Republic of Burgundy

Many would assume that the Battle of Nancy would be the end of the Duchy of Burgundy. With the Duke, Charles the Bold killed and no surviving male heirs, the French King Louis XI attempted to move swiftly to absorb Burgundy into the French realms. He could not contend with Charles daughter, Mary, selecting Maximillian I, Archduke of Austria, as her coruler. When Mary was able to succeed, where her father had not, managing to convince her father-in law to raise the Duchy to a kingdom. With this move, Burgundy’s future as an independent polity was assured.

               Burgundy prosperity lasted some time until the Reformation came. While most of Burgundy remained true to the Catholic faith, the Netherlands, one of the Kingdom’s most prosperous provinces, became Protestant, spurring an Eighty-year conflict that ends with an independent Netherlands and a devasted Burgundy. It would take at least a half century for the Burgundian kingdoms to return to pre-war population and economic growth.

               Burgundy greatest challenge was to come with the French Revolution. Like much of Western Europe, Burgundy was swept up by the masses of Revolutionary troops, who conquered the kingdom and turned it into a “client Republic.” The revolutionary republican Burgundy was used as an experimental lab for new ideas, which if successful could transfer to the mother republic. one of which was federalism, an idea imported from the United States. Napoleon annexed Burgundy directly into his French Empire, but the old Kingdom was restored at the Congress of Vienna, to act as a buffer state against France.

               The revolutions of 1848 signaled the end of the old kingdom, as popular sentiment for a progressive reforms and inter-ethnic tensions led to rioting and rebellion. King Charles II chose to abdicate in the face of these challenges, and the modern republic took shape from there, first under the provisional government, then a more permanent form. Federalism was bought back with the adoption of the constitution of 1853.

               Burgundy was an early pioneer of the industrial revolution, taking advantage of the large coal deposits in Wallonia to fuel its factories. On the continent, Burgundy tried to disavow itself of treaty entanglements, playing off competing power blocks against each other. One major incident of note in this time is when Burgundy allowed passage of Prussian troops during the Franco-Prussian war, under Bismarck’s threat to invade Burgundy itself. Outside the continent, the country entered the Scramble for Africa relatively late, only taking possession of the Burgundian Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

               Despite Burgundian efforts, it was forced to enter WWI when Germany invaded the country in 1914, the Germany army seeking a easy route into France. Burgundy suffered heavily in the Great War, with much of the trench warfare occurring in its territory. Just as Burgundy was recovering from the effects of that war, Germany invaded again in 1940, conquering the Republic, which was not restored until 1945.

               Being devastated by the two World Wars, Burgundy was eager to prevent a third, becoming one of the strongest proponents of European integration. This results of this advocacy can be seen in the role Burgundy plays in the EU today, with the European-level institutions being headquartered in Dijon.

               The flag ( ) is just a recolour of the Burgundy cross, a symbol of Burgundy since the 15^th century. Map made in Inkscape/paint, and the flag in paint.

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