French administrative area made up by the departments of Doubs (25), the Jura (39), the Haute-Saône (70) and the Territory of Belfort (90). Surface: 16' 202 km2. Population: 1 ' 117' 059 inhabitants (1999). Capital: Besancon (also chief town of Doubs); chief towns of departments: Belfort (Territory of Belfort), Lons-the-Salt maker (the Jura) and Vesoul (Haute-Saône).

Fallen into 534 with the hands Francs, Burgondie, sometimes attached to the kingdom of Austrasie, sometimes forming a duchy or an independent kingdom, was consequently mixed with the general history with France. To the VIII ^E century, Buckwheats devastated it, but they were crushed into 732 per Charles Martel and, soon, old Séquanaise belonged to the Carolingian empire; after the death of Charlemagne, the fights for hegemony started again until, in 843, the treaty of Verdun allotted to Lothaire I all the area ranging between the Rhine, the Saone and the Rhone. It was the origin of the claims of the Holy roman Empire on these territories of Gallic origin and Latin language.

In 870, Charles the Bald person seized all Séquanaise, heritage of Louis II the Stammerer. In October 879, the bishops of Burgondie, joined together in Mantaille (Drome), proclaimed Boson king of all the area going from the Saone in the Mediterranean, and the Alps in the Rhone; this kingdom bore in turn the name of kingdom of Provence and kingdom of Burgundy. Its possession was at the origin of fights which bloodied the area until 1038.

Rodolphe III Lazy, last king de Bourgogne (993-1032), bequeathed to its death its kingdom with the emperor Conrad II the Salic one who, to the diet of Soleure (1038), attached it to the Empire. They whereas the county of Burgundy was constituted completely, was indicated later under the name of Franche-Comté (or County), whose the seigniories of Montbeliard and the principat of Besancon were separate, left with the archbishops.

In 1148, Frederic I ^er Barberousse married Béatrix, heiress of the count Renaud II, and Pares, of which it increases the castle, became one of his favorite residences, in the absence of Besancon. One of the sons of Barberousse, Otton, who had the heritage of his mother, took the title of Count Palatine of Burgundy (1169). After the death of Frederic to the crusade (1190), from heir of heir, the county of Burgundy passed to the XIII ^E century of the house of the Count Palatines to the houses of Méranie (1208) and Trawl-net (1248). It was joined together one moment with the crown of France (1316) by the marriage of Jeanne of Burgundy, girl of the count Otton IV, with Philippe, count de Poitiers, become in 1317 the king of France Philippe V Length; but, with the death of this one in 1322, its widow left the County to her Jeanne daughter, who married Eudes IV, duke of Burgundy: the two Burgundies, duchy and county, were thus joined together. But the aristocracy comtoise was raised against Eudes and called upon the English, who devastated the country.

The grandson and heir to Eudes, Philippe de Rouvre, having died without posterity in 1361, the States of this prince were dismembered: while the duchy of Burgundy returned to the crown of France, the County échut with the great-aunt of late, Marguerite of Flanders, girl of Jeanne of Burgundy and Philippe V. It was under the reign of this princess that for the first time in an instrument the name of Franche-Comté appeared (treated of June 27th, 1366 between Marguerite and the count Henri of Montbeliard).

After the death of his/her son Louis de Male, count de Flandre, the County passed to its grand-daughter, Marguerite, who had married Philippe II the Bold one (1384). This prince, fourth son of king de France Jean the Good, had received in prerogative the duchy of Burgundy in 1363. Again county and duchy of Burgundy were thus joined together under the second ducal house of Burgundy, that of Valois, 1384 to 1477.

Philippe the Bold one, duke and count de Bourgogne, reorganized in 1394 the Parliament of the County and installed it in Dole. His/her son, the count of Nevers, during a French forwarding against the sultan Bayazid I ^er, was made prisoner with the battle of Nicopolis, which was a rout for the crusaders: Henri de Montfaucon, single heir to the count de Montbéliard, and the old admiral Jean of Vienna perished there (1396). The count of Nevers, become count-duke of Burgundy and known under the name of Jean without Fear, supported the commune of Besancon to reduce the temporal power of the prince-archbishops. His/her son, Philippe the Good, establishes in Dole a university (1422). This union of the two Burgundies ended with the death of the fourth count-duke, Charles the Bold, killed with the battle of Nancy (1477).

With the death of Bold, Louis XI claimed the duchy of Burgundy like male stronghold turning over of right to the crown in the absence of male heir. At the same time as the duchy, it made militarily occupy the County by the lord de Craon, then by the lord d' Amboise. However, Marie of Burgundy, girl of Bold, had married the emperor Maximilien I ^er. Taking the offensive in Franche-Comté, Charles d' Amboise seized Pares in 1479, and set fire to the city. Pulled by its love for Louise of Savoy, niece of king, Hugues of Trawl-net-Arlay delivered Salins, Arbois and Poligny; Besancon entrusted to the guard of Louis XI. In 1484, the states of the Franche-Comté recognized as suzerain Charles VIII who had just succeeded his father and who was promised in marriage to Marguerite of Austria, girl of Marie of Burgundy and Maximilien. But Charles VIII having finally married Anne of Brittany, Comtois rose and, after a victory gained with Dournon, close to Saline, over the French governor Jean de Baudricourt, rising was general. Soon the treaty of Senlis (May 23rd, 1493) returned the Franche-Comté to the heirs to Marie of Burgundy.

Maximilien, father and tutor of the grandchildren of Charles the Bold, controlled the Franche-Comté until the majority of its Philippe son the Beautiful. This young prince, who hardly appeared in the country, married Jeanne, heiress of Espagnes, and died in 1506, leaving to succeed a five year old to him child who was to become Charles Quint. Maximilien, tutor of this child, instituted his sovereign Marguerite daughter for life of Franche-Comté and controlling of the Netherlands during the minority of the young Charles. Marguerite had married in 1501 the duke of Savoy, Philibert the Beautiful, which died prematurely in 1504 (at this point in time it decided to make build the church of Husks to shelter the tomb of her husband).

Under the wise government of this princess, the Franche-Comté was managed by itself: the power belonged jointly to it to the commanding officer, Guillaume de Vergy, at the Parliament of Pares which had at its head Mercurin de Gatinara, and with the states of the province. In 1512, Mercurin de Gatinara, become cardinal, negotiated with France a treaty, renewed in 1522 and guaranteed by the Swiss ones, which neutralized the Franche-Comté in time of war. This treaty avoided in the Franche-Comté misfortunes of the war between François I ^er and Charles Quint. After the death of Malines Marguerite (1530), Charles Quint confirmed the franknesses, freedoms and privileges of the county of Burgundy, and maintained the form of government. After the death of Charles Quint (1558), the County passed to the Spanish branch of the house of Austria and remained to him until 1674.

Under the Spanish domination, the Franche-Comté lives to develop its prosperity, its institutions and its franknesses, enjoying by way of a broad autonomy. Comtoises families, in particular Granvelle and Carondelet, returned, during the last years of the XV ^E century, the greatest services with the Maximilien emperors and Charles Quint, and could use of their influence to the profit of their native land. One needed all the skill of Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, Minister of Justice of Charles Quint, so that Besancon remained faithful to Catholicism, whereas the country of Montbeliard, under the impulse of Farel, adopted the reformed religion.

Until 1595, the neutrality of the Franche-Comté was respected, but Henri IV, wanting to finish some with the duke of Mayenne which held the duchy of Burgundy and supplied in the County, made it invade by Louis de Beauveau-Tremblecourt and several thousands of men. Tremblecourt which has had to move back in front of the more army of the constable of Castille, Henri IV ran at once, beat Mayenne with Fountain-Frenchwoman (June 5th, 1595), and was thrown on the Franche-Comté with a strong army, holding to ransom the places, ransacking the small towns and destroying the strong castles; during this countryside, the marshal of Biron announced himself by his cruelty. After this incursion devastator, Henri IV withdrew himself and granted the re-establishment of the pact of neutrality. Although advantageous for the king of France, the peace of Vervins (1598) concluded with Spain did not modify of anything the statute the Franche-Comté, which remained under the Spanish domination. 

In 1631, the Franche-Comté having successively given asylum to Gaston of Orleans and Charles IV of Lorraine, Richelieu estimated that neutrality was broken, and the Franche-Comté was involved in the storm of military operations of the Thirty Year old war. In 1635, Richelieu preparing to invade it, the whole Franche-Comté, irrespective of class, drew up itself on the defensive. On May 29th, 1636, the prince of Condé put the seat in front of Dole, but the defense of the city was heroic and, on on August 14th, after two months of seat, threatened by an army of help of Imperial, Condé had to beat a retreat.

However, all the remainder of the country was ransacked by the Swedes of Bernard of Saxony-Weimar, combined France. Except for the four principal fortified towns of the County, Besancon, Saline, Gray and Dole, almost all the cities were taken, set fire to and plundered, in spite of the heroism of Lacuzon and Jean Varroz, legendary defenders of independence comtoise. In little time, the populations were reduced to misery by the devastations and the contributions of war, and were decimated by an epidemic of plague. Dead Saxony-Weimar (1639), Richelieu replaced it by the marquis de Villeroy. Lastly, in 1642, Mazarin, while arriving at the power, decided to give up the County and, as Henri IV had done it previously, restored the benefit of neutrality to him. 

The treaties of Westphalia (1648) did nothing but confirm on this point the treaty already occurred. But, since 1665, with the death of the king Philippe IV of Spain, Louis XIV claimed the Franche-Comté and the Netherlands, in the name of his Marie-Therese wife, girl of the first bed of Philippe IV. The states, joined together with Dole in January 1666, lent oath to new king d' Espagne, Charles II, but the frame of mind of the country was not any more the same one, and the French cause had gained ground. Also, on on February 4th, 1668, Cop having entered to Franche-Comté, Pares and Saline their doors opened after a short resistance, and Besancon went to the summation; in fifteen days, the country had been subjected. But, three months later, the treaty of Aachen, putting fine at the war of Devolution, returned the Franche-Comté to Spain.

In 1674, the war being again declared between France and Spain, the duke of Navailles invades the Franche-Comté. In front of energetic resistance met, Louis XIV itself had to come to put the seat in front of Besancon, and the country was subjected only after one very serious six month campaign.

In 1678, the treaties of Nimègue gave the County to France, and a triumphal arch, the Saint Martin's day door, in Paris, could be high with the glory of the Sun king, in memory of this conquest.

Strengthened by Vauban, Besancon became the capital of the province; the Parliament and the university of Pare were transferred there, the first in 1676, the second in 1691. The county of Montbeliard recognized the suzerainty of France. The Bresse, Bugey and the country of Gex having already been yielded to France by the duke of Savoy under the terms of the treaty of Lyon (1601), all the French region of the Jura, was thus joined together with the crown of France.

With the Revolution, accommodated with enthusiasm, the Franche-Comté was divided into three departments: Haute-Saône, Doubs and the Jura, corresponding to little thing close with the three old bailiwicks of Upstream (Vesoul chief town), the Medium (Besancon chief town) and Downstream (chief town Lons-the-Salt maker). The country of Montbeliard was joined together in France only in 1793 and was attached to the department of Doubs.

In 1814, Besancon supported a three months blockade, and the volunteers of Bugey and Franche-Comté slowed down more once walk of the Allies.

 During the war of 1870-1871, the Germans occupied the Haute-Saône; after the combat of Villersexel and Héricourt, they invaded the north of the Jura, seized Pares which, private means of defense, resisted only a few hours, then sought to cut the line of retirement of the army of the East. The artillery of the forts the Saline ones, Joux and Larmont protected the retirement and 85' 000 French, exhausted, could penetrate in Switzerland where they were interned.

In June 1940, the Franche-Comté was quickly invaded by the Germans, almost without engagements. Coming from Vesoul, the troops of the III ^E Reich arrived at Besancon on on June 17th, then being folded back quickly towards the east, reached the Swiss border the 18, in the area of Russey, thus cutting the retirement of the French forces of Alsace which tried to gain the South while skirting the border.

During the occupation, the Franche-Comté was one of the regions of election of Resistance. As from on June 6th, 1944, and unloading of the allied forces in Normandy, the action of Resistance entered an active military phase. The maquis, organized in the mountains, attacked and badgered the enemy convoys. The men of the maquis, reinforced new recruits, attacked even the German camps of Marsonnas and of Mantenay-Montlin, in Ain, and the action of the patriots took the aspect of a true insurrection. Thus a whole zone of the department of Ain, located between Revermont, the country of Gex and the cluse of the Hospitals, set up in IV ^E République of June 6th on July 13th; the Germans had to send to take again this area the manpower of a division. In the same way, in Doubs, the Doubs-North Group entered in action as of on on June 8th on the plate of Maiche and, in less than two months, released by its only means all the territory between Doubs and Dessoubre. In the same area, the mountain of Lomont was firmly held, starting from August 15th, by the FFI which resisted all the German attacks until the arrival of the army of Lattre de Tassigny, on on September 6th.

In the last days of August and the first days of September 1944, all the mountainous region of the Franche-Comté had been released by the FFI as of before the arrival of the 7th American army to which the army of Lattre was built-in.