Emperor Henry V’s Campaign Against Flanders and the Peace of Douai (After 1105)

After 1105, the new Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V, marched into Flanders, seeking to reassert imperial authority over the region. He was supported by Baldwin III, Count of Hainaut, and an army from Holland, indicating that Henry V had allies within the Low Countries willing to challenge Count Robert II of Flanders.

However, Robert II successfully stopped Henry’s advance outside Douai, forcing the emperor to recognize Flemish control over key territories, particularly Douai and Cambrai.

Henry V’s Invasion of Flanders

• Following his accession to the imperial throne, Henry V sought to reinforce imperial control over Flanders, continuing the policies of his father, Henry IV.
• He was allied with Baldwin III of Hainaut, whose dynastic ambitions clashed with Robert II.
• An army from Holland also joined the imperial forces, further strengthening Henry’s coalition.

Robert II’s Defense and the Peace of Douai

• Robert II of Flanders met the imperial army outside Douai, where a decisive confrontation was averted.
• Rather than engaging in a prolonged conflict, both sides negotiated peace, with Henry V recognizing Robert’s control over Douai and Cambrai.
• This agreement secured Flanders’ independence from direct imperial rule, ensuring that Robert II remained a dominant force in northern Europe.

Consequences of the Peace

• Robert II’s successful defense reaffirmed Flemish autonomy, preventing Flanders from becoming a vassal state of the Holy Roman Empire.
• The treaty strengthened Robert’s territorial claims, securing Douai and Cambrai under Flemish rule.
• Henry V’s inability to defeat Robert signaled the limits of imperial authority in the Low Countries, forcing him to redirect his focus elsewhere in Europe.

The Peace of Douai, following Emperor Henry V’s failed campaign, marked another victory for Robert II of Flanders, allowing him to retain control over key strategic cities and maintain Flanders as a powerful, independent principality in medieval Europe.

• ...Douai, and Orchies, which were economic powerhouses due to their cloth fairs, were ceded to the French Crown, significantly weakening Flanders’ economic power.
• Flemish leaders were made to submit to humiliating acts of atonement, reinforcing Philip IV’s dominance.

Continued Flemish Resistance

• Despite the treaty, the Flemish townsmen strongly resisted full ratification of its terms.
• The independent and defiant Flemish cities, particularly Ghent and Bruges, continued to resent French influence, leading to ongoing friction between the two sides.
• The treaty did not resolve underlying tensions, and Flanders remained a hotbed of unrest, leading to further revolts and conflicts in the following decades.

Impact on Franco-English Relations

• The treaty intensified tensions between France and England, as Flemish-English trade relations remained strong, especially in the wool trade.
• The French economic stranglehold over Flanders made the Flemish cities look increasingly to England for support, contributing to the deepening Anglo-French rivalry that would eventually lead to the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453).

Legacy

The Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge (1305) was a short-term success for Philip IV, securing territorial and economic gains. However, it failed to pacify Flanders, as Flemish opposition to French rule remained a constant source of conflict, shaping the political landscape of Northern Europe for the next century.

The Gothic Belfry of Douai (1380): A Symbol of Prosperity and Municipal Power

In 1380, an impressive Gothic belfry was constructed in Douai, a flourishing textile market town situated on the Scarpe River. This architectural landmark reflected the town’s economic strength, growing municipal independence, and strategic importance within the County of Flanders.

Historical Background: Douai’s Roman and Medieval Roots

• The site of Douai is believed to have been home to a Roman fortress called Duacum in the 4th century, marking its early military significance.
• By the 14th century, Douai had grown into a major center of textile production, benefiting from trade connections with Flanders, England, and France.
• As part of the County of Flanders, Douai played a key role in the regional economy, particularly in the export of cloth.

The Gothic Belfry of Douai (1380)

• The belfry, built in the Gothic style, served both practical and symbolic functions:
  • A watchtower for defending the town against external threats.
  • A bell tower for marking time and important civic events.
  • A meeting place for town officials, reinforcing local governance and municipal authority.
• Like other Flemish belfries, the Douai belfry reflected the rise of urban self-governance, as wealthy trading towns in Flanders and northern France sought greater autonomy from feudal rulers.

Economic and Political Significance

• The construction of the belfry in 1380 coincided with a period of commercial prosperity in Douai, driven by:
  • Thriving textile markets that connected the town to major European trade routes.
  • Political stability under the Counts of Flanders, who allowed cities to develop strong economic institutions.
• The belfry stood as a symbol of the town’s independence, reinforcing its economic and administrative importance.

Legacy and Influence

• The Douai Belfry remains one of the most remarkable medieval structures in northern France.
• Like other Flemish belfries, it was later recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserving its historical and architectural significance.
• It served as a model for other municipal buildings in the region, emphasizing the importance of civic architecture in medieval European cities.

The construction of the Gothic belfry in Douai in 1380 reflected the town’s economic strength and rising civic power, mirroring the prosperity of the Flemish textile trade and the growing influence of urban centers in medieval Europe.

The History of Douai and the Rise of Philip the Bold in Flanders (10th–14th Century)

The town of Douai, historically known as Douay or Doway in English, has long been an important textile market center in Flanders. The site likely corresponds to Duacum, a fourth-century Roman fortress, and by the 10th century, it had become a fiefdom of the Counts of Flanders.

By 1384, Douai became part of the expanding Burgundian domain, as Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, inherited Flanders and other territories through marriage, transforming Burgundy into a major European power.

Philip the Bold and the Union of Flanders with Burgundy

• Philip the Bold (r. 1363–1404) ruled Flanders as Duke Philip II of Burgundy, following his marriage in 1369 to Margaret of Dampierre, widow of Philip of Rouvres and heir to the rich Flemish territories.
• When Margaret’s father, Count Louis II of Flanders, died in 1384, Philip inherited:
  • The French counties of Flanders, Artois, Rethel, and Nevers.
  • The Free County of Burgundy (Franche-Comté), making him a direct vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor.

The Transfer of Douai and Luxembourg to Habsburg Rule (1477)

In 1477, following the death of Charles the Bold and the swift marriage between his daughter, Mary of Burgundy, and Maximilian of Austria, the city of Douai and the strategic region of Luxembourg passed decisively under Habsburg dominion. This event was integral to the broader political realignment triggered by the Burgundian collapse, marking a critical juncture in European history, as territories previously aligned with Burgundy were now firmly embedded within the growing influence of the powerful House of Habsburg.

Strategic and Economic Significance of Douai and Luxembourg

The city of Douai, renowned for its flourishing textile industry and prominent cultural institutions, was an important commercial and economic hub within the Burgundian Netherlands. Its transfer to Habsburg control secured a significant economic asset for the Austrian dynasty, bolstering its influence in commercial trade networks and adding considerable wealth to its rapidly expanding empire.

Likewise, ...

Philip II of Spain, as overlord of the County of Flanders, establishes the University of Douai in 1560-1562 as part of a general program of consolidation of the Spanish Low Countries.

The foundation had been confirmed by a Bull of Pope Paul IV on July 31, 1559, confirmed by Pope Pius IV on January 6, 1560.

The letters patent of Philip II, dated January 19, 1561, authorize five faculties: theology, canon law, civil law, medicine, and arts.

A university had been established in Douai in 1560-1562 by Philip II of Spain, as part of a general program of consolidation of the Spanish Low Countries; it is in some sense a sister-university to that founded at Louvain in 1426.

Of an avowedly Catholic character, it has five faculties: theology, canon and civil law, medicine, and arts.

There has been a strong English influence in the early years, several of the chief posts being held by professors who had fled Oxford.

It is here, too, that after taking his licentiate in 1560, William Allen had become Regius Professor of Divinity.

The foundation of this University had coincided with the presence of a large number of English Catholics living at Douai, in the wake of the accession of Elizabeth I and the reimposition of Protestantism in England.

These included the university's first chancellor, Richard Smith, who had studied at Oxford and thus had already brought the new University under Oxford influences.

It is William Allen who first had the idea for a seminary for English Catholic priests, with studies linked to those of the university.

He had the idea in a conversation with Dr. Jean Vendeville, then Regius Professor of Canon Law in the University of Douai and later Bishop of Tournai (Allen and Vendeville had gone on a pilgrimage to Rome together in autumn 1567).

The foundation had begun to take definite shape when Allen leased a house at Douai on Michaelmas Day, 1568, and the College is founded in 1569.

Similar colleges also come about at Douai for Scottish and Irish Catholic clergy, and also Benedictine, Franciscan and Jesuit houses.

The aim of Allen and the College is to gather together some of the many English Catholics living in exile in different countries of the continent and provide them with facilities for continuing their studies (in what is effectively a Catholic University of Oxford in exile), thus producing a ready-made stock of educated English Catholic clergy ready for England's re-conversion to Catholicism (expected by Allen in the near future).

The college is the first of the type of seminary ordered by the Council of Trent, and so receives papal approval shortly after its establishment.

It is also taken under the protection of King Philip II of Spain, who assigns it an annual grant of two hundred ducats.

Campion, now thirty-one, is reconciled to the Catholic Church in Douai and receives the Eucharist that he has denied himself for the last twelve years.

Campion enters the English College founded by fellow Oxford religious refugee William Allen.

The College's intake grows dramatically and a little after Campion's arrival a papal subsidy is granted.

The object of the college is primarily to supply priests for the Catholic population in England, as all of the bishops are now either dead, exiled or under detention and thus found are impeded from ordaining new priests.

The Queen's principal secretary, Sir William Cecil, expects that in a few years time the 'Marian Priests', ordained under the reign of Elizabeth's predecessor, will begin to die out, and the old faith will disappear with them.

The New Testament of the Douay-Rheims Bible (also known as the Rheims-Douai Bible or Douai Bible, and abbreviated as D-R), the translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English undertaken by members of the English College, Douai, had been published in Reims (France) in 1582, in one volume with extensive commentary and notes.

The Old Testament, which is published by the university of Douai, follows nearly thirty years later in two volumes; the first volume (Genesis to Job) in 1609, the second (Psalms to 2 Machabees plus the apocrypha of the Clementine Vulgate) in 1610.

Marginal notes take up the bulk of the volumes and have a strong polemical and patristic character.

They also offer insights on issues of translation, and on the Hebrew and Greek source texts of the Vulgate.

The purpose of the version, both the text and notes, is to uphold Catholic tradition in the face of the Protestant Reformation which up until the late sixteenth century had overwhelmingly dominated Elizabethan religion and academic debate.

As such it is an impressive effort by English Catholics to support the Counter-Reformation.