The Ghent city government based its defense against Philip's claims on customs and old privileges from the 12th and 13th century, before the Charter of Senlis had been signed.

To enforce his attempts at gaining control over the appointment of city officials, Philip the Good also searched for a reliable source of income.

Philip had prepared a speech in Dutch, the main language of the Council, and the deacons of some of the guilds were consulted or bribed.

A month earlier, from April 1452, the Ghent city government was forced to take military actions to secure supplies from the local region.

Several strategic locations were taken and occupied by Ghent, amongst which a bridge of the Scheldt at Spiere, and the castles of: At the siege of Oudenaarde, which lasted 12 to 13 days, the army of Ghent used one of the largest artillery bombardments to take place in Europe at the time, but the Burgundian garrison of the city, under the leadership of Simon de Lalaing, was able to withstand the attack.

During the constant skirmishes, Philip's favorite illegitimate son, Corneille of Burgundy was killed at the Battle of Bazel on 14 June 1452.

Philip the Good strengthened his garrisons at Aalst, Dendermonde, Oudenaarde, and Kortrijk, and his army pulled back to France for the winter.

During the entire winter the garrisons, as well as the whole Flemish region, were pillaged and plundered by troops from Ghent without intervention from Philip the Good.

Ghent troops were nearly able to blow up the entire Burgundian winter supply of gunpowder in Lille, but an observant guard extinguished the fuse in time.

After that the Poeke Castle was reduced to rubble from 2 to 5 July, though a prominent Knight of the Golden Fleece, Jacques de Lalaing, was killed.

After an artillery bombardment lasting five days, the English mercenary captain John Fox and his soldiers escaped from the castle.

When, at the first confrontation, the Ghent troops witnessed John Fox and his mercenaries defect to the Burgundian side, they realised that they had been betrayed.

However, at that critical moment, a Ghent cannoneer accidentally dropped his lighted match in a gunpowder barrel upon which everyone nearby ran away.

When the remains of the fleeing army reached Ghent, the city decided to surrender without any further resistance, an outcome that pleased Philip.