CHARLES THE BOLD, duke of Burgundy (1467-71), son of Philip the good, of the house of Valois, and of Isabella of Portugal, was b. at Dijon onlOth Nov., 1435, and bore, during his father's the title of count of Charolais. He was of Aflery, ambitious, and violent disposition. From an early period to the end of his life he was a declared enemy of Louis XI. of France, the nominal feudal superior of Burgundy. Louis having caused Philip to deliver up some towns on the Somme, C. left his father's court and formed an alliance with the duke of Bretagne and some of the great nobles of France for the main tenance of feudal rights against the crown. Their forces ravaged Picardy and Isle-de France, they threatened Paris, and defeated the king at Montlhery. The result was a treaty by which the count of Charolais obtained the towns ou the Somme and the counties of Bologne, Guines, and Ponthieu for himself. In 1467, he succeeded his father as duke of Richer and more powerful than any prince of that time, he conceived the design of restoring the old kingdom of Burgundy, and for this purpose of conquering Lorraine, Provence, Dauphiuy, and Switzerland. Whilst he was making preparations for war, Louis invited him to a conference; he hesitated, and Louis by his agents stirred up the citizens of Liege to revolt. Meanwhile C. consented to the con ference, and the news coming of what had taken place at Liege, he seized the king, and if he had not been withheld by his councilor Comiues, would have put him to death.
He compelled Louis, however, to accompany him to Liege, and apparently to sanction the cruelties which he inflicted on the citizens. War raged between them afterwards with but little intermission till 1475. In Sept. of that year, C. found himself at leisure to attempt the prosecution of his favorite scheme of conquest, and soon made himself master of Lorraine. In the following year he invaded Switzerland, stormed Grandson, and hanged and drowned the garrison; but was soon after terribly defeated by the Swiss near that place, and lost his baggage and much treasure. Time months after, he appeared again in Switzerland with a new army of 60,000 men, and laid siege to Morat, where he sustained, on June 22, 1476, another and more terrible defeat. After this he sank into despondency, and let his nails and beard grow. But the news that the young duke Rene of Lorraine was attempting to recover his territories, roused him, and he laid siege to Nancy. His army was small; Italian auxiliaries, whom he had hired, went over to the enemy; and in the battle which he too rashly fought, he lost his life, Jan. 5, 1477. His daughter and heiress, Maria, married the emperor Maximilian I. With his life ended the long successful resistance of the great French vassals to the central power of the monarchy.