War of the Flemish Succession

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War of the Flemish Succession
Date 1244 – 1254 Location Counties of Flanders and Hainaut Result Flanders passed to the Dampierres, Hainaut to the House of Avesnes
Belligerents
House of Flanders House of Dampierre County of Anjou	House of Avesnes County of Holland County of Zeeland
Commanders and leaders
Margaret II William II Guy of Dampierre Charles I	John of Avesnes William II

The War of the Flemish Succession was a series of

Origins

When

Margaret's first marriage, to

The contested division of the rights to Margaret's inheritance between the sons of Avesnes and those of Dampierre were the cause of the conflicts known as the "war of the succession of Flanders and Hainault."

First conflict

The first conflict opened with Margaret's succession in 1244. John I of Avesnes and William of Dampierre, half brothers, fought between themselves until King Louis IX intervened in 1246. Louis gave Hainault (technically not his to give) to John I of Avesnes and Flanders (indeed his vassal) to William of Dampierre. Margaret, in light of this judgement, gave the government of Flanders over to William of Dampierre in 1247. She did not however relinquish her governance of Hainault to John I of Avesnes.

In 1251, William III of Dampierre died and Flanders passed to his brother Guy of Dampierre.

Second conflict

In 1248, Louis had left on the Seventh Crusade and remained abroad for six years. John I of Avesnes quickly comprehended that his mother did not intend to give him the government of Hainault as she had that of Flanders to her other sons. John I of Avesnes revolted against his mother and attacked his half-brother Guy of Dampierre, who had just become count of Flanders.

John I of Avesnes persuaded the