The history of France in the Middle Ages is of great interest, helping to understand how this state developed. The beginning of this period is dated 476 year. Its end is considered the establishment in the country of an absolute monarchy, which occurred in 1643. In this article we will talk about the main events that took place during this millennium, the rulers, the standard of living and the development of culture.
Frank state
The history of France in the Middle Ages begins in the second half of the 5th century, when one of the Germanic tribes (Franks) developed statehood.
The first royal dynasty is the Merovingians, who ruled from the end of the 5th century until 751. The dynasty got its name from the founder of the clan Merovey, a former semi-legendary person. One of its most famous representatives was King Clovis I, who ruled from 481 to 511. He begins the conquest of Gaul. In 496, Clovis adopted Christianity, which allows him to gain final power over the Gallo-Roman population of the occupied provinces. In addition, he managed to enlist the support of the clergy. The king distributed his warriors throughout the whole of Gaul, giving them the opportunity to collect tribute from local residents. So the class of feudal lords was born.
By the VI century, almost the entire territory of Gaul was under the rule of the Franks. Since 561, the capital of Merovingians has been located in Metz. The last representative of the dynasty was Childeric III, who died in 754. Three years before, power had passed to the Carolingian dynasty. Their capital was Aachen.
The King of Francs Charles I in 800 proclaimed himself the Roman emperor, which was of great importance in the history of France in the Middle Ages. By that time, under his influence, the whole territory of modern Germany, northern Italy, including Rome, appeared.
When his monarchy began to disintegrate, differences in language between the Western and Eastern Francs became apparent. Since 843, France has become a separate kingdom. From this moment begins directly the history of France in the Middle Ages, and not the state of the Franks.
Kingdom of west frank
Since 843, the Franks Empire has been divided into three parts. From the second half of the 9th century, government posts that were previously appointed are now inherited. Large landowners receive the right to buy power over the inhabitants of their places.
The decomposition of the state is used by opponents who invade its territory, while the sovereign landowners are not united for the sake of joint defense. Only due to this, by the end of the 10th century several principalities appear.
In the 9th century, the Capetian dynasty was founded, although at first the Carolingians did not immediately give them power. As a result, the Carolingians missed the eastern outskirts. Within the country itself, differences between the north and the south are becoming increasingly apparent. The north is becoming exclusively feudal. It is here that the process that leads to the unification of France is born.
At the sunset of the Carolingian rule, the country constantly suffered from external enemies who invaded it from different directions. The feudalization process began, which leads to the collapse of many small estates. During the last Carolingians, the name "France" appears, which at first is associated only with its western part.
Capetings
When the Carolingians were unable to centralize power, a new dynasty appeared in France in the Middle Ages - the Capetings. It happened in 987. There were nine main possessions in the kingdom.
By that time, the king of France of the Middle Ages was simply the first among equals, without special privileges. The first Kapetings did not seek centralization, as they at least tried to deal with problems in their county.
In the XI century, the situation was such that both the Capetings and the descendants of the first Duke of Normandy Rollon could act as unifiers of the state of France in the Middle Ages. At the same time, it was important for the Capetians themselves to preserve the crown in their own way, since the king was still considered the head of the feudal ladder and God's anointed. For them, these were additional chances in the struggle for supremacy with other houses.
The first Capetations, which began to take active actions aimed at centralization, were Louis VI and Louis VII. These two monarchs ruled for most of the 12th century. She began to fight against her vassals, enlisted the support of the clergy.
When Louis VII took part in the Second Crusade, events occurred that made him divorce his wife. This worsened his prospects, since Alienora was the heiress of Aquitaine. The monarch voluntarily lost the opportunity to join this region to France, as his ex-wife quickly married Henry Plantagenet, who soon became the king of England.
Centralization
The first direct active action aimed at the unification of France in the Middle Ages, began to take Philip II Augustus, who ruled at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. He annexed Normandy, Touraine, Angers, and many other large and small lands.
In addition to the clergy, the Capetians during the Crusades were significantly helped by the cities of France in the Middle Ages. At that time the country was in the midst of a communal movement, when cities were freed from the power of the feudal lords, turning into independent communes. In most cases, this happened as a result of the uprising of the townspeople who opposed the power of the lords. Often, cities in the history of France in the Middle Ages turned to the king for support. After they themselves provided assistance to the monarchy in the confrontation with the feudal lords. At first, kings took one side or the other, but over time they finally began to support the communes, reaffirming their right to independence, issuing the relevant charters. At the same time, communes were not allowed by the Capetings on their lands, but they provided various benefits to the townspeople.
Speaking briefly about France in the Middle Ages, it should be noted that soon a separate social class, the bourgeois, even appeared. She was an ardent supporter of anti-feudal politics. It is important to recognize that with the strengthening of royal power, parts of their rights also lost the commune.
Philip II took part in the Third Crusade. It was under him that the royal power achieved particular success. He took Normandy from the English monarch John of the Landless. In addition, he became the first organizer of the royal administration, which controlled separate areas, reporting directly to the Court of Auditors in Paris and the Royal Council.
Expanding borders
Under Louis IX, royal power began to play an even greater role. The centralization of France in the Middle Ages became a real and tangible project. This monarch was a classic example of a chivalrous ideal. He managed to significantly strengthen the moral authority of the kings of France in the history of the Middle Ages. He also increased possession by joining Poitou and Anjou. Important at that time was to establish internal governance. This was facilitated by the spread of Roman law in France in the Middle Ages and the study of the Justinian Arch.
Important acquisitions for expanding state borders were made by St. Louis in the 13th century. The Counts of Toulouse recognized his power over themselves, having ceded a significant part of the possessions.
With the development of jurisprudence, a new class of legalists appeared, who were called legalists. Entering the royal service, they sought to translate into life the Roman views on the law. In particular, it was believed that everything that was in the good of the sovereign was legally valid. With the help of the legists, Louis IX canceled the judicial duel, introducing a investigation instead, and it became possible to appeal the sentences of the feudal lords to the royal courts, which had the final say.
It was then that the parliament for the first time began to play a large role in France in the Middle Ages. At that time it was a court of law, which included representatives of the feudal curia of the monarch, as well as legists who joined them. By the 15th century, such parliaments appeared in almost all provinces, which played a significant role in the unification of France in the Middle Ages.
At the beginning of the XIV century, Lyon under Philip IV the Beautiful entered the state. By marrying John of Navarre, he received reason to claim her legacy, that is, Champagne. It was finally annexed in 1361 during the reign of John the Good.
The situation in Europe
It is worth noting that at this time the rulers of France in the Middle Ages began to play an important role in European politics. Its representatives lead the Crusades, and the ideology of chivalry becomes a role model for representatives of neighboring countries.
The French tend to disseminate their manners and orders as much as possible. In this regard, much was done by the knights from Normandy, who participated in the war of conquest in Sicily, Naples, the Byzantine Empire. All this contributed to the development of trade, significantly increased the standard of living of the French, compared with the inhabitants of most other European countries.
In the XI century, it was in the French monastery of Cluny that the famous church reform took place. As a result of these transformations, the right to appoint bishops passed to the clergy, which significantly strengthened the position of the papacy on the continent.
In the XII century, France became the center of the development of sciences, largely thanks to the philosopher and poet Pierre Abelard, who became the founder of conceptualism. Speaking briefly about France in the Middle Ages, it is worth noting that the activities of all of these rulers led to the fact that the country was gradually unifying, expanding its borders. With the help of money, weapons, and marriage ties, they systematically seized neighboring possessions and increased their influence. Moreover, they subordinate more and more vassals, creating new institutions. All this led to the fact that already at the last Capetations the feudal monarchy began to turn into an estate.
Dynasty Valois
The Valois Dynasty came to the throne in 1328. Immediately afterwards, her hereditary duchies were included in the royal estates. Two decades later, the Dauphine region was annexed.
By the fourteenth century, royal power in France had made significant strides. Domains expanded significantly, while the possessions of the English king and seniors were constantly reduced. However, at the very first Valois, France was drawn into the Hundred Years War with the British. The first period of this protracted confrontation ended with the fact that the French king was forced to abandon a number of possessions in favor of the enemy.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the situation became even worse. The British advanced to the Loire. The centralization process, of course, was suspended. He resumed only under Charles VII, who took the throne in 1422. He managed to expel the British, having restored the previous parity in the region. Of the feudal possessions of St. Louis at that time, Burgundy rose significantly. Louis XI annexed her to the kingdom. In addition, he managed to acquire Boulogne, Provence and Picardy.
In the time of Charles VIII, the male line of the Dukes of Brittany is interrupted after a fatal fall from the horse of the head of the family. His heiress is the only daughter, 11-year-old Anna of Breton, who is practically forced to marry the French king. Under Francis I, the duchy was finally included in the royal domain, issuing a special edict in 1532.
France enters into a new history almost united. The planned future expansion of borders is supposed only to the east at the expense of the territories of the Holy Roman Empire. The first such acquisitions were made under Henry II, annexing Tula, Metz and Verdun. This was finally approved a century later. All new acquisitions belong to the reign of a new dynasty.
Bourbons
In 1589, the French throne was occupied by Henry IV of the Bourbon dynasty. This event is accompanied by the annexation of parts of the kingdom of Navarre, as well as the provinces of Foix and Bearn. In 1601, the area between the lower reaches of the Sona and the upper reaches of the Rhone was taken away from Savoy.
After the assassination of Henry, his eight-year-old son Louis XIII ascends the throne. While he remains a minor, the role of regent is performed by his mother Maria Medici. She backs away from her husband’s policies, having entered into an alliance with Spain, and is betrothed to her son with Philip III’s daughter Anna of Austria.
New times come in 1624, when after a long hesitation and indecision of the king, Cardinal Richelieu becomes minister. He takes control of virtually unlimited power over the country and the management of virtually all affairs. Richelieu manages to pacify the Huguenots, the dukes and princes are gradually losing power and influence on the ground, which is beneficial to centralized power. The planned riots among the nobility are finally suppressed. All feudal locks are torn down, only border ones are left. This completely nullifies their influence, subjugating the royal power.
When Richelieu dies in 1642, a year later, Louis XIII overtakes death. Under his son Louis XIV, an absolute monarchy was finally established in France, which was facilitated by everything that Richelieu did. In this form, the country emerges from the Middle Ages and enters Modern times.
Medieval culture
The culture of France in the Middle Ages experienced a noticeable revival in the 9th century, known as the “Carolingian”. However, it was too limited in time and territory, and soon another cultural decline came. The collapse of the monarchy of Charlemagne and the subsequent fragmentation of the parts allocated from it significantly reduced the cultural level of feudal society.
In the same period, the decline of the monastery libraries and workshops in which manuscripts corresponded was noted. In this regard, the cost of books has grown significantly, for example, Priscian's grammar was compared with the price of a whole house with a piece of land in addition.
Changes in the socio-economic life of the country in the 11th – 13th centuries are reflected in the ideological sphere. During this period, urban culture was born, for the first time the monopoly of the Catholic Church in this area was violated.
The greatest interest in this period is folk art. It was at his expense that a confrontation with the feudal-church culture of the ruling class was planned. Folk art is progressive in nature. These are mainly satirical sketches played by jugglers. In them they ridiculed priests and lords. Jugglers performed at public gatherings on the occasion of holidays, weddings, christenings, or at fairs. On the part of the church, their work provoked strong hatred. They were forbidden to bury in cemeteries, they were allowed to kill with impunity. For the church, the poetic, musical and dramatic work of the jugglers was especially dangerous, as it found a lively response from the city masses.
In the songs of urban artisans of that time, plots of peasant songs are repeated, since many of them came from serfs.
Urban development
The growth of cities and the development of commodity-money relations, the aggravation of the class struggle and the intensified exploitation of peasants became important changes in the political and socio-economic life of the country in the XIV – XV centuries. Of great importance were the emergence of a new form of feudal monarchy and the centralization of the state. In addition, disasters related to the Hundred Years War fell on the French, which affected the development of culture.
The church captured the universities with the help of theologians, turning them into centers of religious scholasticism. But the needs of society were different, the germs of knowledge constantly made their way. The industry developed tremendously, which led to the appearance of new chemical, mechanical, and physical discoveries, which were of great interest for observations. Experiments allowed the construction of new tools. From that moment experimental science became possible.
Since the 13th century, medicine has been intensively developing in France; in 1470 the first printing house was founded in Paris. It massively published works of Italian humanists, books in Latin. Education became increasingly secular, freeing itself from the influence of the church. Universities increasingly submitted directly to the king, and not to the papacy.