Burgundian State

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

States of the Duke of Burgundy
1384–1482
Flag of Valois Burgundy
Above: Ducal banner
Below: Cross of Burgundy
of Valois Burgundy
Coat of arms
Roman Catholicism
GovernmentMonarchy
Duke of Burgundy 
• 1363–1404
Philip the Bold
• 1404–1419
John the Fearless
• 1419–1467
Philip the Good
• 1467–1477
Charles the Bold
• 1477–1482
Mary of Burgundy
Legislature
First Treaty of Arras
21 September 1435
5 January 1477
• Mary's death
27 March 1482
23 December 1482
Succeeded by
Habsburg Monarchy
Kingdom of France
Holy Roman Empire
Habsburg Netherlands

The Burgundian State[1] (French: État bourguignon; Dutch: Bourgondische Rijk) is a concept coined by historians to describe the vast complex of territories that is also referred to as Valois Burgundy.[2]

It developed in the

Dukes of Burgundy from the French House of Valois and was composed of both French and Imperial fiefs (ducal and comital Burgundy and the Burgundian Netherlands). That territorial construction outlasted the properly 'Burgundian' dynasty and the loss of the Duchy of Burgundy itself. As such, it must not be confused with that sole fief
.

It is regarded as one of the major powers in Europe of the 15th century and the early 16th century. The Dukes of Burgundy were among the wealthiest and the most powerful princes in Europe and were sometimes called "Grand Dukes of the West".

King of France
.

The

Dutch Revolt, or the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648), the northern provinces of the Low Countries gained their independence from Spanish rule and formed the Dutch Republic (now the Netherlands). The southern provinces remained under Spanish rule until the 18th century and became known as the Spanish Netherlands, or Southern Netherlands (corresponding roughly to present day Belgium, Luxembourg and northern Hauts-de-France
).

Historical concept

The notion of a "Burgundian State" was coined in the 19th century by the Belgian historian

nationalist view, the Dukes of Burgundy were the creators of a Burgundian or Belgian nation. Johan Huizinga reused the concept out of convenience at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1999, Bertrand Schnerb [fr] popularised the expression in France with a monograph named The Burgundian State.[1]

That use is, however, controversial among historians.[6] Though he used it, Huizinga noted that the "Burgundian State" was a creation of modern historiography and was not an entity that its contemporaries recognised.[7] Many historians, especially historians of law, Belgian and Dutch historians, argue that legally speaking, the lands of the dukes formed a collection of princely estates, rather than an actual state. As such, they call those lands "Valois Burgundy", "Burgundian states", "Great Principality of Burgundy",[8] "Burgundian Union"[9] or "Burgundian Commonwealth".[10]

Indeed, the Burgundian State remained a personal union of territories under the remote authority of the duke. The provinces shared no common legislation, although the dukes created common institutions. At the time, there was no name to describe the territorial complex otherwise than "the lands and estates of the duke of Burgundy". The last dukes of the Valois dynasty, however, tried to rally the various populations around symbols such as the Cross of Burgundy and the Order of the Golden Fleece. Under Charles the Bold, who wanted to create a kingdom of his own, propaganda insisted that the Belgae were the common ancestors for all of his lands. The Leo Belgicus appeared after that to symbolise the unity of the Low Countries.

Furthermore, the Burgundian State was not a

Parliament of Mechelen
to avoid this.

Following Johan Huizinga, Marc Boone and

Dutch Revolt.[7][11]

History

Origins

Anonymous portrait of Duke Philip the Bold

After the death of Duke

Philip I of Burgundy in 1361, the Duchy was integrated to the royal domain of King John II of France. He later decided to give it as a fief to his youngest son, known as Philip the Bold, who was officially recognized as Duke of Burgundy and First Peer of France
on 2 June 1364.

The same year,

Urban V
refused them because of lobbying by Charles, who wanted to marry Margaret to his younger brother, Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The Count of Flanders, eager for an alliance, agreed to marry his daughter and heir presumptive to Philip.

The marriage took place on 19 June 1369 in Ghent, and from then Philip was closely associated to the reign of his father-in-law, helping him to crush the Flemish at the Battle of Roosebeke. Louis of Flanders died soon after, on 30 January 1384: Philip became Count consort of Flanders, Artois, Rethel, Nevers and Burgundy. Peace was officially restored in Flanders by the Peace of Tournai in 1385. Also in 1385, the offices of Chancellor of Burgundy and of Chancellor of Flanders were merged, and in 1386 two Chamber of Accounts were created: the first one in Lille for his northern possessions, the other one in Dijon for his southern possessions. These were the first step in the centralization of power.[1]

Philip carried out an ambitious matrimonial policy turned to the east: his first son

Waleran III of Luxembourg
.

From French vassals to rivals of the Valois Kings

Portrait of Duke John the Fearless, after Jean Malouel

During the reigns of Philip the Bold and his son

Louis I, Duke of Anjou, and John, Duke of Berry, and Louis II, Duke of Bourbon. Charles VI took power for himself in 1388, aged 19, only to give it back four years later, when he showed his first signs of madness. From then, the King was considered mad and the Duke of Burgundy effectively had power, although Louis I, Duke of Orléans, gained more and more power and Philip's influence diminished.[12]

Philip died in 1404 and

Burgundian parties were close to find peace at last, but on 10 September 1419, during a parley between the Duke and the Dauphin on the bridge at Montereau, John the Fearless was murdered in turn
.

Seeking revenge, the new 23-year-old duke of Burgundy, Philip, later known as

John, Duke of Bedford. The Anglo-Burgundian alliance won many major victories, and controlled a large part of France. However, Joan of Arc came and changed the course of the war, allowing Charles VII of France to be crowned in Reims
on July 1429. Joan of Arc was later captured by the Burgundians and handed over to the English.

In 1435, the

King of France, and Charles recognized the Burgundian territorial acquisitions. Philip was personally exempted from pledging homage
to the King.

Territorial expansion

Portrait of Duke Philip the Good, after Rogier van der Weyden

After 1435, Philip the Good was no longer interested in the French affairs, and ruled his own territories as their sovereign.

Philip managed to considerably expand the Burgundian State in the Low Countries. In 1421, he bought the County of Namur from the impoverished Marquis of Namur, inheriting it outright in 1429. In 1430, he inherited the Margraviate of Antwerp and the Duchies of Brabant, Limburg and Luxembourg, succeeding his cousin Philip, son of Anthony of Burgundy. He also took advantage of a succession crisis to make himself the heir of Jacqueline of Hainaut — at the time of her death, in 1433, he seized her Counties of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland. Finally, in 1441 he bought from his aunt Elizabeth of Görlitz the Duchy of Luxembourg. The Low Countries were at last united, becoming the Burgundian Netherlands.

Under his rule, the court of Burgundy found its apex. A great

Crusade, such as during the Feast of the Pheasant. In 1430, he created the prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece.[13]

However, the growing centralisation of power under the House of Burgundy did not please the Flemish cities, proud of their autonomy and liberties. Duke Philip had to suppress the Bruges Rebellion of 1436–1438, and then the Revolt of Ghent of 1449–1453. Both times, Burgundian forces were able to count on the support of the other Flemish towns. After those two events, urban liberties were severely damaged. Burgundian domination only increased.

More opposition came in the Wars of Liège: a series of three rebellions led by the

Principality of Liège, refusing the Burgundian protectorate and Louis de Bourbon, nephew of Philip the Good, as their Prince-Bishop. Three times the rebels were defeated, until Charles the Bold
sacked and destroyed the town in 1468.

At the end of Philip's long reign, under the influence of the

League of the Public Weal
, whereupon the King returned the towns to Burgundy.

The dream of a revived Burgundian kingdom

Portrait of Duke Charles the Bold by Rogier van der Weyden

Philip the Good nurtured the ambition to elevate the Burgundian State to the status of a sovereign kingdom within the framework of the Holy Roman Empire, which included a nominal Kingdom of Italy and a more substantial Kingdom of Bohemia, and in the past had also incorporated the ancient Kingdom of Burgundy that however had lost any materiality by the late 14th century. Philip viewed Burgundian kingship as a long-term aim which needed careful preparation. In 1447, he held talks to that effect with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III, but the latter only proposed kingship on behalf of Brabant or Frisia, both options too narrow to suit Philip's vision. In 1454, Philip traveled to Regensburg with intent to negotiate Burgundy's status, but Frederick did not attend the meeting and no progress was made.[14]: 419 

Kingdoms of Burgundy and of Gallia Belgica
.

By the

French crown
.

In the same time, he encouraged a resumption of the Hundred Years' War. He supported King Edward IV of York, marrying his sister, and had him land in Calais in the summer of 1475. Presenting himself without a whole army, he failed to convince Edward, who had to deal with the King of France, resulting in the Treaty of Picquigny.

Charles also got closer to the

Toul and Verdun. The date of 25 November 1473 was set for Charles' coronation, and a crown and scepter were prepared.[14]: 496-497  The Emperor, however, abruptly ended the negotiations by fleeing by night with his son.[15]

Charles continued to expand the Burgundian State by buying

Charolais to Friesland. He proclaimed his wish to make the Lorrainer city of Nancy the capital of his kingdom.[citation needed
]

Charles was obsessed with kingship, which could have given his lands the unity they lacked. He always dressed very richly, and, faced with the King of France or the Emperor, presented himself as their equal. He made himself a golden hat, of which an Italian observer of the time said that "it seemed like a king's crown".[15]

Valois Burgundy's territorial appetite frightened the Swiss Confederacy, leading to the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477). Charles the Bold's armies suffered two large defeats in 1476, at Grandson and Morat. The Duke of Lorraine took advantage of that and took Nancy back. With a weakened army, Duke Charles persevered and wanted to besiege Nancy as quickly as possible. The union of the Swiss and Lorrainer armies defeated the Burgundians during the battle of 5 January 1477, in which Charles the Bold was killed.

The House of Burgundy-Habsburg

Philip the Handsome and his sons Ferdinand I and Charles V and his son-in-law Louis II of Hungary, by Bernhard Strigel

After Charles's death,

Philip
, aged three.

The

Emperor Charles V gave up on his claim to the Duchy of Burgundy
.

Maximilian I as King of the Romans, surrounded by the coat of arms of the Burgundian provinces, wall fresco at the Vöcklabruck City Tower, 1502

In 1512, the

War of the Spanish succession, the Habsburg Netherlands passed to Austria and remained in Austrian hands until the French conquest of the late 18th century. The Bourbon Restoration did not re-establish the Burgundian state, with the former Burgundian territories remaining divided between France, the Netherlands and, following the Belgian Revolution, modern-day Belgium
.

Institutions

Chapter of the Order of the Golden Fleece presided over by Charles the Bold in Valenciennes, 1473

The Court

The Court of Burgundy was

Chartreuse of Champmol, which was meant to be a burial place for the dynasty. But Philip the Good and his successors preferred to stay in the Netherlands, in towns such as Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, Lille, Arras and Hesdin
.

Around the Duke was his hôtel, the household having in charge the daily life of the Court, following the French model.

The wealthy Court of Burgundy displayed unprecedented splendor, culminating in the sumptuous wedding of Charles the Bold and Margaret of York, "the wedding of the century", still celebrated in Bruges nowadays every five years.

Another time for celebrations were the chapters of the Order of the Golden Fleece, were members of the order reunited. The order, who promoted chivalry and Christianity, was very influential in Europe.

The Burgundian Court was also a major artistic center. The

illustrated manuscripts of the dukes were well renowned, with illuminators such as Jean Miélot, Willem Vrelant, Loyset Liédet or Lieven van Lathem. The Early Netherlandish painting appeared thanks to the patronage of the duke of Burgundy: among the most famous of those "Flemish primitives" were Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Petrus Christus. In music, the composers of the Burgundian School were the leading composers in the mid-15th century Europe, such as Guillaume Du Fay, Gilles Binchois and Antoine Busnois
.

Politics

Jan van Eyck, The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin, c. 1435

Burgundian territories were roughly divided into two parts: Burgundy (Duchy and County) to the South; and the Netherlands to the North. The States General of the Netherlands were summoned for the first time on 9 January 1464 in Bruges, with representatives of the three estates from 16 or 17 provinces – giving its name to the Seventeen Provinces.

One institution was gaining power: the

Guillaume Hugonet succeeded him, and was a spokesman for Charles the Bold
: he would always express the Duke's political views (of himself as an absolute ruler) by addressing the towns or the States General.

Military

Burgundian army assembled soldiers from all the provinces. It relied on feudal duties, until Charles the Bold decided to modernize it by creating compagnies d'ordonnance, i.e. a regular army, based on the French model.

Justice

Parliament of Mechelen presided over by Charles the Bold
. 17th century drawing after a 15th-century original

Philip the Bold created a Parliament in Beaune, and around the duke was a judicial Grand Conseil, itinerant and under the jurisdiction of the Parlement of Paris, until 1471.

In December 1473,

Philip the Handsome
under the name of "Great Council of Mechelen".

Financial system

The Chambres des Comptes (Chambers of Accounts) were major elements of the centralization of power and of the modern financial system set up by the dukes. Philip the Bold created Chambers in Lille and Dijon; Philip the Good in Brussels and The Hague. Charles the Bold created in 1474 a unique Chamber for the Burgundian Netherlands, in Mechelen, like the Parliament. Mechelen became the capital of the Northern Burgundian administration. The city had the benefit of being an independent lordship, so neither Flanders, Brabant or Holland would be privileged by this choice.

The taxes were indirect. The towns refused direct taxes, but nonetheless the taxes only increased and were becoming more and more direct. Under Charles the Bold, the military campaigns were expensive and military aids were often demanded, until 1475 and the granting of an aid of 500,000 crowns by the States General of the Netherlands.

Symbols of Valois Burgundy

A wooden Cross of Burgundy with firesteel, sparks and the Golden Fleece
  • The arms of the duke were the arms of Burgundy quartered with Philip the Bold's old arms of Touraine. John the Fearless added the arms of Flanders; Philip the Good those of Brabant and Limburg.
  • John the Fearless chose a plane (rabot) as his personal emblem.
  • In John's war against the
    Armagnacs, he also chose to display a Cross of St. Andrew, meaning a diagonal cross, often red. Later it would be made of two wooden branches, making it a saw-toothed cross, the Cross of Burgundy
    .
  • A
    firesteel (showing the letter B) was also one of the Burgundian symbols, often represented alongside sparks
    .
  • The Golden Fleece was often shown as well, especially the whole collar of the Order's members, in heraldry.

The dynasty

Picture Name Birth Reign Notes Arms
Philip the Bold
(Philippe le Hardi)
(Filips de Stoute)
15 January 1342 6 September 1363 – 27 April 1404 Younger son of John II of France. Appointed duke of Burgundy in 1363. Married Margaret of Flanders in 1369.
John the Fearless
(Jean sans Peur)
(Jan zonder Vrees)
28 May 1371 27 April 1404 – 10 September 1419 Eldest son of Philip the Bold. Murdered at Montereau in 1419.
Philip the Good
(Philippe le Bon)
(Filips de Goede)
31 July 1396 10 September 1419 – 15 June 1467 Eldest son of John the Fearless.
Charles the Bold
(Charles le Téméraire)
(Karel de Stoute)
21 November 1433 15 June 1467 – 5 January 1477 Only legitimate surviving son of Philip the Good. Killed at the battle of Nancy, leading to the War of the Burgundian Succession.
Mary of Burgundy
(Marie de Bourgogne)
(Maria van Bourgondië)
13 February 1457 5 January 1477 – 27 March 1482 Only child of Charles the Bold. Married Maximilian of Austria in 1477.
Philip the Handsome

(Philippe le Beau)
(Filips de Schone)
22 July 1478 27 March 1482 – 25 September 1506 Eldest son of Duchess Mary. His father Maximilian is regent until 1494 (the regency
Joanna of Castille
in 1496 and became King consort of Castille.
Charles V
(Charles Quint)
(Karel V)
24 February 1500 25 September 1506 – 25 October 1555 Eldest son of Philip the Handsome. His aunt
of Spain and of Italy
.

Notes

  1. ^ In France, he is nowadays known as Charles le Téméraire, meaning "Charles the Rash".

References

  1. ^ a b c B. Schnerb, L'État bourguignon, 1999
  2. ^ R. Vaughan, Valois Burgundy, 1975
  3. ^ E. Doudet, "Le surnom du prince : la construction de la mémoire historique par un Rhétoriqueur", Questes, no 2, 2002, pp. 6–7
  4. ^ A. van Oosterwijk, Staging the Court of Burgundy (Studies in Medieval and Early Renaissance Art History), 2013
  5. ^ For an English account, H. Pirenne, "The Formation and Constitution of the Burgundian State (Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries)", The American Historical Review, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Apr. 1909), pp. 477–502
  6. ^ Jean-Marie Cauchies, "État bourguignon ou États bourguignons? De la singularité d’un pluriel", in: P.C.M. Hoppenbrouwers, Antheun Janse et Robert Stein, Power and Persuasion, Essays on the Art of State Building in Honour of W.P. Blockmans, 2010, pp. 49–58
  7. ^ a b Marc Boone, "Yet another failed state?", in: Peter Arnade (ed.), Rereading Huizinga: Autumn of the Middle Ages, a Century Later, 2019.
  8. ^ E. Lecuppre-Desjardin, "Burgundian History: a mirror of European venture?", 2017
  9. ^ R. Stein, Magnanimous Dukes and Rising States: The Unification of the Burgundian Netherlands, 1380–1480, 2017
  10. ^ J. Boulton, "The Order of the Golden Fleece and the Creation of Burgundian National Identity", in: The Ideology of Burgundy: The Promotion of National Consciousness, 1364–1565, 2006
  11. ^ Wim Blockmans and Walter Prevenier, The Promised Lands. The Low Countries Under Burgundian Rule, 1369–1530, 1999
  12. ^ J. B. Henneman, Olivier de Clisson and Political Society in France Under Charles V and Charles VI, 1996
  13. ^ R. Vaughan, Philip the Good: The Apogee of Burgundy, 1970
  14. ^ a b Bart Van Loo (2020). les Téméraires : Quand la Bourgogne défiait l'Europe. Paris: Flammarion.
  15. ^ a b R. Vaughan, Charles the Bold: The Last Valois Duke of Burgundy, 1973

Bibliography