Hugh III of Burgundy (1142–August 25, 1192, in Acre) was duke of Burgundy between 1162 and 1192. Hugh was the eldest son of duke Eudes II and Marie of Blois. He was married twice, first to Beatrice d'Albon, then to Alice of Lorraine (daughter of duke Matthias I), and had several sons and daughters.
The rule of Hugh III marked the ending of a period of relative peace in the duchy of Burgundy. Hugh was a belligerent man and soon was involved in conflicts against king Louis VII of France over their borders. When Philip Augustus succeeded Louis in 1180, Hugh seized the opportunity and forced several men to change alliance to Burgundy. Philip II was not happy with the loss of his vassals and invaded the duchy, besieging Chatillon. The town fell and with it, its garrison, commanded by Eudes, Hugh's heir. A peace was negotiated and Hugh had to pay a high ransom for his son and give up ambitions over French territory.
Hugh then turned his energies to the Holy Land, embarking in the Third Crusade. He was the most trusted ally of Richard, the Lionheart and fought with him against Saladin. Hugh played a major role in the victory of the battle of Arsuf (September 7, 1191) and the conquer of Acre, where he died in the following year.
In 1187, Hugh transferred the capital of Burgundy to Dijon, and endeavoured to turn the city into a major commercial centre.
In 561 the kingdom of Burgundy was reconstructed by Guntram, son of Clotaire I., and until 613 it formed a separate state under the government of a prince of the Merovingian family.
After 613 Burgundy was one of the provinces of the Frankish kingdom, but in the redistributions that followed the reign of Charlemagne the various parts of the ancient kingdom had different fortunes.
In 888 the kingdom of Juran Burgundy was founded by Rudolph I., son of Conrad, count of Auxerre, and the German king Arnulf could not succeed in expelling the usurper, whose authority was recognized in the diocese of Besancon, Basel, Lausanne, Geneva and Sion.
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