then long imprisoned in France, with Flanders governed by his wife Joan. Negotiations eased after the death of Louis VIII in 1226, and he was released in February 1227 for a huge ransom.
  3. 1227–1233Saint-Denis · Seine-Saint-DenisAfter his release in 1227 he returned to Flanders, but his power was greatly diminished and he faced continual conflict with France and internal nobles. Between 1228 and 1230 he tried to regain control of Zeeland and other areas with limited success. He died near Saint-Denis on 27 July 1233, and Flanders' political balance tilted further toward France.

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