Beginning as a series of scattered rural riots in late 1323, peasant insurrection escalated into a full-scale rebellion that dominated public affairs in Flanders for nearly five years until 1328.

Louis convinced his new liege Philip VI of France to come to his aid, and Zannekin and his adherents were decisively defeated by the French royal army at the Battle of Cassel.

The marriage alliance and Louis's own French upbringing made him break with the anti-French policy of his grandfather Robert III and his great-grandfather Guy I.

The policies were detrimental to the economies of the Flemish cities by raising taxes in order to pay the financial consequences from the Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge.

The rebellion began with a series of scattered rural riots in November and December 1323, caused by the poor harvests of 1323, a difficult lien, refusal to pay tithes and taxes to the Count and hatred toward the nobility and authority.

Zannekin won the neighbouring towns of Roeselare, Poperinge, Nieuwpoort, Veurne, Dunkirk, Cassel and Bailleul for his cause as they opened their gates to him.

In vain, the King summoned Robert of Cassel to Paris (September 19, 1325) and named Jean de Namur as "Ruwaard of Flanders".

Count Louis of Nevers was released before Christmas, and on February 18, 1326, he forgave Bruges and swore to respect the customs and liberties of the communes of Flanders.

The cities of Bruges, Ypres, Kortrijk, Diksmuide, Veurne, Ostend, Aardenburg, Ysendyke, Dendermonde and Geraardsbergen were sentenced to pay heavy fines.

When the Hundred Years' War started, Louis remained steadfast in his pro-French policy despite the county's economic dependence on England.

His actions resulted in an English boycott of the wool trade, which in turn sparked a new insurrection under Jacob van Artevelde.

[1] The American historian William H. TeBrake published a 1993 book, A Plague of Insurrection: Popular Politics and Peasant Revolt in Flanders, 1323-1328 in 1993.