Thread by @Arby_K

.@bartvanloo talks of the Burgundians who almost carved out a nation in between France and Germany.

(The first of those nations came a century after they were gone)

It is interesting to note that the history of the Burgundians are not commonly taught in the Low Countries. 1/5

The Burgundy "project" as it ended up took a century in making when four successive Dukes of Burgundy acquired a large part of what we call the Low Countries. 2/5

Burgundy, like Lorraine, and to an extent, Switzerland, were the successors of a failed partition of the Carolingian Empire - Middle Francia. While France and Germany fought over it, it got divided into many parts which showed independent character. 3/5

The major regions included Flanders and Brabant whose rulers had close Carolingian ancestry. The rulers of Brabant were likely descended from Emperor Lothair's daughter, while those of Flanders descended from French King Charles the Bald. 4/5

The originals Burgundians were a Germanic tribe from Roman times, who got incorporated into the Frankish Kingdom. The name was retained after Middle Francia was divided. The Duchy of Burgundy formed the initial base for the House of Valois Burgundy. 5/5

I think the English should be relieved that the Burgundians didn't succeed in crossing the Channel earlier. Two of them had better luck traveling south of the Pyrenees, though. 6/8

Though they came from earlier Burgundy families. Henri de Bourgogne's son, Afonso, was the first King of Portugal, while Raimond de Bourgogne's descendants would rule in Castile and later re-unite Spain in early 16th century. 7/8

The Order of the Golden Fleece, the chivalric order of Burgundy later inherited by the Habsburgs, has a reference to Burgundy, with the firesteel showcasing B for Burgundy. 8/8

britishmuseum.org/collection/ter…