The Burgundian inheritance in the Low Countries consisted of numerous fiefs held by the Dukes of Burgundy in modern-day Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and in parts of France and Germany. The duke of Burgundy was originally a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy and later of the House of Habsburg. Given that the dukes of Burgundy lost Burgundy proper to the Kingdom of France in 1477, and were never able to recover it, while retaining Charolais and the Free County of Burgundy, they moved their court to the Low Countries. The Burgundian Low Countries were ultimately expanded to include Seventeen Provinces under Emperor Charles V. The Burgundian inheritance then passed to the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs under King Philip II of Spain, whose rule was contested by the Dutch revolt, and fragmented into the Spanish Netherlands and the Dutch republic. Following the War of the Spanish succession, the Spanish 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 states, with the former Burgundian territories remaining divided between France, the Netherlands and, following the Belgian Revolution, modern-day Belgium.
Around the 13th and early 14th century, various Dutch cities became so important that they started playing a major role in the political and economical affairs of their respective fiefs.[1] At the same time, the political system of relatively petty lords was ending, and stronger rulers (with actual power over larger territories) started to emerge. In the case of the Dutch, these two developments resulted in the political unification of all Dutch fiefs within a supra-regional state. This process started in the 14th century, with the Flemish cities gaining previously unseen powers over their county.When Count Louis II of Flanders, died without a male heir, these cities (Bruges, Ypres, and Ghent) arranged a marriage between his daughter, future Countess Margaret III, and the duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold. By doing this, they set in motion a chain of events eventually leading to the establishment and expansion of the Burgundian Low Countries.
See main article: Burgundian Netherlands.
| Year | Valois-Burgundian monarch | Acquired fiefs | Method | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1384 | Philip the Bold | County of Flanders, Artois, and Franche-Comté | Inheritance | Death of Philip's father-in-law, Louis II of Flanders, whose daughter and heir, Margaret III, was Philip's wife. |
| 1421 | Philip the Good | County of Namur | Purchase | Bought from John III, Marquis of Namur. |
| 1430 | Brabant, and Limburg. | Inheritance | Philip of Brabant died childless, leaving his cousin Philip as his heir. | |
| 1432 | County of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut | Treaty | Offered position after victory of the Hollandic cities in the Hook and Cod wars. | |
| 1443 | Duchy of Luxembourg | Conquest | ||
| 1456 | Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht | Client state | Philip managed that his illegitimate son, David, was elected Bishop of Utrecht, leading to the First and Second Utrecht Civil War. | |
| Prince-Bishopric of Liège | Client state | Philip had his nephew Louis of Bourbon become Prince-Bishop of Liège, leading to the Liège Wars. | ||
| 1473 | Charles the Bold | Duchy of Guelders | Purchase | Bought from Duke Arnold. The house of Burgundy lost this title at Charles's death in 1477. |
| 1477 | Duchy of Burgundy (lost) | Annexation by France | Charles the Bold died fighting an alliance led by the King of France. France annexed the Duchy of Burgundy, but the title Duke of Burgundy remained in titular use, as seen with his only child, his daughter Mary of Burgundy (Mary the Rich). |
See main article: article, Habsburg Netherlands and Burgundian Circle.
| Year | Habsburg monarch | Acquired fiefs | Method | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1478 | Mary of Burgundy | Burgundian Netherlands, To de facto Habsburg control. | Marriage | Mary marries Maximilian I of Habsburg. | |
| 1482 | Maximilian I of Habsburg | Burgundian Netherlands, To de jure Habsburg control as the Habsburg Netherlands. | Inheritance | Death of Mary the Rich, Maximilian assumes rule. | |
| County of Artois (lost) | Treaty | Ceded to France by the Treaty of Arras. | |||
| 1493 | Philip IV the Handsome | County of Artois, Burgundy and Charolais | Treaty | Treaty of Senlis | |
| 1506 | Charles V | All Habsburg-Burgundian lands | Inheritance | Charles becomes Lord of the Netherlands. | |
| 1516- 1519 | King of Spain, Archduke of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor *Not in low countries | Inheritance | |||
| 1521 | Tournai and the Tournaisis | Conquest | |||
| 1524 | Frisia, Renamed Lordship of Frisia | Conquest | Conquered during the Guelders Wars. | ||
| 1528 | Bishopric of Utrecht, Annexed as Lordship of Utrecht and Lordship of Overijssel | Liberated | Liberated from Guelders during the Guelders Wars. | ||
| 1536 | Lordship of Groningen and County of Drenthe | Conquest | Conquered during the Guelders Wars. | ||
| 1543 | Duchy of Guelders and the County of Zutphen | Conquest | Reclaimed and conquered during the Guelders Wars. | ||
| 1549 | Habsburg Netherlands, Reorganized as the Seventeen Provinces. | Edict | Pragmatic Sanction | ||
| 1555 | Philip II of Spain | Seventeen Provinces, Established as the Spanish Netherlands. | Inheritance | Charles V transfers power of the Seventeen Provinces to his son Philip. |
Politically, the Burgundian and Habsburg periods were of tremendous importance to the Dutch, as the various Dutch fiefs were now united politically into one single entity.[2] The period ended in great turmoil, as the rise of Protestantism, the centralist policies of the Habsburg Empire, and other factors resulted in the Dutch Revolt and the Eighty Years' War.