I.                   Roman and Celtic Gaul

II.                Barbarian Kingdom and Charlemagne Empire: 6-12th C.

a.       Pre-Charlemagne (9)

                                                              i.      Clovis, King of the Franks, established the Merovingian dynasty during the turn of the 6th Century. During the beginning of his rule in 481, the Franks only controlled the Northeastern realm of France. By 497, Clovis controlled the area that would later develop of the city of Paris and by 508 the Frankish Empire dominated most of France. (43)

                                                            ii.      After his death in 511, Clovis divides the empire among his four sons. They further expand the empire to include the previous Kingdom of Burgundy and the Ostrogoths, as well as lands in the Northeast and Southwest. By 561 the borders of France have expanded quite a bit. (45)

                                                          iii.      France is then divided into three territories: Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy. Aquitane in the Southwest was being inhabited by Arabs that wouldn’t be chased out until the Battle of Poitiers in 732. (42)

                                                          iv.      in 561, Clovis’ four grandsons divide the Kingdom once more amongst one another. (46)

b.      Charlemagne (5)

                                                              i.      Charlemagne (768-814) is crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III in 800 and rules until his death in 814. His empire spanned over most of Western Europe (47, 48, 53, 55, 57)

c.       Post-Charlemagne

                                                              i.      After his death, Charlemagne divided his empire among his three sons in 817. He is succeeded by Louis the Pious (814-40). The Treaty of Verdun in 843 created a triparte division of his empire (98), definitively separating the areas that would later become France and Germany. The Empire is divided between Louis the German, Charles the Bald, and Emperor Lothar I.  (56)

                                                            ii.      After Lothar’s death in 855, his kingdom is divided between his two songs Louis II and Charles (56). The Frankish Empire, ruled by Charles the Bald (840-77). It is later partitioned both in 870 and 880. First by the Treaty of Mersen, and later by the Treaty of Ribemont (49).

d.      Barbarian Invasions (1)

                                                              i.      The Carolingian Dynasty faced a series of Barbarian invasions from nearly all directions. By 888, it had lost a great deal of prestige due to its inability to deal with the Vikings. (60)

III.             The Capetian Dynasty and Hundred Years War: 12-16th C.

a.       10th C (1)

                                                              i.      Eudes, son of Robert the Strong, takes the throne in 888. For the next century power fluctuates between the Robertians and the Carolingians. During the 10th Century, France loses control of several lands to the Vikings. In the West, Brittany and Normandy, in the North, Flanders, and in the South Aquitane and Burgundy.

b.      Capetian Dynasty (6) à (58, 65)

                                                              i.      In 987, Hugh Capet comes to power, beginning the reign of the Capetian dynasty, and France is a patchwork of small states. He transfers most of power into local hands by introducing feudalism, and by 1000 most property is owned by feudal lords. The church dominated the feudal system, controlling around 1/3 of the land. (68)

                                                            ii.      By the 12th Century, Henry II of England runs down the Western side of France from the Somme to the Pyrenees. (64, 69)

                                                          iii.      During the early 13th Century, Phillip II Augustus reclaims some lands previously under English control. Under St. Louis IX, the Treaty of Paris in 1259 forces Henry III of England to recognize all former English possessions (except Guyenne) as Capetian annexations. (70)

c.       Hundred Years War (9)

                                                              i.      In 1337, feudal dispute between Philip VI (1328-50) and Edward IV of England began the Anglo-Franco War, better known as the Hundred Years War. In 1453, England concedes to defeat, only maintaining Calais. (59, 62-3, 71, 67*)

                                                            ii.      Charles VII (1422-61) and his son Louis XI (1461-83) help rebuild France. It continues to rapidly expand from the end of the war in 1453 to 1491. (79, 84)

1.      Burgundy: Middle Kingdom of Burgundy, established a the Treaty of Verdun in 843, between France and Germany finally conquered by the French (85, 86)

d.      Italian Wars (2)

                                                              i.      The Italian wars began in 1493 when Charles VIII marches Southward into Italy. The French retained a constant presence in Italy until 1559. The war ends with the Treaty of Cateau-Cambréis and France acquires Calais and the “Three Bishoprics” (Toul, Metz, and Verdun) (94, 95)

IV.             Wars of Religion and Louis XIV: 17-18th C.

a.       Religious Wars (2)

                                                              i.      between 1562-98, in 1560 Huguenot communities where introduced and transformed France’s geography. Huguenots gained control of the Rhone valley and the Cevennes in the southeast through Bearn, the Bordelais and Poitou into Normandy in the northwest. (83, 87)

                                                            ii.      Henri IV/of Navarre (r. 1589-1910) issues the Edict of Nantes which introduces religious toleration which was later revoked by Louis XIV, furthering the religious conflict in France.

b.      Louis XIV’s Expansion (10)

                                                              i.      Louis XIV of the Bourbon line gained full power of the throne in 1661 and developed absolute monarchy combined with a large noble bureaucracy.

                                                            ii.      Wars, Expansion, Losses (04, 05, 06, 72, 88*)

1.      War of Devolution, 1667-8, gains some small towns in the Spanish Netherlands by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

2.      Dutch War, 1672-8, gains Franche-Comté and Flanders by the Peace of Nijmegen

3.      Nine Years War, 1688-97, France invades Germany and seizes the papal territory of Avignon in Southern France. Treaty of Ryswick (1697), Louis is forced to give up territories in Germany, the Spanish Netherlands, Northern Spain, Avignon goes back to the Pope (90)

4.      Louis’ Final War: War of Spanish Succession, 1701-13, Louis XIV gains small amounts of valuable territory along France’s eastern border, but the costs of war were immense to France

V.                French Revolution à12*, 73, 93

a.       Religion (12, 24, 73)

                                                              i.      Nationalization of church lands in November 1789: Religion was a major source of conflict: the ecclesiastical reorganization introduced by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790-1791) divided French priests and believers into schismatic and non-schismatic camps, sketching out a religious geography.

b.      Expansion (12, 93)

                                                              i.      the Committee of Public Safety cleared French soil of foreign armies by mid-1794. It spread French power into central and southern Europe, by the late 1790s France gained new territories into the Republic and set up puppet regimes in neighboring state. France became “La Grande Nation”

c.       Executions during the Terror (99)

VI.             Napoleon

a.       Napoleon’s Empire (6)

                                                              i.      Napoleon deems himself Emperor in 1804 and rapidly began French expansion by conquering most of central Europe. (23)

                                                            ii.      Napoleon’s gains were divided into the French Empire and dependant states, such as Northern Italy and the Netherlands which were ruled by appointed members of the Bonaparte family. (15, 23, 97)

                                                          iii.      Western German states of the HRE that had allied with Napoleon against Austria were organized into the Confederation of the Rhine, with Napoleon as it’s “Protector” (16)

b.      Congress of Vienna (2)

                                                              i.      A conference of ambassadors of European states in 1814, it settled the issues that arose from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and dissolution of the HRE. (14, 92)

c.       Second Colonial Empire (1)

                                                              i.      During the 19th century, a second colonial empire was attempted to expand beyond even that of Napoleon’s (21, 22)

VII.          20th Century, The Great War and WWII

a.       WWI (6)

                                                              i.      In August 1914, Germany invaded France through Belgium which involved France in World War I. It’s effects on France’s population were devastating, and between 1914 and 1917 the Germans occupied and controlled the Western French border along the Rhine. It wasn’t until the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 that ensured German reparations and the demilitarization of the Rhineland creating the Maginot line. Alsace and Lorraie are also given back to France. (27, 28, 29, 77, 78, 96)

b.      WWII (5)

                                                              i.      In 1940 Germans charge through the Maginot line and take Paris in June, Alsace and Lorraine restored to the Reich. (32, 39)

                                                            ii.      Vichy becomes new “capital” of France, Etat Francais established by current government leader Pétain. Southern France is left in a state of chaos. Pierre Laval takes charge and strives to become part of Hitler’s new order, Germany occupies Southern zone of France in 1942. Vichy becomes Nazi Police state until 1944. (37, 40, 41)

                                                          iii.      D-Day Allies land in France June 1944, take back Paris and rest of France (32)