The road runs through Lorraine

After Trier, Charles again seeks through warfare the position diplomacy has not secured. The prolonged siege of Neuss, begun in 1474 during the conflict in the archbishopric of Cologne, consumes men and resources and brings him into confrontation with the emperor. On the Upper Rhine, opponents organise against Burgundian power. In 1475, he occupies Lorraine and enters Nancy. A corridor between his northern and southern possessions finally appears within reach. Conquest, however, earns him the enmity of Duke René II and his allies. Every advance requires garrisons, money and further campaigns. Territorial unity seems attainable just as Charles’s isolation grows.