Baussenques wars

The baussenques Guerres (1144 - 1162) which last less than twenty years in the middle of the 12th century keep in the memory of Provence an important place: they are the “idealized” memory of the resistance of provençaux and one of its more famous families, the Maison of the Beams, with the “Catalan occupant” . On the political plan, they contribute by the success of the house of Barcelona, with the establishment of the second dynasty of the counts de Provence.

Causes with the epilog

Causes: 1112 - 1144

The origin of these wars is at the same time in the competition which opposes the house of Toulouse to the house of Barcelona, in the successional problems of the first dynasty of the counts de Provence and in the ambitions of an big family of Provence, the Maison of the Beams.

Initially it is about a conflict of interests between the county of Toulouse and that of Barcelona which creates a situation of tension, with its political opportunities, in all Provence.
Arrêtés towards the south, the Catalan counts turn their ambitions towards the Mediterranean coastline, with the foot of the the Cevennes and until the the Rhone where they run up against the house of Toulouse. The opposition of the interests creates the conflict. In 1112, the marriage with the heiress of the county of Provence revives the tensions. Indeed, this marriage probably on the initiative of the Church, Raimond Béranger of Soft Barcelona with , girl of Gerberge which has the county of Provence, Gévaudan, Carladais and part of the county of Rodez, is worth with the Catalan count an addition of authority in Provence. This union forces Alphonse the Jordan, of the house of Toulouse, to sign in 1125 a treaty delimiting the zones of influence of each one.

This conflict of interests are added successional problems relating to the county of Provence between the ambitious house of the Beams and that of Barcelona.
Indeed, Douce has a younger sister, Etiennette, in theory already equipped and married to a count of the Beams. Until 1127, date of died of Soft, the charters concerning their fields are signed at the same time by Douce and her husband. After this date they carry nothing any more but the signature of Raimond Béranger which replaces entirely his wife. As long as Raimond Béranger is in life, Etiennette does not emit a claim. It is not any more in the same way when the goods of his/her mother with died of this last (1131) return to its own nephews and that following a division Provence falls to the one of them. However Etiennette is married in Raimond of the Beams (until this faithful date combined of the count de Provence) which is not made fault of supporting the rights that his wife would hold of her Gerberge mother.

Collateral actors and movements

Blow the South is divided into two clans:

on the one hand, that of the nephew of Etiennette, junior by the house of Barcelona, supported by his/her older brother, like by the Viscounts of Carcassonne, of Béziers and Nimes;
in addition, that of Etiennette and her husband, supported by the Toulouse ones, the count de Foix, the town of Arles (at least until 1150) and even Gênois to which one can charge the unloading of Melgueil during which perish the nephew of Etiennette in 1144.

This situation causes collateral upheavals near secondary actors with the conflict. Thus, the city of Arles is in full effervescence: according to the historian arlésien Anibert, it obtains as of this time (1131) a consulate to face this situation of war:

the preparations of war which the Lords of the Beams made dully, against the House of Barcelona with died of Raymond-Berenger first (it acts of Raimond Berenger III count de Barcelone, 1082-1131, sometimes called Raimond Berenger Ier count de Provence) and perhaps some time before, had to decide Arlésiens with this great change, and to urge the Archbishop to it to be lent itself. The circumstances required that one give to the City of the Chiefs able to carry the weapons to the need… .

Conflicts: 1144 - 1162

Initially, Raimond of the Beams addresses to the emperor Conrad III which has on the area a theoretical authority of suzerain so that he recognizes the rights of 'Etiennette and itself resulting from the heritage from Gerberge. August 4th 1145, the emperor validates their titles without specifying the contents too much of it, and the right of coinage gives them, in Arles and with Trinquetaille, favors attached to sovereignty.

However this decision is disputed by the weapons: at the beginning of 1147 the house of Barcelona in war with Raimond of the Beams supported by the arlésiens, mainly carries a decisive success due to the absence of the count de Toulouse occupied with the crusade. Its impotence convinces Raimond to compose and incites it to negotiate with Barcelona: it makes its tender and dies in Spain before the signature of the peace treaty. Etiennette, and its four sons: Hugues, Guillaume, Bertrand and Gilbert are brought to give up their rights on the county of Provence. The fine treaty putting at this first episode is signed in Arles in 1150.

Less than five years later, Etiennette and its sons start again the conflict in 1155. Combined to the count de Toulouse, Hugues of the Beams obtained the first diplomatic success of order: it receives on behalf of the Germanic emperor Frederic Barberousse the confirmation of the titles of its house. But the hostilities once again turn to its confusion. The house of the Beams must be acknowledged beaten (1156) and is committed opening the castle of Castillon and various fortified towns with first requisition. Does the castle of the Beams, sit of this family, and some of her advanced defenses, of which the castle of Trinquetaille (to be checked?) are excluded from this humiliating condition.

In 1162 at the time of the third and last conflict, the Catalans make sure definitively of their adversaries. The castle of the Beams is shaven and the devastated neighbouring territory. The house of Barcelona makes recognize its military victory by the chancelleries, although Hugues of the Beams, tries to oppose this step by making state at Frederic Barberousse of the two diplomas provided with the imperial gold bubble, emanating one of Conrad, the other of Frederic Barberousse itself. But Frederic Barberousse takes care well not to give reason to overcome.

Epilog

During nearly twenty years (1144-1162) the house of the Beams thus tried to be essential in Provence where the capacity of the counts is not yet really marked. The rights born of a marriage eclipse in a marriage: the emperor gives his niece to Raimond Béranger III, of the house of Barcelona, faithful to the first name carried by the husband of Soft. Mistress of the battle fields, the Catalan dynasty covers herself with an imperial recognition, with the truth more flattering than effective, but which is the starting point of the true capacity of this dynasty in this province called Provence.

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