This is part of the
Medieval European History Metanode.
The
Frankish Empire was the most lasting of the Germanic kingdoms. It was located in the area of modern-day
France. The
Empire was founded in 486 by Clovis I, who had deposed the previous Roman king. The main source of information about Clovis I is Bishop Gregory of Tours, who wrote
A History of the Franks in ca. 590. Clovis created a new code of
law for his kingdom, which blended Frankish law with
Roman law. In 496, Clovis defeated the
Alemanni, another Germanic tribe, at the Battle of Strasbourg. Bishop Gregory presented the idea of a
Constantine-like conversion to Christ if Clovis was victorious. Clovis won, was
baptized at
Rheims, and the Franks were officially converted to Roman Christianity (they had previously been
Arian). Clovis defeated the
Burgandians and the
Visigoths as well, carving out quite a territory for himself.
Clovis's death in 571 was a disaster for the kingdom. The idea of kingship was new to the Franks, and they were unaccustomed to dealing with the subtleties of successorship. Clovis divided his kingdom among four of his sons, leaving four weak, quarreling kingdoms. There were many
civil wars in the following centuries.
In the 7th century, a new
dynasty began to rise. The
majordomos, or head administrators, grew in power as the kings weakened. One particular family of majordomos was to rise to the kingship. Pepin II, the first of the Carolingians, began the sequence of events by invading and annexing the neighboring territory of
Nuestria. His son, Charles Martel, conquered both
Burgandy and
Aquitaine, thus restoring the unity to the kingdom that had been absent since the death of Clovis I. Charles's son, Pepin III, would ascend to kingship in the 8th century, beginning the true rule of the
Carolingian Dynasty.