The Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328 was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe. Beginning as a series of scattered rural riots in late 1323, peasant insurrection escalated into a full-scale rebellion that dominated public affairs in Flanders for nearly five years until 1328. The uprising in Flanders was caused by both excessive taxations levied by the Count of Flanders Louis I, and by his pro-French policies. The insurrection had urban leaders and rural factions which took over most of Flanders by 1325.

The revolt was led by Nicolaas Zannekin, a rich farmer from Lampernisse. Zannekin and his men captured the towns of Nieuwpoort, Veurne, Ieper and Kortrijk. In Kortrijk, Zannekin was able to capture the count himself. In 1325 attempts to capture Gent and Oudenaarde failed and the King of France, Charles IV intervened whereupon Louis was released from captivity in February 1326 and the Peace of Arques was sealed. The peace didn't last long and soon hostilities erupted again which made the count flee to France. Louis was able to convince his new liege Philip VI of France to come to his aid and Zannekin and his adherents were decisively defeated by the French royal army in the Battle of Cassel.

[edit] References

• TeBrake, William H. (1993). A Plague of Insurrection: Popular Politics and Peasant Revolt in Flanders, 1323-1328. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0-8122-3241-0.