The Children of Adam and Eve

He was the creator of one of the most powerful states in 15th-century
Europe. Philip succeeded as duke when his father was killed by a group of
French nobles. In retaliation, Philip allied himself with Henry V of
England, France's enemy in the Hundred Years' War. In 1430 he captured
Joan of Arc, who had been leading the French, and turned her over to the
English. Later, when the war began to go against England, he changed
sides, concluded the Treaty of Arras (1435) with Charles VII of France,
and received in return most of the province of Picardy. Philip extended
Burgundian rule in the Netherlands, acquiring Holland, Zeeland, and
Hainaut in 1428; Brabant and Limburg in 1433; and Luxembourg in 1443. In
1453 he conquered the rebellious towns of Flanders. By 1460 he ruled what
is now Belgium and Luxembourg, together with most of the Netherlands and
large areas of northern and eastern France. Philip's court was the most
brilliant of its time. Known for his lavish entertainments and his
devotion to the rituals of chivalry, he instituted (1430) the Order of the
Golden Fleece, one of Europe's most prestigious knightly Brotherhoods. In
1465 he handed the dukedom over to his son, Charles the Bold.