Ambitions of the Son: The Reign of Gilles II​ ​



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Duke Gilles II, 4 January 1110, following his coronation ceremony in his capital of Guines.



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Dutch forces fought bravely, but it was the aid of the HRE and Navarra that allowed them to overcome the English.



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The Duchy of Flanders, 1116



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Gilles was an excellent diplomat, and his ambitions for a united Dutch state won his much love from his nobles.



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In the War for Hainaut (1132-1138), Duke Gilles II proved himself a formidable warrior.



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The death of Duke Gilles II, popularly known today as the Father of the Grand Dutch State.



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Though the realm mourned the death of Duke Gilles I, who had done much to further the prestige and prosperity of the land, the coronation of Duke Gilles II was met with great celebration. Gilles II had grown into an exemplary ruler, a skilled diplomat, and well rounded, virtuous man. He was strong of physique, kindhearted, charitable, temperate, and diligent. And he was every bit ambitious as his father, if not more so. He dreamed the same dream his father had - to take back the land the English had stolen in the van Renesse rise to power. Luckily, he was in the position to do so.On 20 April 1111, the control of the County of Gent was surrendered to Duke Giles II. Celebrations broke out throughout Flanders as the Duke returned triumphantly to Guines, having united the duchy under his rule.Giving the new county to his son and heir apparent Philippe, Gilles II lead the Duchy of Flanders through another decade of peace and prosperity, continuing his father's policies of investing in his holdings, and maintaining good relations with his allies. Flanders was a land renowned for its stability and quality of life. But Gilles was not content.Gilles dreamed about recreating the Frisian Kingdom, which had been destroyed by Charels Martel some 400 years earlier. Dutch historians throughout the Medieval period and Renaissance would claim that the van Renesse family was descended from Aldgisl, the first Frisian King, though this is largely debated today.Unfortunately for him, most of the de jure territory was under the control of the Holy Roman Empire. Gilles certainly wasn't going to outright wage war against the HRE. Besides the fact that such an attack would be suicidal, the might of the HRE had helped secure his title and lands. He would have to bide his time, and wait for the right moment to strike.Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.In spring of 1120, the King of Bohemia, with the support of several dukes and counts across the Empire, declared independence. To the delight of Gilles, one of the rebelling Counts was the count of Brabant, a Dutch county neighboring Gent. Under the pretense of helping protect the Imperial throne, Gilles invaded Brabant, and quickly brought it into his realm. As a show of goodwill, and to prevent retribution from the Emperor for stealing his lands, Gilles then declared his support for Kaiser Gunzel, and went to war with the Kindgom of Bohemia. He proved himself to be a competent commander, and by 1125, the rebellion had been put down.Ruling as Duke was stressful for Gilles, and though the next few years saw peace for the realm, they were much less peaceful for the Duke. Popular folk lore tells of the tales of Gilles beating to death with his bare hands a spy that was caught in his castle, drowning his step-grandson, the heir to the County of Boulogne (which conveniently made his blood granddaughter heir) in a boating "accident", and of the days of mourning spent after his first born son, Philippe, heir to the duchy, died after a long illness. His only comfort at this time came from his closeness to his wife, and his second son Pierre, who had learned many of the virtues of his father. Gilles threw himself into preparing to jump on the Dutch territories, which he felt were his by right. He raised a person retinue of 500 elite men, to defend the Duke with their lives.Another chance would come in early 1133, when much of central Germany rose their flags in rebellion, attempting to take power from the Emperor. His son Pierre, as Count of Brabant, had made claim to the county of Hainaut, and Gilles jumped on the chance to press that claim. Though his armies would quickly occupy the county, the Kaiser refused to surrender the territory. Gilles led his troops bravely, winning much prestige, and even felling Berengar, a renowned German warrior.In February 1138, Gilles was stuck by a foe in Kleve, and lost his arm. Though the wound maimed him, he would survive, and by May of 1138, with the help of mercenaries and his Spanish allies, defeated the Kaiser's personal army as he attempted to retake Hainaut. With this victory he was able to secure the surrender of the territory.Despite his injury and advanced age, Gilles was not finished. During the course of the war, Zeeland and Holland, Dutch territories of the Empire, managed to secure their independence. In 1140, after his proposal of peaceful vassilization was turned down, Duke Gilles declared war on Count Arnulf of Zeeland. A week later, Duchess Agaete of Holland would make the same claim. On 30 March, 1140, Gilles' forces met the Duchess' on the fields of Tholen.The battle would rage on for two weeks until sadly, as the Hollander army retreated in defeat, an arrow struck Gilles through the throat, killing him. He was 71 years old.Duke Gilles II's body was brought back to Guines, and laid to rest beside his father's. Thus ended the reign of Gilles II, second duke of the Independent Duchy of Flanders.