In the Flemish city of Ghent, Philip van Artevelde was elected captain-general and carried on the resistance against the Count of Flanders. When Ghent is besieged by the forces of the count, Artevelde spoke to the citizens of Ghent. They decided on sending a force of “five or six thousand men” (232) to battle the army of the count. The army of Ghent defeated the forces of the count, forcing him to retreat to the city of Bruges, but the army invades Bruges. The count is forced out of Bruges, and most of the cities of Flanders join Ghent in accepting Artevelde as their leader. Although the English offered to support Ghent, the count was able to return to Flanders with an army provided by France before the English could act.

An army led by Artevelde marched to confront the French. The French debate whether to unfold a sacred banner called the oriflamme during the battle since the oriflamme had never been used in a military campaign against fellow Christians. Froissart reports being told that when the oriflamme was unfurled, a white dove perched on a French banner, which “was taken as an excellent omen” (248). In fact, the French army defeated the Flemish and Artevelde was killed in the fighting.