1223 January 1 King Philip II of France has passed away

1223年7月14日King Philip II of France has passed awayUpdate time：2025-07-17 18:27:59

On this day 801 years ago, July 14, 1223 (June 15, 1223 in the lunar calendar), King Philip II of France passed away.
Philip II Augustus (August 21, 1165- July 14, 1223) was the seventh king of the Capetian dynasty in France (1179-1223), known as the "Noble King" and "Augustus".
After ascending to the throne, he (Philip II) not only maintained the strength of the Capetian dynasty, but also relentlessly and strategically waged a long-lasting war against the powerful Plantagenet dynasty. - L ü Yimin, General History of France
Philip II was the seventh monarch of the Capetian dynasty. Before him, the Capetian dynasty had gone through nearly 200 years of history, but the king was trapped on the "Î le de France" like a prisoner, helpless against the surrounding vast ocean. The so-called 'Î le de France' refers to the actual area that the early kings of the Capetian dynasty could effectively control, including a narrow strip of land in the middle reaches of the Seine and Loire rivers, centered around Paris and Orleans, covering only about 1/15 of France's territory. Outside the 'island', there are many powerful princes who are more powerful than the royal family, such as the Duchy of Normandy, the Duchy of Burgundy, the Duchy of Aquitaine, and so on. Even within the 'island', there are numerous castle owners who refuse to comply with regulations.
Philip II entered the Loire region. His grandfather Louis VI and father Louis VII began efforts to strengthen the monarchy, but the results were not significant. Louis VI, known as the 'Fat Man', eliminated many castle owners under his nose, but had no choice but to deal with the larger and farther princes. Louis VII fell into the shadow of a stronger enemy, Henry II, who came from the Plantagenet family and later became the King of England. Henry II had a large territory in France, including Normandy, Anjou, etc. Later, he seized the wife of Louis VII and the Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor, and obtained the Grand Duchy of Aquitaine, which was five times larger than the French royal territory. The biggest obstacle to realizing the long cherished dream of French reunification is the 'golden sparrow flower'.
Philip II succeeded to the throne at the age of 14, initially under the regency of his uncle, Count Henry of Champagne, Bishop Guillaume of Reims, Blois, and Count Tiber of Schalke. Later, he married Isabella, the niece of Count Fran ç ois, and the dowry she brought was the territory of Artois. His wings gradually grew hard, and he finally broke free from the control of the Champagne rulers, taking full control of the power. This is the first time he has demonstrated his talent for political struggle.
For France at that time, the biggest opponent was undoubtedly the King of England, who held almost half of France's territory. Philip II, who was young and old, understood this very well. Among the feudal lords in France, the Count of Flanders was more powerful and had a tendency towards centrifugal tendencies. In order to concentrate on dealing with the British, Philip II compromised with the Earl of Flanders and said that he would not mind his past offenses.
At that time, the "great legislator" of England, Henry II, had numerous conflicts with his several sons. Philip II instigated their father son relationship, formed an alliance with Prince Richard, and provoked him and his father's army to meet. Philip II took advantage of this and regained some territories. With Richard's accession as the "Lionheart King" Richard I in 1189, many disputes inevitably arose between them. This time, Philip II rallied Lionheart's brother, later known as the "Landless King," John, to confront Lionheart.
The news of Saladin's capture of the holy city of Jerusalem in 1187 spread to Western Europe, triggering a new wave of public outrage demanding the Crusades to the east. So Philip and Lionheart made an agreement to temporarily set aside their grievances and set out together to participate in the Crusades. But when Philip II arrived at Acre and engaged in a fierce battle with Saladin's army for nearly a year, the Lionheart arrived. Philip II felt that working with the arrogant Lionheart was an unbearable hardship, so he left over ten thousand French troops and withdrew halfway. After rushing back to France, he launched an attack on the English king's territory in France, forcing the Lionheart king Richard to return home.
In 1199, King Lionheart passed away, and Philip's opponent was replaced by the ambitious and talented landless King John. Philip used his usual tactic of using force to provoke Arthur, the nephew of the landless king, to confront him and benefit from it. Later on, the landless king married the fianc é e of the L ü zion family in Poitou, which angered the L ü zion family. Therefore, Philip took this opportunity to form an alliance with the L ü zion family and declared the cancellation of the English king's territory in France in 1202, attacking Normandy. The most glorious stage of Philip's life arrived, and in a series of battles that followed, he took control of the ports of Calais, Rouen, Maine, Anjou, and other places. The Landless King was not to be outdone and formed an anti French alliance, which included not only the Count of Flanders and several other princes, but also Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV. Philip, on the other hand, allied with Otto IV's opponents, Pope Innocent III and King Frederick II of Sicily. The contradictions between England, France, Germany, and Italy have been historically linked together. In 1214, the anti French alliance organized by John landed in western France. Philip fought back and achieved the famous victory of the Battle of Bouvet, completely defeating John. This victory also led to the end of the Welf family's rule in Germany. During the reign of Philip II, the territory of the French king expanded threefold. The most direct effect of expanding territory is an increase in income, and the wealthy royal family can also achieve greater success.
Philip II has a great connection with the eternal name of Paris. The early kings of the Capetian dynasty were constantly wavering between Paris and Orleans. Philip II actively built the city of Paris, constructing roads and walls. During his reign, the municipal landscape of Paris was completely transformed, and the famous Louvre was built by him, mainly for the purpose of guarding the city. Philip also actively supported the University of Paris, granting its faculty and students tax exemptions and independent civil and criminal jurisdiction. Since the era of Philip II, the capital status of Paris has been unshakable.
The royal seal of Philip II, as France did not establish the principle of hereditary succession to the throne before Philip II, all kings of France had to crown their sons during their lifetime to prevent the aristocratic group from electing someone else as king. Starting from Philip II, as the royal power was already strong enough, this redundant form was also abolished. From then on, the formality of feudal lords electing kings came to an end.
The process of France's transition from the rise of lords to the formation of a centralized nation-state was a long one, with a crucial qualitative change occurring during the reign of King Philip II. During his long 40 year reign as king, the mature and scheming Philip II engaged in a battle of wits and courage against domestic and foreign rivals, ultimately transforming the French monarchy from weak to strong, expanding its royal territory threefold, and taking the most crucial step towards centralization in France, avoiding a prolonged period of feudal fragmentation and endless warfare like Germany. In his era, Paris also established its position as the capital of the country, unshakable from then on. He truly lives up to the name 'Augustus'. For these reasons, Philip II was included in the list of the top 100 influential emperors, ranking 91st.
Comment: Compared to the contemporary German kings who focused on foreign conquests and led to the disintegration of Germany, Philip II's wars were centered on strengthening French unity. The trend of integration and separation has already foreshadowed the historical direction of Germany and France in the future. Philip II was a hero of the great cause of French national unity, taking steady steps in implementing the strategy of unification, using both military and diplomatic means, and launching decisive attacks at critical moments.