Georges de la Trémoille

Another commander today, this time for the French - this is Georges de la Trémoille, Lord of Craon. He was a younger son from a quite significant family (his nephew was the famous Louis de la Trémoille). He had previously served the dukes of Burgundy, but by 1470 he was a loyal supporter of Louis XI and a member of the Order of St Michael.

He was tasked with leading the French invasion force that entered the Burgundian heartland in 1477 whilst a separate army moved into the Low Countries to the north. Burgundy itself was split between the Duchy (which was part of France) and the County of Burgundy or Franche-Comté to the east (which was part of the Holy Roman Empire). La Trémoille was aided by the Prince of Orange, whose diplomatic efforts were responsible for the duchy quickly swearing allegiance to France. The Franche-Comté however proved more troublesome.

La Trémoille royally messed up. He offended the Prince of Orange, who switched sides and led all the Comtois nobility who were still loyal to Burgundy in a rebellion. La Trémoille wasn't very popular due to his excessive pride and ill-treatment of the locals, and now he had to fight to keep hold of the Franche-Comté. He was twice surprised by night-time sorties whilst besieging towns, first at Vesoul and then at Dole - on both occasions his camp was attacked, his army routed and his artillery captured! He did win one costly victory against the rebels at the bridge of Émagny, but by the end of the year all the French had been driven out of the county. Louis XI was not pleased, and La Trémoille was dismissed from his duties - he did however return home wealthy from all his plundering. He died in 1481, with no heirs.

My representation of him is a mix of Perry and Steel Fist miniatures.  La Trémoille is a Perry metal WOTR commander with a plastic headswap, on a Steel Fist horse. His standard bearer is a Steel Fist late medieval rider on a Steel Fist horse, with a plastic Perry head.

The flag I've made for him is conjectural - I could find no record of his heraldry, so this is simply the arms of la Trémoille quartered with Craon. His more famous relatives have much more complex heraldry.