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The 'Burgundian Circle' () was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It was created in 1512 by Charles of Habsburg, Duke of Burgundy, and later Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
As such it was a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France (Artois, Nord) and a small part of the West of Germany.
The Seventeen Provinces was the name originally given to this personal union, when it was hold by the Dukes of Burgundy of the House of Valois. Once the personal union fell to the Archdukes of Austria of the House of Habsburg the name Burgundian Circle was introduced.
The territorial scope of this circle was reduced considerably in the 17th century with the secession of the Seven United Provinces in 1581 and the annexation of the Free County of Burgundy to France in 1678.
The occupation and subsequent annexation of German territory to the west of the Rhine by revolutionary France in the 1790s effectively brought an end to the circle's existence.

Contents

Composition

History

See also

External links

Composition

The circle was made up of the following states:
# the Margraviate of Antwerp — held by the Dukes of Brabant
# the County of Artois — annexed by France in 1659
# the Imperial City of Besançon — annexed by France in 1678
# the Duchy of Brabant
# the Free County of Burgundy — annexed by France in 1678
# the County of Drenthe — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# the County of Flanders
# the Lordship of West-Frisia — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# the Lordship of Groningen — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# the Duchy of Guelders — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579, apart from Upper Guelders
# the County of Hainaut
# the County of Holland — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# the Duchy of Limburg — held by the Dukes of Brabant
# the Duchy of Luxembourg
# the Lordship of Mechelen — held by the Dukes of Brabant
# the County of Namur
# the Lordship of Overijssel — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# Prince-Bishopric, and later Lordship of Utrecht — seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# the County of Zeeland — held by the Counts of Holland, seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579
# the County of Zutphen — held by the Dukes of Guelders, seceded and formed the United Provinces from 1579

History

The Seventeen Provinces originated from the Burgundian Netherlands. The dukes of Burgundy systematically became the lord of different provinces. Mary I of Valois, duchess of Burgundy was the last of the House of Burgundy.
When she married, Maximilian I of Habsburg, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the provinces were inherited by the House of Habsburg in 1482 . His grandson and successor Charles V of Habsburg, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and duke of Burgundy eventially united all XVII provinces under his rule, the last one being the duchy of Guelders, in 1543.
Most of these provinces were fiefs under the Holy Roman Empire, of which Charles himself became Emperor. Two provinces, the county of Flanders and county of Artois, were originally French fiefs, but sovereignty was ceded to the Empire in the Treaty of Cambrai in 1529.
The Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 determined that the Provinces should remain united in the future and inherited by the same monarch. Therefore, Charles V introduced the title of ''Heer der Nederlanden'' (Lord of the Netherlands). Only he and his son could ever used this title.
After Charles V's abdication in 1556, his realms became divided between his son, Philip II of Habsburg, king of Spain, and his brother, Ferdinand I. The Seventeen Provinces went to his son, the king of Spain.
Conflicts between Philip II and his Dutch subjects led to the Eighty Years' War, which started in 1568. The seven northern provinces gained their independence as a republic called the Seven United Provinces. They were:
# the Lordship of Groningen and of the Ommelanden
# the Lordship of Friesland
# the Lordship of Overijssel
# the duchy of Guelders (except its upper quarter) and the county of Zutphen
# the prince-bishopric, later lordship of Utrecht
# the county of Holland
# the county of Zeeland
The southern provinces, Flanders, Brabant, Namur, Hainaut, Luxembourg a.o., were restored to Spanish rule thanks to the military and political talent of the Duke of Parma, especially at the siege of Antwerp (1584-1585). Hence, these Provinces became known as the 'Spanish Netherlands' or Southern Netherlands.
The northern Seven United Provinces kept parts of Limburg, Brabant and Flanders during the Eighty Years' War (''see Generality Lands''), which was ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.
Artois, and parts of Flanders and Hainaut were ceded to France in the course of the 17th and 18th century.

See also

★ Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands

★ The Netherlands (disambiguation)

★ Seventeen Provinces

★ Benelux

★ Low Countries

External links

★ Map of the Seventeen Provinces (1555)