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The Burgundian Republic or The Republic of Bourgogne-et-Franche-Comté
La République de Bourgogne-et-Franche-Comté
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Anthem "Réveillez-vous, Picards!"
Language
  official
 
French
  others local dialects
Religion Catholicism
State religion, freedom granted
Government Parliamentary republic
President of La République
Préfet
Area x km² (nominally ruled), y km² (ruled) km²
Population est. x (y if all claimed territory is estimated) 
Established 1996
Currency Franc Bourgo-comtois

Bourgogne-et-Franche-Comté is a parliamentary republic claiming to be the successor to the Duchy of Burgundy. With the advent of Doomsday, each region first consolidated their hold, then built up a united government, which in many ways acts as the renewal of Burgundy.

Pre-Doomsday[]

Dijon and Besançon were both regional capitals of semi-affluent regions of France. Neither were as affluent as the metropolitan centres of Paris, Lyon, or Marseille, which served as a blessing to them with the bombs of Doomsday passing them over.

Post-Doomsday[]

Troyes and Auxerre absorbed the brunt of Parisian refugees, and Dijon was thus spared complete devastation. This was to prove a temporary respite, but enough for Dijon to establish refugee camps and to muster a militia to protect the Agglomération Dijonnais. Because of Dijon, Auxerre and Troyes acting as buffers, Besançon was spared the worst, although other refugees did filter south from the decimation of the Netherlands and Germany.

The Mustard Wars[]

In public parlance the skirmishes that Dijon faced with successive waves of Parisian refugees are referred to as the Mustard Wars. Fortifications to the Northeast, and South of Dijon were erected by the regional council and city fathers, and a militia was levied among the men. Much of the N274 was blockaded with large trucks and other vehicles, as well as rail cars that were no longer of use to help fortify the city. Behind these temporary defenses, larger defenses were constructed. The N274 in many ways has served as a moat around Dijon's eastern flank.

To the West the canyons and mountain passes were also fortified, and the citadel of Daix was turned into a scouting post, looking to the lands north and westward for emigrant incursions. While most of the refugees that had survived as far as Dijon were hard-bitten but eager to survive, others had mayhem in mind.

The name derives from the use of mustard jars from the Maille store in central Dijon. This historic store was where the mustard Grey Poupon was initially formulated. A group of armed refugees numbering upwards of 20 had succeeded in breaching the barricades and had made their way into central Dijon where they were cornered by locals who hurled the mustard jars (and other household items) at the would-be looters.

Racial Tensions[]

While Dijon was largely unified by the pressure of refugees from the Paris megalopolis, the citizens of Besançon faced a more difficult time in achieving unity. The city's neighborhoods of Les 408, Clairs Soleils and Planoise saw a dramatic increase in crime following Doomsday, and it was only with careful handling that the situation didn't degenerate into street warfare. In total, there were some 15,000 citizens killed in these neighborhoods over a total of 15 years.

Noiron and Chaucenne-La Maguyotte served as refugee processing centers, while Audeux and Uzel/Pelousey/Les Essarts have served as relocation centers for "repatriated" citizens. The repatriation centers served their purpose, and by 2005, most stood vacant as the citizens who had lived in them have returned to the depopulated cities of the north and west.

Restoration[]

In 2000, the Burgundian government began a program of resettlement, where citizens of a given quarter of Dijon or Besançon were picked to send 100 volunteer families to recolonize vacated cities, to restore trade and bring order to the land. With a conscription government much akin to that of Switzerland before Doomsday, the military had grown and each of these towns would serve in part as a garrison.

By 2005 the restoration effort had begun to pick up traction, and requests for admittance to the union were a frequent event in Dijon and Besançon.

As of 2010, Burgundian colonies are reputedly as far-flung as Provins, Sezanne, Vitry le François, Bar-le-Duc, Nancy, Sarrebourg, Pontarlier, Saint-Claude, Oyonnex, Bourg-en-Bresse, Cluny, Montchannin, Le Creusot, Autun, Saulieu, Avallon, and Auxerre.

Government officials state that Restoration procedures should be completed throughout the entirety of the former prefectures of Burgundy, Franche-Comté and Alsace-Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne aside those territories claimed by Lille-et-Terres-Flamande and Luxembourg.

Foreign Relations[]

With the arrival of contact with Auvergne and the Poitevin Republic in the 2000's, trade has increased. News of the Restoration Colony movement has also piqued the interest of the Poitevin and Auvergant governments.

Economy[]

With renewed contact with other French states, and a growing sense of security, the government of Lille-et-Terres-Flamande approached Burgundy-and-Franche-Comté about restoring the status of the now-largely abandoned Champagne region of France. Treaties were concluded in 2008, and the first vintage of Champagne manufactured according to the regulations that existed prior to Doomsday is expected to be released in 2013, as a Restoration Vintage, celebrating survival and renewal 30 years following Doomsday. Some of this vintage held for release in 2016 according to typical practice prior to Doomsday. Subsequent bottlings will proceed in normal fashion, restoring the flow of Champagne to the wider world.

Sports[]

Burgundy has a fledgling football series, with regular matches throughout the year.

Another big sporting event is auto racing. In the small commune of Prenois, around 20km from Dijon, is the Circuit de Dijon-Prenois. Built in 1972 by former wrestler and rugby player François Chambelland, it is a 2.4mi/3.8km rollercoaster(F1 drivers such as Jean-Pierre Beltoise and François Cevert were consultants for the layout) that first hosted the French GP in 1974, alternating with Paul Ricard near Marseille. The circuit is famous for the last lap battle between Gilles Villeneue and Rene Arnoux in the 1979 race, also the first pre-war race won by a turbocharged car. On DD, the circuit was essentially preserved as it was. When the F1 series was announced to be resumed in 2010, the Prenois circuit applied for the Burgundy Grand Prix- in 2015, F1 returned to the circuit and has become a mainstay of the calendar, alternating with the Orleans Grand Prix in Le Mans.

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