The Kingdom of France

In 987 - Hugh Capet becomes King of France. The Capetian kings were initially weak rulers of the kingdom – they ruled the Île-de-France and the Orléanais. Tthe rest of France was controlled by potentates such as the duke of Normandy, the count of Blois, the duke of Burgundy and the duke of Aquitaine. The House of Capet was, however, had the support of the Holy Roman Empire,

Royal Coat of Arms of France

## The Kingdom of France

### Location

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### Succeded by

* The French Revolution
* New World

# Early Years

1066 England, William the Conqueror led the Norman conquest of England, defeating King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings. As a result, he became the King of England, creating a significant link between England and France through the Norman ruling class. William, as the Duke of Normandy, was originally from France and established the Norman dynasty in England.

William died on 9 September 1087. William left Normandy to Robert, and the custody of England was given to William's second surviving son, also called William, on the assumption that he would become king.

Henry II was born in Maine at Le Mans on 5 March 1133, the eldest child of the Empress Matilda and her second husband, Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou.

The French county of Anjou was formed in the 10th century and its rulers attempted for several centuries to extend their influence and power across France through careful marriages and political alliances.

# The Angevin Empire

in 1154 Henry II marries Eleanor of Aquitaine, adding Aquitaine and other territories to the Angevin Empire. Through this marriage, Henry II gained control of Aquitaine and other territories in southwestern France, greatly expanding the Angevin Empire, this marriage solidified the Angevin's influence in both England and parts of France.

Henry II sought to extend royal authority into Ireland, Wales, and parts of France. He engaged in military campaigns and established control over large portions of western France, significantly expanding the territories under his rule.

However, He faced conflicts with his own family, particularly his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons, who rebelled against his rule. These conflicts, such as the famous revolt led by Henry's sons known as the "Great Revolt," exposed tensions within the royal family and created subsequent developments, including the reigns of his sons Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) and John, and the subsequent rise of the Plantagenet dynasty.

Following the news of King Richard I's death in 1199, John attempted to seize the Angevin treasury at Chinon in order to impose his control of the empire, however, the nobles of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine declared in favour of Arthur on 18 April 1199. Philip II of France had taken Évreux and the Norman Vexin and a Breton army had seized Angers by this point. Le Mans refused to declare allegiance to John, so he ran to Normandy, where he was invested as duke in Rouen on 25 April. He returned to Le Mans with an army where he punished its citizens and then left for England. England had declared its support for John thanks to William Marshal and Archbishop Hubert Walter of Canterbury's support. He was crowned on 27 May in Westminster Abbey.

After the Treaty of Le Goulet in May 1200, where Philip accepted John's succession to the Angevin Empire, John visited Anjou, Maine, and Touraine, taking hostages from those he distrusted, and visiting Aquitaine, where he received homage from his mother's vassals, returning to Poitiers in August. A Action that lead to the Anglo-French War.

After the war in France and the loss of much of the Angevin domains, King John became increasingly unpopular and a civil war erupted in England as lords challenged him. the civil war was ended with the Treaty of Lambeth, which was signed on 11 September 1217, Louis had to give up his claim to be the King of England and to agree that he had never been the legitimate king.

However, the succeeding kings faced difficulties in maintaining control over their territories. Edward II faced internal conflicts and was eventually overthrown by his wife and her lover, leading to the reign of Edward III (1327-1377). It was during Edward III's reign that the Hundred Years' War between England and France erupted.

# The Hundred Years War

The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) was a series of conflicts marked by intermittent warfare and political disputes between the English and French monarchies. It originated from competing claims to the French throne, with Edward III asserting his right to the crown.

The war was characterized by notable battles, such as the Battle of Crécy, the Siege of Calais, and the Battle of Agincourt. And the Story of Joan of Arc a peasant girl that became a remarkable figure during the Hundred Years' War. Leading the French army to critical victories like the lifting of the siege of Orléans. However, she had became dangerous for the House of Christ Society and she was captured and burned at the stake in Rouen at the age of 19.

The war had profound consequences for both England and France. It led to significant social and political changes, including advancements in military tactics and the emergence of national identities. The war also strained England's resources and had a profound impact on its economy.

The conflict eventually concluded in 1453, with the French regaining most of their territories. The Hundred Years' War left England in a series of civil wars later known as the Wars of the Roses.

# French Renaissance

After the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453, the Kingdom of France embarked on a journey of political and cultural transformation. The defeat of the English marked a turning point, and the French monarchy sought to consolidate its power and assert its authority over the nobility.

Under the reign of Charles VII, the king worked to rebuild the country devastated by years of conflict. He strengthened the royal administration and established a permanent standing army to maintain control and protect the kingdom's borders.

Charles' son, Louis XI, succeeded him in 1461. Louis was a cunning and resourceful ruler known as the "Spider King" for his political maneuvering. He expanded the territory of the French crown by acquiring Burgundy and Brittany through a combination of diplomacy, marriage alliances, and military force.

As the decades passed, France saw the rise of the Renaissance, a period of cultural flourishing. The French Renaissance was marked by a revival of art, literature, and intellectual achievements. François I, who ascended the throne in 1515, was a prominent patron of the arts and encouraged the development of the French Renaissance.

However, France also faced religious turmoil during the 16th century, with the spread of Protestantism sparking tensions between Catholics and French Protestants. This conflict erupted into a series of devastating wars known as the French Wars of Religion, which persisted intermittently for over thirty years.

The turning point came with the ascension of Henry IV in 1589. After converting to Catholicism and issuing the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting religious tolerance to Huguenots, Henry IV aimed to heal the religious divide and stabilize the kingdom. He focused on economic reforms, fostering trade, and encouraging agriculture, leading to a period of relative peace and prosperity.

# European hegemony

Then came the long and illustrious reign of Louis XIV, who became King of France in 1643 at the tender age of four. Louis XIV's reign would become synonymous with the phrase "L'État, c'est moi" (I am the state), symbolizing the absolute monarchy he envisioned. He centralized power in the monarchy, curbing the influence of nobles, and conducted grand building projects, such as the construction of the Palace of Versailles.

Louis XIV's reign was marked by France's emergence as a dominant cultural and military force in Europe. He pursued ambitious military campaigns, expanding France's borders and strengthening its influence on the continent.

After Louis XIV's death in 1715, his great-grandson Louis XV ascended the throne of France at the age of five. During the early years of his reign, the kingdom experienced political instability and economic challenges. The French monarchy faced internal dissent and external pressures, leading to various conflicts and wars.

# The Atlantic slave trade

During Louis XV's reign, France did establish colonies in Africa and the Americas, including regions such as Senegal, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, primarily focusing on slavery, gold stealing and other resources.

In the Americas, France claimed territories like New France and Louisiana, which encompassed a vast territory stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to present-day Canada. In these American colonies, the French engaged in various activities, including fur trade, agriculture, and the use of enslaved labor.

The colonization efforts of European powers, including France, had severe consequences for the indigenous peoples of the Americas and Africa. European settlers often engaged in violent conquests, territorial expansion, and the forced displacement of native populations.

The darkest chapter of French colonial history was the Atlantic slave trade. French colonial authorities, planters, and merchants profited from the trafficking of enslaved Africans, whom they forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to work on plantations in the Americas. Enslaved Africans endured unimaginable hardships, including brutal treatment, forced labor, and harsh living conditions.

Slavery became deeply ingrained in French colonies, particularly in the Caribbean and Louisiana. Enslaved individuals were subjected to extreme exploitation, suffering under the inhumane system of forced labor. Many died due to harsh working conditions, diseases, and maltreatment.

In 1719, John Law decided to offer prisoners in Paris something they could not refuse. He offered them their freedom as long as they were willing to marry a prostitute and head off to Louisiana.

Anyone who agreed to the bargain were shackled together until they boarded a ship to sail to the Gulf Coast. John Law went as far as to raid hospitals for drunks and disorderly soldiers, find prostitutes and the black sheeps of society, paupers and just about anyone who wouldn’t put up a fuss, and they were then forcibly taken to the docks to be shipped off to the colony.

Thousands of women was chosen and marked as a prostitute and whore and later sold to prisoners of paris and crime lords and sent to Louisiana, The Mississippi Company became the first human trafficking crime organization.

As the transatlantic slave trade flourished, it also fueled the growth of France's colonial economies, contributing to the prosperity of the French state and the enrichment of slave-owning individuals and plantation owners.

# Social Divide and Revolution

In the colonies, enslaved individuals endured unimaginable suffering and exploitation. They were subjected to brutal working conditions, physical abuse, and the dehumanizing experience of being treated as mere property. Countless lives were lost.

Simultaneously, back in France, a stark social and economic divide was widening. The wealthy elite, including nobles, landowners, and members of the clergy, amassed great fortunes while exploiting the labor of the lower classes.

The Church, being a significant landowner and holding immense influence, often enjoyed tax exemptions and privileges, further exacerbating the disparities between the rich and the poor. Meanwhile, the impoverished masses struggled to survive, facing rampant poverty, hunger, and disease.

As the years went by, grievances and discontent among the common people grew, fueled by inequality, corruption, and the burden of heavy taxation. The ideas of the Enlightenment, with their emphasis on reason, individual rights, and challenging traditional authority, also began to spread throughout French society, sowing the seeds of revolution.

In 1789, the culmination of decades of social unrest and economic disparity led to the outbreak of the French Revolution. The revolutionaries sought to challenge the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the Church, demanding liberty, equality, and fraternity for all citizens.