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History of France

 

p>France has a long and colourful history, and there are many sights in France that bear witness to this - from the prehistoric paintings at Lascaux Caves (and other caves), through Roman ruins eg at Orange, Arles and Nimes.

It is perhaps the French castles that best bear witness to the early middle ages, while into the later medieval period we find many more examples of architecture of the period eg in the bastide towns of south-west France.

Continuing through the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion, then later to perhaps the most defining period in French history - the revolution, we reach the 20th century and the two world wars. Each of these world wars deeply affected France and each has of course left its mark - perhaps best seen through the battlefields of WWI and the Normandy landing beaches of WWII.

Here we introduce some of the more important periods in French history, and a few of the characters they involved.

Prehistoric France

Introduction to Prehistoric France includes:

 

Ancient History - Roman Conquest

Modern day France, at that time part of Gaul, was occupied by the Romans for several hundred years...France Gauls and Romans

 

Medieval France

Medieval France was marked above all by its periods of religious intolerance, its violence and its wars, both against England and Spain and civil wars within its own frontiers. Wars that tended to last for decades, causing great suffering to large parts of the population. Three 'wars' in particular (although in reality comprising many smaller wars and crusades) stand out in this dark period of almost 500 years duration.

The War against the Cathars and the Cathar religion

One of the earliest tales of religious intolerance, the wars against the cathars and their religion lasted more or less the whole of the 13th century...Cathar religion and the crusades:

The Hundred Years War

From 1337 - 1453, a series of wars between the French and the English continued, until they were brought to an end by the heroic but short-lived Joan of Arc...The Hundred Years War

The Wars of Religion

The Catholics and the Protestants (Huguenots) saw each other as a threat, and from 1562 - 1598 the Catholics battled to contain the threat, with the St Bartholomew Day Massacre at the centre of the wars...Wars of Religion

(For a historical setting for the medieval period, visit also the France Chateaux section of the site)

 

The French Revolution

The French Revolution transformed France into a Republic from a country revolving around a rich and powerful royal family, but the transition was a painful one.

Although there were subsequent events that reversed parts of this process, including both Napoleon and the short-lived restitution of the monarchy, the revolutionary spirit is perhaps still greater in France than any other European country. The following articles look at some of the events and characters in the the French Revolution Years:

 

Other General Events from France's History

The Affair of the Diamond Necklace

There's a title to grab the attention! Intrigue and mystery in the court of Marie Antoinette...Affair of the Diamond Necklace

Marianne

Marianne is the historical symbol of France...Marianne of France

History of France (published 1806)

Possibly the first attempt to describe the French and their role in history, in the English Language, a brief snippet from the introduction to this 1806 History book of France

Paris Commune

The Paris Commune of 1871 was perhaps the forerunner to 100 years of communist ideals...Paris Commune

 

 

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