Odo III, Duke of Burgundy

Who was Odo III, Duke of Burgundy?

Eudes III, commonly known in English as Odo III, was duke of Burgundy between 1192 and 1218. Odo was the eldest son of duke Hugh III and his first wife Alice, daughter of Matthias I, Duke of Lorraine.

Odo did not follow his father's aggressive policies towards France and proved a worthy ally of king Philip II of France in his wars against John Lackland and the Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV of Germany. He fought bravely against the latter in the Battle of Bouvines, where he lost, according to contemporary chroniclers, two horses beneath him. Odo was also an important figure in the Crusade against the Cathars. When Philip II refused to get involved, the Duke of Burgundy stepped forward with the support of the local bishops and his vassals and organized the campaign of 1209 against the Cathar strongholds. From 1216 to 1218 he helped Philip II of France and Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor to bring an end to the War of Succession in Champagne.