History of the Franche-Comté

Inhabited with the Paleolithic inferior, the Franche-Comté was relatively plain as of the Antiquité. At the origin territory of the Séquanes, it passed under Roman domination after the fall of Vercingétorix. Briefly occupied by the Burgondes after the Great invasions, it was annexed by the Francs in 534. After the death of Charlemagne, it changed Master several times, forming, according to the time, part of the Saint Germanic Roman Empire, of the Royaume of France or the Duché of Burgundy. It is only in 1678 by the Traité of Nimègue that the Franche-Comté will become definitively French.

Pre and protohistoire

Signs of human occupation going back to approximately 700 000 years were found in the higher valley of the the Saone, the southern slope of the the Vosges, Perforated Belfort, the Western edge and the first plates of the the Jura. These men cut stone S, made Arme S in Silex or Os and lived in Caverne S. a tooth of child going back to 400.000 years was also discovered with Vergranne, close to Balsam-the-Ladies. These discoveries attest presence of the man in Franche-Comté to the paleolithic inferior.

With the Mesolithic (approximately 10.000 years ago), the Franche-Comté is populated communities living of the round huts protected by palisades. They develop the culture of Plante S in order to be nourished and practice the Domestication animals. The industry of the horn appears and the first Poterie S are worked. It is also of this time which the appearance of a lake habitat goes up (Clairvaux). This lake habitat will develop with the Neolithic , in particular on the edges of the lakes of Chalain and Clairvaux at the edge of which the activity was probably important.

Between 3000 and 2500 av. J. - C., Indo-European tribes come from Central Europe are successively established in Western Europe. Practitioner the Agriculture, the Hunting and the breeding, they had a social hierarchy well defined with in the top the priest S. the religion was marked by the worship of the ancestors and the worship of the stars. Especially, they bring with them the technical of copper. Towards 2000 av. J. - C., a new wave of migration brings the technical bronze and the Commerce between the various regional surfaces develops. The Celtes settle in Gaulle. The Franche-Comté is occupied by the Lingons and the Éduens. To this time the first Fonderie S go back (in the Pays of Montbeliard, with Lons-the-Salt maker and Ornans). Many a tumili and fields of Celtic ballot boxes appear following funerary changes of rites.

Towards 900 av. J. - C., the technical of iron arrives to Franche-Comté. The area, not of passage for the populations coming from the east of Europe and wishing to settle in France or Spain, then is very populated. The economy develops: the mines of Iron and the wells with salt which count the area allow export towards the areas of the Mediterranean basin (Italy, Greece,…) products such as the saltings and of the objects in horn.

Antiquity

Séquanie

Towards fourth century BC, the Celtic tribe of the Belgian settled between the the Rhine and the the Seine. These new arrrivants forced the Séquanes to move more in the south, between the the Saone and the the Jura. They practiced mainly the breeding and the Artisanat (in particular the Céramique with Luxeuil). The Celtic people were perpetually in conflict with their neighbors, according to the interests and plays of alliance. In particular, the Éduens and Séquanes, two of the most powerful tribes, disputed tolls on the the Saone. The powerful first being combined Roman, the seconds called towards 71 av. J. - C. upon Germains, the Suèves of Arioviste. This last benefitted from this unhoped-for occasion to cross the the Rhine, crushed Éduens and annexed the north of Séquanie (the current Alsace). Three years later, in 68 av. J. - C., the Éduens and the Séquanes, this time combined, were again overcome with Amagetobria by Arioviste.

In 58 av. J. - C., the Helvètes, carried out by the king Orgétorix, undertook a migration towards the Saintonge. They crossed the collars of the the Jura and invaded the territory of Séquanes. Those asked for the assistance of César. This last, having ambitions on the Gaulle, went to their help. It pushed back Helvètes on the other Jurassic side and the German ones of Arioviste beyond the Rhine, but obliged Séquanes to return the territories taken previously in Éduens. In these Comments on the War of Gaules (I, 38-39), it is the first to mention the Maxima Sequanorum ( Pays of Séquanes ). The Roman legions spent the winter in Séquanie. This event marked the beginning of the Guerre of Gaules during which Séquanes took part in the Gallic revolt at the sides of Vercingétorix. The final battle, Alésia, probably took place on their territory (close to Saline-the-Baths, Lime-of-Crotenay the, Alaise, or Bridge-with-Roide).

Roman occupation

Under Auguste, Séquanie was first of all included in the province of the Gallia Belgica. Later, under Dioclétien, Séquanie was high with the row of province ( Provincia Maxima Sequanorum ). Roman peace transformed Séquanie. Stone roads connected it to the other provinces, in particular with Lugdunum and Langres. This peace was however enamelled revolts, as in 21 a. J. - C., when Séquanes took part in the insurrection of the Gaulle. In June 68, Vesontio was the theater of a important battles between Vindex, chief of a revolt against Néron and the general Lucius Verginius Rufus, faithful to the emperor. In spite of the victory of Rufus and the Suicide of Vindex, revolted, carried out by Bent, managed to reverse Néron this same year. Two years later (in 70 a. J. - C.), Séquanes refused to join the great revolt of Gaulle carried out by Gaius Julius Civilis and Julius Sabinus. Séquanes beat the Lingons which, led by Sabinus, had invaded their territory. The triumphal arch of Vesontio was perhaps built on this occasion. In reward of its fidelity, Vesontio was also high with the row of colony.

At the 2nd century, Marc Aurèle intervened at the time of disorders occurring at Séquanes. Later, towards 180, the bishop Saint Irenee of Lyon sent Athéniens, Saint Ironwood and Saint Ferjeux, évangéliser Vesontio. It is starting from this city that Christianity was diffused in Franche-Comté after their martyrdom in 212. They were overcome by Aetius in 436 whereas they tried to increase their kingdom towards the west. In 443, Aetius transferred them in Sapaudia (which corresponds to the French-speaking Switzerland and the south of the the Jura French), where they founded a kingdom whose Geneva was the capital.

In 451, the Huns plundered Besancon, Luxeuil and other comtoises cities after having been demolishes with the Champs Catalauniques. The kingdom burgonde increases gradually towards north. They annexed Besancon in thus 485.

The kingdom burgonde was then composed of Burgondes and Gallo-Romans. Burgondes represented only one rather weak share of the total population (between 5 and 10% according to certain estimates). The Loi Gombette was promulgated by the king Gondebaud in March 502 with Lyon, in order to unify the kingdom. At the end of this law, the two people were submitted to the same fines, the mixed marriages were authorized and the two people could be useful in the army. Gondebaud died in 516 and his/her son Sigismond succeeded to him. This one tried to convert the population of its kingdom to the Christianisme, without much success. In 523, the Frank kings Clotaire I {{er}}, Childebert I {{er}} and Clodomir carried out a countryside against Burgondes. They beat king Sigismond and seized the kingdom. However, the following year, Godomar III, brother of Sigismond, took again Burgondie with the assistance of the Ostrogoth S. In 534, the kingdom burgonde was definitively conquered by Clotaire I {{er}} and Childebert I {{er}}.

The Middle Ages

High-Burgundy

The county of Burgundy

The house of Burgundy

To died from Jeanne II, the county returned to his/her daughter Jeanne III which had married in 1318 Eudes IV, duke of Burgundy. The duchy and the county of Burgundy were found thus plain lasting nearly two centuries. The barons comtois, carried out by Jean II of Trawl-net-Arlay, rebelled against Eudes IV on several occasions (1335 - 1336, 1342 - 1343 and 1346 - 1348). In 1336, Eudes IV beat Jean II and the residents of Besancon with the Bataille of Malecombe.

The following year marked the beginning of the Guerre One hundred Year old. Eudes IV supported the king of France, Philippe IV and beat the English close to Saint-Omer. The nobility comtoise was divided and certain barons fought with Eudes. In 1338, the son of Eudes IV and Jeanne III, Philippe married Jeanne, countess of Boulogne and Auvergne. He died in 1346 at the time of the seat of Aiguillon.

Between 1346 and 1349, the Black Death devastated Burgundy and very strongly depopulated cities and villages. It carried in particular Eudes IV in 1349. Its grandson, Philippe de Rouvres, inherited Burgundy then. His/her mother Jeanne exerted regency. This one remaria in 1350 with the dolphin Jean (the future Jean the Good ), wire of king de France. The following year, he became king de France and started to direct the businesses of the county and the duchy of Burgundy. In 1357, Philippe was married with Marguerite de Flandres. In 1360, English devastated Burgundy: they took in particular Auxerre and Vesoul. The Burgundian ones had to pay the sum of 100.000 to them sheep S of gold so that they move away. Philippe died prematurely in 1361 without descent.

The king of France, Jean the Good, octroit the duchy of Burgundy. The county of Burgundy (and that of Artois) return to Marguerite de France, girl junior by Jeanne II. The death of Jean II of Trawl-net-Arlay in 1362 (Black Death) and an agreement signed with Jean II in 1364 ensured the capacity of Marguerite on the county. In 1364, Hugues of Trawl-net-Arlay obtained from the emperor Charles IV, the rights of the empire on Besancon. It is in 1366 that the term of Franche-Comté appears to indicate the county of Burgundy.

During the One hundred Year old war, the Grandes companies of Mercenaire S ravagaient the French areas among which the county of Burgundy. They were beaten by the captain-general of Franche-Comté, Jean of Vienna, close to Chambornay in 1366. The sum of 200.000 books was versed for them so that they leave the area.

In 1369, Marguerite de Flandres, widow of Philippe de Rouvres and heiress of the counties of Burgundy, of Artois, Flanders, Rethel and Nevers, married Philippe Bold the, brother of the king de France Charles V. Because of the importance of this marriage, this last poured 200.000 books tournaments with the father of the bride, Louis de Mâle.

But, in 1382, a new marriage joins together finally the two Burgundies in the same ambition: to build a true State in the middle of Europe Western, a news Lotharingie, independent and dominating its two powerful neighbors: the kingdom of France and Holy roman Empire. Comtois then will embrace this destiny, this ideal Burgundian which becomes one of the components of inhabitant of Franche-Comté nationalism.

The duke-counts equip the county with solid institutions. The Parliament of Pares, inter alia, is created in 1386. Violence reappears: désœuvrés mercenaries plunder the country before being driven out by others which imitate them. Then the French and the Swiss ones, by mutual agreement, invade the County and the latter cause even two cuisantes defeats with the duke-count Charles Bold the. Finally, while a treaty is signed with France and that Comtois endeavor without success to push back the Swiss ones of their province, Charles the Bold one dies under the walls of Nancy. The duchy is attached to France, and dreams it of the large dukes of Occident disappears.

Under the empire

The Swiss occupants of the Franche-Comté are quickly replaced by the armies of king de France. Because with its death, Charles Bold the leaves only one girl: Marie of twenty years old Burgundy. The latter thus becomes the heiress of the powerful Burgundian state. His/her father bequeaths a state to him which extends on the Netherlands and both Burgundy (duchy and county) but a state in war and especially a territory without unit. The king of France Louis XI benefits from opportunity to occupy the burgundies, it proposes also a marriage with his son the dolphin Charles. But Marie refuses to link herself with the son of the largest enemy of her father. She prefers a more powerful husband: Maximilien of Austria heir to Habsbourg and future Germanic Roman Emperor. By this celebrated union on August 19th 1477 Marie finds a good guard for his states. But Louis XI does not intend to give up its conquests so easily. He initially legally annexes the duchy of Burgundy because it was a prerogative and by this fact could not transmit itself to the women, he thus returned quite naturally to the crown of France. But, it does not have right on the Franche-Comté. Also followed by the people, noble the comtois is raised: the royal troops are forced to pass by again the Saone.

Furious, Louis XI passes by again with the attack. He sets fire to Dole. Other comtoises cities undergo the same fate and nearly one hundred castles are shaven. In 1482, Marie of Burgundy dies in an accident of hunting. The latter has for its states (County of Burgundy and Netherlands) that only one heiress: his/her daughter Marguerite. His/her son Philippe the Beautiful having to inherit the empire of the Habsbourg. Once again, the fate of the Franche-Comté will depend on a marriage. Louis XI takes again hope. It obtains the union between his son, the future king Charles VIII and the young heiress of Burgundy. The promise of marriage is ratified by the Traité of Arras which gives a County overcome to France. After the death of his/her father, Charles VIII prefers to marry Anne of Brittany the heiress of the duchy of the same name. Outraged by this affront made with her young girl, it is then 11 years old, Maximilien de Habsbourg undertakes to reconquer the Franche-Comté. Charles VIII which has ambitions in Italy then lets make. It even agrees to give up the so expensive county in the middle of his father by the treated of Senlis signed in 1493. In fact, the royal troops are driven out ground comtois, by the militia the Saline ones and of Arbois in particular. The province, is left there reinforced. The fortifications are consolidated; Joux is taken again with the Swiss ones. Maximilien de Habsbourg leaves the government of the Netherlands and the Franche-Comté to his/her son Philippe the Beautiful which is also the husband of Jeanne Insane the queen of the Castille and of the Aragon. But Philippe generally remains in Flandres. He visits however the Franche-Comté in 1503. The people, attache at the house of the Count Burgundy see in him the heir to Charles Bold the and acclaims it with shouts of “Sharp Burgundy”. But the fate is baited on the heir to the Large Duke of Occident. Philippe dies three years later. His/her future son Charles Quint is only six years old. The government of the Bourguignon heritage is allocated then to the last child of Marie of Burgundy: Margueritte with the title of “lieutenante general, gouverneress and administraress”. This woman resulting from the blood of the count de Bourgogne can quickly make herself popular even if it controls since Malines capital of the Netherlands until the death of Marguerite of Austria. With Mercurio Gattinara which it names with the head of the Parliament of Pares, it pacifies the area still agitated by the wars private of the nobility. For that she asks the belligerents to regulate in justice their different. She has also the skill to entrust responsibilities to the marshal for Vergy representing of the old old nobility. She also intervenes with her father to limit the tax pressure on the Franche-Comté. On the other hand, the assured neutrality of the County east while signing on the one hand, a Hereditary League (in 1511) with these same Swiss promising a reciprocal help in the event of conflict, in addition a renewable treaty of neutrality with the kingdom of France (in 1522).

While countesses and counts de Bourgogne reside at the Netherlands, the power is delegated to a governor comtois and at the Parliament of Pares. This last now has the capacity to rule on all the questions, which they are political, economic or military. In short, the Franche-Comté recovers its autonomy.

With the advent of Charles Quint, the province lives what is regarded a long time as the Old one of gold of the County.

Thus, Charles Quint calls upon many Comtois, in the art of the weapons and the verb. One of these talented diplomats, Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, reaches even the supreme spot of first adviser. The nobility is honoured it, is also destined for guerroyer abroad and covers even glory by capturing the king of France François I {{er}} with Pavia. The Burgundian knights form integral part of the elite of the imperial army and have to preserve the interests of Spain to the four corners of Europe. During these relatively calm years, the Franche-Comté is consolidated and thrived, and owes with the Empire only one free gift, fixed by the Parliament.

At the end of his reign in 1556, Charles Quint greets the attachment and the fidelity of Comtois towards Spain.

In 1595, Henri IV declares the war in Spain and invades the Franche-Comté. The campaigns are devastated but the majority of the cities resist: Pare, Gray, Salins, Poligny, Arbois, Besancon hold good. The Swiss cantons, in spite of the terms defined by the Hereditary League, do not intervene, at least militarily.

Spain finally decides to help the province, successfully. Henri IV counter-attacks. The weakest cities comtoises fall, the ones after the others. In spite of a strong resistance, Arbois is plundered and its hung Morel captain. Finally, the arrival of the Spanish reinforcements forces the royal troops to pass by again the Saone. The Treated of Vervins signed in 1598, puts an end to the conflict between France and Spain, renewing the treaty of neutrality.

Ten Year old war

The war Ten Year old is the episode comtois of the Guerre Thirty Year old. In 1634 Franche-Comté is taken in this European war which devastates already Germany since 1618. In 1636, Richelieu decides to attack Dole, capital of the Franche-Comté, and the seat of the Parliament.

This place should be taken, from there the law and the prophets depend. (...) The enemies even do not make difficulty in saying that the catch of Pares is the catch of all the pays.

The country was ready to resist and remain faithful to Spain and especially to its autonomy. The Grand Cop in person carries out the royal troops. Supported by the heat of the population doloise, the courage and the tenacity of the 4.000 defenders of the place answers the 15.000 soldiers of the French Army. All the attacks are pushed back, week after week. Engineers are called of France to make fall the city struck by the Peste: those dig mines under the foundations of the walls to make them crumble. August 13rd, it is the last French chance: the armies comtoise and imperial met in the duchy and threaten any retirement. Like its devancières, the mine is ineffective at once - the French were still tested little in the art of the sap -, those are folded up under the projection of the army of help. August 15th, 1636, the Franche-Comté gains the most glorious victory of its history: Pare is released after a 3 month old seat.

Engaged by France, of the mercenaries invade the County by all the sides. Only Pares, Gray Salins and Besancon can resist. Plunderings, the fires, the massacres multiply. The corns are cut out of grass; the faulty ones captured are returned to France the distinct right hand. Lastly, the partisans - of which Lacuzon, the symbol of resistance - organize and furrow the County to drive out the French. Bressans rely on God: “Of the fever and Lacuzon, deliver us, Seigneur!”. The populations comtoises have of another choice only to flee or take refuge in the many caves of the Jurassic solid mass and to give up the cultures, involving the famine assisted soon by the plague. At this point in time the cannibalism, ultimate horror, enters a Franche-Comté pushed back in its last cuttings off.

Finally one came to the human flesh, firstly in the army where the soldiers being occis were used as grazing ground with the others which cut the fleshiest parts of the dead-men to boil or roast and out of the camp made picorée of human flesh to eat. One discovered in the villages of the murders of children made by their mothers to take care not to die and of the frêres by their frêres and the face of the cities was the face of the mort. everywhere

After a French invasion of 1644, the treaty of neutrality is violated by Mazarin. The Traités of Westphalia put an end to the Guerre Thirty Year old in the 1648 then peace of the Pyrenees in 1659, confirms the suzerainty of Spain on the province. It is a free but bloodless Franche-Comté which arises from the conflict: more than 200.000 people - more moitity of the population - perished during this war.

The French conquest

In 1668, Condé conquered the country in 15 days. Contrast with the keen resistance of the Ten Year old War is large.

A few months later, the situation is officialized by the treated of Aachen: France gives up the Franche-Comté which goes back to Spain.

The country is then completely disorganized. Riots, sometimes fatal, burst in the main cities: the people show his members of Parliament to have delivered the province to the French. As for Spain, furious that the Franche-Comté was not defended, it consequently names only non-Comtois at the post of governor.

Those are authoritative and demanding: they suspect the imminent return of the French and are evertuent through taxes to raise the fortifications.

In 1673, Spain launches raids to Burgundy. The French counter-attack on the ground comtois, counter-attack pushed back by the people. The war perdure: two months later, of the peasants refusing to go to Arcey are burned alives in the bell-tower where they had taken refuge. The event revives of more beautiful the feeling anti-French: a garrison is massacred in reprisals while the ambushes intensify.

But the cities comtoises - most of the time badly strengthened - fall the ones after the others. In Besancon, brackets are drawn up, intended to the traitors. The Residents of Besancon miss little killing Louis XIV, come in person to attend the seat.

In spite of their tenacity, the fight of the partisans - wolves of wood - is not enough to save the province. The inhabitants of Faucogney, one of the last fortified towns to hold, passed by the wire of the sword after several days of rough combat. All the cities fell, but resistance does not stop there: after 10 months of engagements, Comtois always refuse to join in France.

In 1678, the Treated of Nimègue appendix Frank the County with France, definitively this time Ci. The resistant ones are exiled in a vain hope of one return to Spain which does not come in spite of some hopes. The partisans comtois ask their last recommendation postmortem: that to be buried face against ground in opposition to the sun of Louis XIV and in order not to see the French pressing their ground.

The French Franche-Comté

The intendants named by the king to manage the province are hated, sometimes threatened physically. Voltaire explains this attachment in Spain by these words:

This province, rather low in money but very fertile, had the name of Frank and was it indeed. The kings of Spain were rather the guards who the Masters, the people enjoyed great privileges, always respected by the Court of Madrid which spared a province jealous of its rights and close to France. Never people lived under a softer administration and was not so attached to its sovereigns. Its love for the house of Austria was preserved during two generations, but this love was, at the bottom, that of the liberté.

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