History of French Civilisation from the origins of early man until the first revolution
There are few traces of human existence in France until about 50 000BC. This evidence increases as history goes on, with many sites located in the Périgord region of the Dordogne. ... The people, who flourished from about 25000BC were cave-dwelling hunters. ... This victory was one of the major events in French history. ... Roman administration attempted to assimilate them, giving land in return for military duties, but they gradually achieved independence from the empire. ... Under the succeeding Merovingian rulers, the kingdom began to disintegrate until in the 8th century the Pepin Family (the Merovingians’ chancellors) began to take control. In 732 Charles Martel reunited the kingdom and saved western Christendom from the Northward expansion of Islam by defeating the Spanish Moors at the Battle of Poitiers. In 754, Charles son, Pepin, had himself crowned king by the pope, establishing for the first time, the divine right of kings. ... He founded a dynasty that lasted until 1328. Between 1000 and 1500, the power of French kings grew considerably. ... The main priorities of rule at this time were restricting papal interference in French affairs and checking the English kings’ involvement in French territory. ... Thus the English gained control of a large amount of French territory, stretching from the Channel to the Pyrenees. ... In 1328 the Capetian monarchy had its first crisis of succession which led to the Hundred Years War with the English. ... The French chose Philippe, Count of Valois instead and Edward began a war. ... By 1375 French military fortunes had improved and the English had been repressed. ... Both factions called on the English to help them, and in 1415 Henry V of England defeated the French army at Agincourt. The Burgundians seized Paris, took the royal family prisoner and recognised Henry as heir to the French throne. The English were finally driven from France altogether in 1453. ... The Huegenots were fighting well until one of their leaders, the Prince de Condé, was killed at the battle of Jarnac in 1569. Three years later came one of the blackest moments in French Protestant history – The Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Day. ... When Louis reached maturity, he decided to rule alone, without the help of a first minister. ... The War of Spanish Succession broke out and the French began to fail, largely due to the brilliant generalship of the Duke of Marlborough.