7. The Making of France as a National State

Abstract

The west Frankish kingdom of Charles the Bald, which he had received in 843 as his portion of his grandfather\u27s great empire, is geographically the genesis of modern France. In the century of disorder and confusion following the partition of Charlemagne\u27s realm into three kingdoms, government fell into the hands of powerful vassals. From the first, therefore, great lords in France exercised the functions of independent rulers. In 987 they chose one of the weaker of their number, Hugh Capet (987-996), to be king. He and his successors faced two great problems in establishing nationhood in France: how to recover and unite the territories by wrestling control of the land from the great barons; and how to create and develop an effective central government. [excerpt