Burgundians

Around the turn of the 5th century AD, the vast Roman Empire was unable to prevent the irruption of hostile Germanic tribes into its territory. One such group, the Burgundians, crossed the Rhine into Gaul and became established as Roman federates by 411. Peace did not hold, however, and around 437 the Romans employed Hunnic mercenaries against their former allies. Many Burgundians and their king, Gundaharius, were slaughtered, an event immortalized in Germanic epic works such as the Poetic Edda, Völsunga saga, and the Nibelungenlied.

The following century was a tumultuous one. As the Hunnic and Western Roman empires fell into ruin, the surviving Burgundians carved out another kingdom along the upper Rhône River. This polity rose to prominence under Gundobad (452-516), a devout Christian who was most famous for enacting a law code reconciling Germanic tribal norms with Roman legal concepts. Gundobad’s sons, however, could not resist the incursions of their aggressive Merovingian Frankish neighbors, and the kingdom was overrun by the Franks by 534.

With the collapse of the Carolingian Frankish Empire in the 9th century, central authority gave way to local magnates who largely ruled independent polities, even if nominally under the authority of the king. One of these, Duke Richard the Justiciar (858-921), managed to increase his power so considerably that his son Rudolph was even elected King of France in 923. As the Capetian kings created a powerful ruling dynasty in France, the Duchy of Burgundy retained a position of power and prominence, but nevertheless subordination.

Over the next several centuries, the dukes of Burgundy endeavored to aggrandize themselves as much as possible through shrewd diplomacy and capable management of their domains. A vibrant monastic culture blossomed under Burgundian patronage; many of these monasteries became centers of learning and viticulture, a tradition that exists in the region to the modern day. As a crossroads between the medieval states in modern-day France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, Burgundy enjoyed a powerful position in inter-regional trade and commerce.

The Duchy of Burgundy reached its zenith during the 14th and 15th centuries under a series of powerful dukes known as the House of Valois-Burgundy. Through marriage, Duke Philip the Bold (1342-1404) acquired influence in Flanders, a region famed for its lucrative maritime, wool, and textile trades, but troublesome due to the independent tendencies of its cities. Philip’s son, John the Fearless (1371-1419), violently expanded Burgundian influence in the Low Countries, but primarily occupied himself with a bloody civil war against the Armagnacs, a faction of French dukes competing with Burgundy for influence in the French royal court. The conflict culminated in John’s seizure of Paris, but John was assassinated by his rivals immediately thereafter.

By this time, the Hundred Years’ War was in full-swing, with the English also threatening French royal sovereignty and claiming the crown. In response to John’s murder, his successor, Philip the Good (1396-1467), did the previously unthinkable and allied himself with the English while greatly expanding his control over several counties and duchies in the Low Countries. As duke, Philip was known as a shrewd diplomat, an effective military expansionist, and an opportunistic, charismatic ruler who paired martial and political prowess with cultural patronage and economic growth. Burgundian wealth reached opulence, and Philip’s affinity for foreign--particularly Flemish and Italian--art and other luxuries had a considerable influence on other European courts. Philip also famously captured the French heroine Joan of Arc and sold her to the English in 1430; subsequently, in 1435 he reneged on his alliance with the English and turned coat to support the French king.

The Burgundian military enjoyed great success during this period due to its willingness to employ cutting-edge technology and tactics. Burgundian dukes used early artillery and firearms to deadly effect, and their armies were largely composed of professional forces as well. Mobile armed retinues of knights including the coustilliers, versatile medium cavalry who supported mounted knights in battle, formed a deadly complement to the rest of the army. This powerful military engendered the delusion of kingship in Philip’s successor, Charles the Bold (1433-1477), whose belligerent nature threatened all of his neighbors. A failed invasion of the Swiss Confederacy culminated in his death in 1477, however, and he died without a male heir. Following his death, Burgundy was divided between the French crown, which claimed its lands, and the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, who married Philip’s daughter Mary.