<b>Burgundy (1363-1477)<b>

When the Franks settled on the borders of modern France, the Burgundians too found a place of living. Their independence was soon curbed and they became integrated into the French and German realms, split up.
It would take until 1363 before Burgundy would rise again. In that year, French King Jean II appointed his son Philippe Duke of Burgundy, for defending him with exceptional heroism at the battle of Poitiers.
Philippe the Bold, as he became known, married Margareta, heiress to the county of Flanders; the territory was soon added to the Burgundian domains, along with the German part of Burgundy.
Philippe the Bold was a clever politician, and during the reign of the mad king Charles VI he became virtual ruler of the realm, furthering his own dynastic ambitions, laying the foundations for the success of his heirs.

When Philippe died (1404), his son, Jean the Fearless, took over the reins, establishing a more forceful foreign policy. His father had always worked through means of diplomacy, but Jean excelled not only in cloak-and-dagger intrigues but also in military command. After the assassination of the brother of the king, the duke of Orlans, on Jean's orders, a civil war broke out. The Burgundian faction managed to exploit this very well, and after many of their opponents had died on the field of Azincourt (1415), the northern French cities for a large part turned coat. Threatened by the Burgundian expansion, the dauphin, the future Charles VII, had Jean assassinated during peace negotiations on the bridge of Montereau (1419).

Jean's son would bring Burgundy to its greatest glory: he was known as Philippe the Good. More than doubling Burgundian territory, Philippe added the territories of Brabant, Holland, Zeeland, Hainault, Limburg and Luxembourg, while putting the bishoprics of Cambrai, Liege and Utrecht safely in his sphere of influence.
This grand expansion was achieved mostly through diplomacy, but in military matters, also, Philip proved quite capable. A war of attrition was fought over Holland, eventually won through determination. Apart from that, Philippe continued the war with France for two more decades, and suppressed uprisings in Flanders and Liege.

Philippe's greatest claim to fame, however, was the Burgundian court. Under his reign, his court became one of the most prosperous in Europe, and his knightly order, the Order of the Golden Fleece, was the perfect example of chivalrous conduct; Burgundian dinners were the best one could have, and Philippe's court was also leading in clothing fashion.
Flanders, especially, became known for its beautiful illuminated manuscripts, Dutch trade prospered as never before, and the architecture of Brabant was admired throughout his territory: certainly, the Burgundian realm, a kingdom in all but name, brought great advantages to those who lived in it.

Philippe was a merry man, responsible for a great many bastards, but only leaving one legitimate heir: Charles the Bold. Charles was a warlike fellow. Ever since the War of the Public Weal, he had taken a serious interest in military matters. When he became duke of Burgundy (1467), he went against the tradition of peaceful acquisition.
No Burgundian duke had to fight as many wars as Charles the Bold. He fought the French, conquered Guelders, burnt down rebellious Liege, faced revolt in his newly claimed territories of Alsace and Lorraine, and was attacked by the Swiss. Although Charles was the best general of all the dukes of Burgundy, even he could not face this onslaught.
In 1477, Charles the Bold, aged 44, was killed in the battle of Nancy. Leaving only a female heiress, his 18-year-old daughter Mary, the Burgundian state seemed to fall apart. However, Mary married Maximilian of Habsburg, the son of the emperor. Losing Burgundy and the Somme towns to France, Maximilian surprisingly managed to hold on to the other territories.

The Habsburgs were on the rise, and Maximilian's grandson was Charles V, Holy Roman emperor as well as king of Spain. Although the Burgundian inheritance had been saved, the last remnant of the once mighty Burgundian realm was the Order of the Golden Fleece, which continues to exist to this very day in both Austria and Spain.
