Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy was a polity centered on Dijon, ruled by French dukes and later by the Valois-Burgundian dynasty. France conquered it in 1477.
Kingdom of Burgundy: A medieval kingdom in the regions around the Rhône and Saône, with shifting borders and rulers. The duchy's name and early territorial history derive from this broader medieval kingdom.
Philip the Bold: The first Valois Duke of Burgundy, ruling from 1363 to 1404 and founder of the Valois-Burgundian line. His inheritance and marriage alliances launched the dynasty's expansion.
Appanage: A grant of land or revenue made by a monarch to support a younger child or dynastic branch. The duchy was granted as an appanage to Philip the Bold in 1363.
Battle of Nancy: The 1477 battle in which Swiss and Lorraine forces defeated and killed Charles the Bold. Charles's death there left the duchy without a male Valois-Burgundian heir.
County of Burgundy: A medieval county east of the Saône, corresponding largely to modern Franche-Comté. Unlike the duchy, the county lay east of the Saône and was not part of the French royal fief.
Treaty of Verdun: The 843 agreement that divided the Carolingian Empire among Louis the German, Charles the Bald, and Lothair I. Its partition shaped the political geography from which later Burgundian territories emerged.
John the Fearless: Duke of Burgundy from 1404 to 1419, involved in the French civil war between Armagnacs and Burgundians. His rule brought the duchy into a decisive struggle for power in France.
House of Valois-Burgundy: The dynasty descended from Philip the Bold that ruled Burgundy from 1363 until 1477. Its successive rulers used inheritance, marriage, and conquest to enlarge their possessions.
Treaty of Arras (1482): The 1482 agreement between France and the Habsburgs that partitioned parts of the Burgundian inheritance. It formalized a settlement over territories disputed after Charles the Bold's death.
Kingdom of Upper Burgundy: A medieval kingdom centered on the western Alps and the upper Rhône and Saône valleys. It was a separate kingdom, not the Dijon-centered French duchy.