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Why did Mary of Burgundy marry Maximilian of Austria?
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Louis XI
Louis XI.
Mary of Burgundy married Maximilian of Austria primarily to secure protection for her inheritance against the expansionist ambitions of Louis XI of France.21
Following the death of her father, Charles the Bold, in 1477, Mary became the duchess of Burgundy and immediately faced a French invasion. Louis XI sought to dismantle the Burgundian state and reunite its French fiefs with the royal domain. Mary resisted French pressure to marry the future Charles VIII and instead wed Maximilian on August 18, 1477. This strategic alliance provided her with the military support necessary to defend her domains, including the Netherlands, against French aggression.213