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The History of France has been divided into a series of separate
historical articles navigable through the template to the
right. The chronological era articles address broad French
historical, cultural and sociological developments. The dynasty
and regime articles deal with the specific political and governmental
regimes in France. The history of other cultural topics such
as French art and literature can be found on their own pages.
Historical Overview
Gaul
Settled mainly by the Gauls and other Celtic peoples (apart
from a shrinking area of Basque population in the southwest
and Ligurian population on the southern coast), the area of
modern France comprised the bulk of the region of Gaul (Latin:
Gallia) under the rule of the Roman Empire from the 1st century
BC to the 5th century AD.
France in the Early Middle Ages
In 486, Clovis I, leader of the Salian Franks to the east,
conquered the Roman territory between the Loire and the Somme,
subsequently uniting most of northern and central France under
his rule and adopting in 496 the Roman Catholic form of Christianity
(over the Arianism preferred by rival Germanic rulers).
After Clovis's death in 511 his realm underwent repeated
division while the Merovingian dynasty eventually lost effective
power to their successive Mayor of the Palace, the founders
of what was to become the Carolingian dynasty. The assumption
of the crown in 751 by Pepin the Short (son of Charles Martel)
established Carolingian rule.
The new rulers' power reached its fullest extent under Pepin's
son Charlemagne, who in 771 reunited the Frankish domains
after a further period of division, subsequently conquering
the Lombards under Desiderius in what is now northern Italy
(774), incorporating Bavaria (788) into his realm, defeating
the Avars of the Danubian plain (796), advancing the frontier
with Islamic Spain as south as Barcelona (801), and subjugating
Lower Saxony (804) after prolonged campaigning.
In recognition of his successes and his political support
for the Papacy, Charlemagne was in 800 crowned Emperor of
the Romans, or Roman Emperor in the West, by Pope Leo III:
on the death of his son Louis I (emperor 814-840), however,
the empire was divided among Louis's three sons (Treaty of
Verdun, 843). After a last brief reunification (884-887),
the imperial title ceased to be held in the western part which
was to form the basis of the future French kingdom.
- List of Frankish Kings Merovingians
- Carolingians
- Carolingian Empire
France in the Middle Ages
From the ninth to the fifteenth century.
- Capetian Dynasty
- Valois Dynasty
- Hundred Years War
Early Modern France
From the fifteenth century to 1789.
- French Renaissance
- Wars of Religion
- Valois Dynasty
- House of Bourbon
- Ancien Régime
- Louis XIV of France
- Age of Enlightenment
France in the Nineteenth Century
From the Revolution to World War I.
- French Revolution
- Causes of the French Revolution
- Estates-General of 1789
- National Assembly
- Storming of the Bastille
- National Constituent Assembly
- National Constituent Assembly
- French Revolution from the abolition of feudalism
to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
- French Revolution from the summer of 1790 to the establishment
of the Legislative Assembly)
- Legislative Assembly
- The Legislative Assembly and the fall of the French
monarchy
- National Convention
- Reign of Terror
- Directory
- Consulate
- Glossary
- Timeline
- Wars
- List of people associated with the French Revolution
- List of historians of the French Revolution
- First Empire of Napoleon, Napoleonic Wars, Continental
System
- Restoration of Louis XVIII and Charles X
- July Revolution and the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe
(often treated as a continuation of the Restoration)
- French Second Republic
- Second Empire of Napoleon III
- Franco-Prussian War, Paris Commune
- French Third Republic
France In Modern Times
From World War I to today.
- French Third Republic
- Vichy France
- French Fourth Republic
- French Fifth Republic created by Charles de Gaulle
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