History of Burgundy

Historical province of the France, which recovers the current administrative area roughly.

Several states bore the name of Burgundy through the history, without their limits always corresponding to the territory of the current area. Inhabited since very moved back times, as the found prehistoric bones with Solutré attest it (-18000 with -15000), Burgundy is occupied about sixth century BC by Celtic populations which left important vestiges (Trésor of Vix).

Hearth of Gallic resistance to the conquest of Jules César, until the catch of Alésia, it is then deeply romanisée: whereas Autun (Augustodunum) is essential like a rich person intellectual hearth, the area is évangélisée at the 2nd century. At the beginning of the 5th century, Burgundy is devastated by the cruel invasions. It is towards 450 that the Burgondes settle in the area and found a kingdom which will give him its name (Burgundia).

Conquered by the francs in 534, Burgundy is set up in kingdom mérovingien (561 - 687), before being joined together with the Austrasie and the Neustrie by Pépin of Herstal. The Traité of Verdun, which organizes the division of the Carolingian Empire between three wire of Louis the Piles (843), fixes the border between the future duchy of Burgundy, possession of Charles the Bald person, and the future Comté of Burgundy, or Franche-Comté, possession of Lothaire, which will concern the Germanic empire until the 17th century. In 879, the oriental party of the area becomes the center of a kingdom of Burgundy which extends until the Provence and on Right Bank of the Rhone. Called Kingdom of Arles starting from Xe century, the kingdom of Burgundy passes into 1032 to the hands of the Germanic emperor Conrad II.

It is at the end of the 9th century that Western Burgundy is set up in duchy. Passed to the hands of princes Capétiens in 956, it is given in 1031 by the king Henri Ier to his Robert brother, who founds the second house capétienne of Burgundy, but half is him escapes and becomes the Comté of Burgundy (currently, the Franche-Comté). The duchy knows at the time Romance an intense religious and artistic activity. The Abbey of Cluny, founded in 909 or 910, and that of Cîteaux, founded in 1098, essaiment in all Europe. After the extinction of the ducal line in 1361, the king Jean II the Good gives the duchy in prerogative to his/her son Philippe II Bold the (1342 - 1404).

Burgundian States

By his marriage with the girl of the count of Flanders, the new duke of Burgundy acquires the Flanders, the Artois and the Franche-Comté. Become the first territorial prince of the kingdom, it also has, with the Franche-Comté, of the territories which concern the Empire. The dynasty benefits from this exceptional situation and the difficulties of the royalty, in full conflict with the England, to play a part growing in France. Whereas Jean without Peur (1404 - 1419) animates the faction of Burgundian, allied with English during the minority and the madness of Charles VI, Philippe III the Good (1419 - 1467) obtains from Charles VII to be exempted homage n the other hand of its neutrality (1435). Equipped with an independence in fact, Philippe the Good especially gets busy to increase his states: he acquires the Picardy and the majority of the territories which compose the Belgium today, the Luxembourg and the Netherlands (1421 - 1433). Burgundy knows its apogee then: while the cities develop, the nobility, flattered by the institution about knighthood of the Golden Fleece (1429), carries out a sumptuous life, with the example of its prince, who is made call “Large duke of Occident” and is the principal patron of his time. Burgundy is then a true State, even if the two territorial blocks which compose it are still separated by Champagne and by Lorraine.

The main objective of Charles Bold the (1467 - 1477) is to seize these territories to reconstitute the Lotharingie and to extend it until the the Mediterranean. But this ambition runs up against the opposition of the Swiss Cantons, the duke of Lorraine Rene II, and especially of the king de France Louis XI. Held in failure in Neuss, on the Rhine (1474 - 1475), overcome by the Swiss ones with Grandson and Morat in 1476, Charles the Bold one dies at the time of the seat of Nancy in 1477. Louis XI seizes the duchy of Burgundy then, while the heiress of Charles the Bold one, Marie of Burgundy, brings in dowry to Maximilien de Habsbourg the Franche-Comté and the various provinces of the Netherlands, where French monarchy and the house of Austria will clash during more than two centuries.

Modern time

Rebirth

Burgundy is very touched by the wars of religion (1562 - 1598). The marshal of Tavannes, governor of the province, massacres there the huguenots in the Années 1560. She is also traversed by the German mercenaries coming to engage with each new war, then fired and turning over to Germany at the end of each war.

In 1572, when the news of the massacre of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre spreads and causes new massacres in province (August-October 1572), the governor Chub-Charny protects the Protestants there.

18th century

Burgundy will give rise to the departments of Nievre, Coast-with Or and of Saône-et-Loire like to part of the Yonne (Auxerre; Avallon)

External bond

military Aspects of the war for the succession of Burgundy, Nancy to the treaty of Arras by Amable Fine sand of the Coral, Thesis of the National school of the charters, 2001
Bulletin of the center of medieval studies of Auxerre
Collections and Mémoires of the Center beaunois of historical studies

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