The Duke Lives



Despite hailing from a small and obscure duchy straddling the edge between two worlds - the feudal state of France to the west and the complex entanglement that was the Holy Roman Empire to the east, the life and death of Charles the Bold was essential in shaping the face of modern Europe. He was an ambitious monarch whose untimely death resulted in the dissolution of the state of Burgundy and a permanent change to the political state of Europe. The lands which were once Burgundy were partitioned between the nascent powers of France, Spain, and the Habsburg Empire - conflicts over ownership and monarchic disputes would plague this region for centuries to come.

The exact details of Charles' death are unknown - he died at the Battle of Nancy fighting against the forces of the Duchy of Lorraine and their Swiss mercenaries, being found days afterwards in a nearby river in a nearly unrecognizable state - his head had been split in two by a halberd and his body was so badly mutilated that only his physician was only able to prove his identity. That being said, the death of this monarch could have been easily prevented - had the battle gone slightly differently or different strategic plans been carried out by either side, the entire political order of central Europe would have been changed permanently.

Point of Divergence
The major change in the history of this new world is the battle strategies at the Battle of Nancy, the decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars which lead to the death of Charles the Bold and the dissolution of Burgundy. The Lorrainian troops had a major numerical advantage, being almost 1.5 times the size of the stationed Burgundian army, in addition to the additional thousands of Swiss mercenaries. In the OTL Battle of Nancy, it is thought that Charles said "I struggle against a spider who is everywhere at once," referring to the large amount of Swiss infantry.

During the Burgundian Wars the Swiss and Lorrainians were allied in the fight against Burgundy - however in this timeline the Swiss take a more defensive strategy rather than sending out mercenaries to defend Lorraine for gold. This leads to the Duchy of Lorraine having a much weaker army; leaving Charles' army on a much more even playing ground. As a result of this, the Lorrainian army is forced to retreat significantly, leaving the country open for a Burgundian invasion. After a successful invasion, the Duchy of Lorraine is forced to accept Burgundian suzerainty, furthering Charles' ambition of uniting the northern and southern territories of Burgundy. Ultimately the Swiss would be defeated as well, with territories in Romandy being annexed as well, helping accelerate Burgundy's status as a major power in Europe.