Abstract:

Traditional opinion is that the Hundred Years’ War between England and France in the late Middle Ages consolidated the national consciousness of Western European countries and facilitated the formation of two nation states, i.e., England and France. However, the construction of the Burgundy state indicates that a homogeneous French nation-state was far from being formed during this period, and Valois France did not complete its national construction. The Duchy of Burgundy, located in the eastern part of France, not only gained independence from the Kingdom of France through marriage and expansion, but also strengthened regional national identity through construction of institution and capital city, almost becoming an independent kingdom that included regions such as northern and eastern parts of France and Belgium. The Duke of Burgundy made efforts to expand and integrate his feudal territories, laying the foundation for national construction and leaving behind longue-durée influence. In the late Middle Ages, the territorial states derived from feudal territories facilitated the transformation of urban and regional spaces, reflecting the complexity and diversity of the Western transition from feudal times to the era of modern states.

Key words: late Medieval Ages, France, Burgundy Duchy, territorial states