History of France

Whit is nou France constituted the bulk o’ the region known tae the Romans as Gaul. Greek writers noted the presence o’ three main ethno-linguistic groups in the area: the Gauls, Aquitani, an’ Belgae. O’er the first millennium BC the Greeks, Romans an’ Carthaginians established colonies on the Mediterranean coast an’ offshore islands. The Roman Republic annexed southern Gaul in the late 2nd century BC, an’ legions under Julius Caesar conquered the rest o’ Gaul in the Gallic Wars o’ 58–51 BC. A Gallo-Roman culture emerged, an’ Gaul was increasingly integrated intae the Roman Empire. In the later stages o’ the empire, Gaul was subject tae barbarian raids an’ migration. The Frankish king Clovis I united most o’ Gaul in the late 5th century. Frankish power reached its fullest extent under Charlemagne. The medieval Kingdom o’ France emerged frae the western part o’ Charlemagne’s Carolingian Empire, known as West Francia, an’ achieved increasing prominence under the rule o’ the House o’ Capet, founded in 987. A succession crisis in 1328 led tae the Hundred Years’ War atween the House o’ Valois an’ the House o’ Plantagenet. The war began in 1337 following Philip VI's attempt tae seize the Duchy o’ Aquitaine frae its hereditary holder, Edward III o’ England, the Plantagenet claimant tae the French throne. A notable figure o’ the war was Joan o’ Arc, a French peasant lassie who led forces against the English, establishing hersel’ as a national heroine. The war ended wi’ a Valois victory in 1453, strengthening French nationalism an’ increasing the power an’ reach o’ the French monarchy. During the Ancien Régime o’er the next centuries, France transformed intae a centralized absolute monarchy through the Renaissance an’ Reformation. At the height o’ the French Wars o’ Religion, France got embroiled in another succession crisis, as the last Valois king, Henry III, fought against factions o’ the House o’ Bourbon an’ House o’ Guise. Henry, the Bourbon King o’ Navarre, won an’ established the Bourbon dynasty. A burgeoning worldwide colonial empire was set up in the 16th century. In the late 18th century, the monarchy an’ associated institutions were overthrown in the French Revolution. The Revolutionary Tribunal executed political opponents by guillotine, instigatin' the Reign o’ Terror (1793–94). The country was governed as a Republic, until Napoleon's French Empire was declared in 1804. Following his defeat in the Napoleonic Wars, France went through regime changes, bein' ruled as a monarchy, then Second Republic, then Second Empire, until a more lastin’ French Third Republic was established in 1870. France was one o’ the Triple Entente powers in World War I against the Central Powers. France was one o’ the Allied Powers in World War II, but was conquered by Nazi Germany in 1940. The Third Republic was dismantled, an’ most o' the country was controlled directly by Germany, while the south was controlled until 1942 by the collaborationist Vichy government. Following liberation in 1944, the Fourth Republic was established. France slowly recovered, an’ enjoyed a baby boom that reversed its low fertility rate. Long wars in Indochina an’ Algeria took French resources an’ ended in political defeat. In the wake o’ the 1958 Algerian Crisis, Charles de Gaulle set up the French Fifth Republic. Intae the 1960s, most o' the French colonial empire became independent, while smaller parts were incorporated intae the French state as overseas departments an’ collectivities. Since World War II, France has been a permanent member in the UN Security Council an’ NATO. It played a central role in the unification process after 1945 that led tae the European Union. It remains a strong economic, cultural, military, an' political factor in the 21st century.

**Pre-History:**

Prehisteric France goes back tae roughly 500,000 BC, when the Neanderthals hud the land that’s noo France. This period is marked by lang glacial periods an' marine regressions. France's prehisteric sites, includin' rock paintins an' engravings, tak us back tae the dawn o' civilization.

In the Dordogne region, in the Vézère Valley, ye can see the tale unfoldin' in a wheen o' important cliff dwellin's, caves, an' ither sites. The ones deemed the maist famous are the caves at Lascaux, wi' their paintings o' beasts. The discovery o' the remains o' Neanderthal man (from 80,000 years ago) an' Cro-Magnon man (30,000 years auld) in the same region guarantees it a place in history as the 'origin o' mankind in Europe.'