The kingdom of the Franks was the most powerful and important nation in Western Europe during the 6th through 10th centuries. It is the kingdom from witch the nations of both France and Germany descended and it played an essential role in the Christianization of Europe.
Growth of the Frankish Empire — Merovingians and Carolingians
The Franks were a German tribe, residing along the lower Rhine valley on the border of the Roman Empire. They eventually migrated into Roman territory in what is now northern France, and became Foederati, or foreign soldiers in the Roman Legions. As the Roman Empire collapsed, the Franks took over the government of northern Gaul. The father of Clovis united all of the Frankish tribes under his leadership, and Clovis, the first Christian king of the Franks, consolidated his power by defeating the last Roman governor in Gaul at the Battle of Soissons.
For 200 years after Clovis was baptized the Merovingian kings who descended from him were stalwart defenders of the Catholic Church. The Franks became the most powerful kingdom in western Europe and they were faithful supporters of the Roman popes. During the sixth and sevenths centuries, the Merovingian Franks increased their territory to the point they ruled almost all of Gaul and much of Germany as well.
In 732, a Frankish general by the name of Charles Martel inflicted a crushing defeat on the Moorish invaders of Spain at the Battle of Tours. For over 100 years the Mohammedans had been conquering Christian territory, but Martel utterly destroyed the invading Moors, bringing a permanent halt to Islamic invasion of Christian territory. For the following centuries the Franks were the dominant power in Western Europe, and it was Frankish influence in northern Spain that helped the small Christian kingdoms in northern Spain survive years of Moorish aggression.
In 751 the son of Charles Martel, Pipin the Short, with the support of the Pope, was crowned king of the Franks in place of the Merovingian heir and became the first Carolingian monarch. The Carolingians, especially Pepin, Charlemagne, and Louis the Great were strong supporters of the Roman Papacy, and did a great deal to strengthen the Church throughout the Frankish realm. One of the most important things the Carolingians did was to make the Pope the feudal lord of the area surrounding Rome. In 756, the Donation of Pepin established the Pope as ruler of the Papal States in central Italy that had formerly been under the control of the Byzantine Empire.
When Pepin's son Charlemagne came to the throne he continued his forefather's policy of conquest, and extend Frankish influence into pagan territories that had long resisted Christian influence. By the end of his reign, much of northern Italy, northern Spain, and German central Europe were added to the Frankish dominions and well on their way to Christian conversion. Charlemagne was very supportive of the Church and encouraged the building of Churches, monasteries, and schools throughout his realm. The combined reigns of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious, lasting from about 774 to 840, saw a great rebirth in Christian civilization known as the Carolingian Renaissance, and was the high water mark of the Frankish empire.
During the reign of Louis the Pious, the Frankish Empire extended all the way from northern Spain to the German regions of Central Europe. Shortly after his death, however, his sons divided the empire into three kingdoms: West Franconia, which became the kingdom of France, East Franconia, which became the kingdom of Germany, and Middle Franconia, which was subdivided in the following generation into the Duchies of Burgundy, Lombardy, and Lorraine (Corresponding to modern day Netherlands, Belgium, Eastern France, Switzerland and Northern Italy).
The major events in the history of the Frankish empire are listed below. The story of the rise of the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire after the division of the Frankish Empire, is given in the Kingdoms of France and Germany information page.
| 460 | Childeric, father of Clovis, unites Frankish tribes in Gaul, founds Merovingian dynasty. |
| 486 | At Battle of Soission, Clovis defeats last Roman governor in Gaul. |
| 496 | Clovis baptized. Franks convert en mass to Catholic Christianity. |
| 732 | Battle of Tours, Charles Martel drives Moors out of Gaul. |
| 751 | Pepin the Short crowned as first Carolingian King of the Franks. |
| 756 | Donation of Pepin—Pope granted sovereign rule over Papal States of central Italy. |
| 774 | Charlemagne conquest of Lombards, conversion of northern Italy. /td> |
| 785 | Charlemagne conquest of Saxons. Wittikind, chief of Saxons, converts to Christianity. |
| 800 | Charlemagne crowned Emperor of Rome; Rome under protection of Holy Roman Emperor. |
| 770-830 | Carolingian Renaissance advances culture, promotes interests of Church. Charlemagne and son patronize arts and education; build schools, churches, monasteries. |
| 840 | Death of Charlemagne's son, Louis the Pious. Frankish Empire divided. |
| 843 | Treaty of Verdun permanently divides Frankish Empire into east, west, and middle kingdoms. |
A great many of the saints of France during the Middle Ages were Monks, but others were bishops, princes and Laymen. The following saints are some of the most influential secular saints of the Frankish era.
From Vol. II, chapter on St. Boniface
"The Teutonic nations of northern Europe had been gradually brought under the power of the Frankish kings. The last of the great tribes to hold out against Carolingian arms were the Saxons, and Charlemagne had many a struggle with them during the first eleven years of his reign. At last they yielded, and became faithful subjects of the empire. At the accession of Charlemagne all these tribes were separate nations. Charlemagne made them one people, though he permitted each country to keep its own laws.
"Conquests were undertaken by Charlemagne mainly with a view to spreading the blessings of Christianity and civilization. The conversion of a nation speedily followed its conquest. The whole of the vast territory which he governed was mapped out into dioceses. Churches were built everywhere, assemblies of clergy, monks, and learned laymen were held twice a year, to regulate matters of law and order, both spiritual and temporal. The decrees formulated by these assemblies were known as the 'Capitularies of Charlemagne.'
"At the end of the year 800 Charlemagne went to Rome. While praying after the midnight Mass of Christmas Day, in St. Peter's, he was crowned by Pope Leo III, who placed on his head the imperial diadem and saluted him as Charles the First, Caesar Augustus, Emperor of the West."
From Vol. II, chapter on Temporal Power of the Popes
"In 330, Constantine the Great left Rome to the popes and built himself a new capital at Constantinople. He also endowed Pope St. Sylvester with property in Rome yielding an income of $50,000 annually.
"In 493, Theodoric endowed the Church, and up to the time of St. Gregory the Great, 570, the landed estates of the Church were called Patrimonies—twenty-three in number.
"During the eighth century the Lombards threatened Rome, and Pope Stephen called on Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, to come to his aid. Pepin assented to the Pope's wishes, and led an army against the barbarians. He reconquered the Exarchate of Ravenna with twenty-two towns taken by Luitprand, and compelled the invading sovereign to content himself with Lombardy. Pepin then offered the regained province and towns to the Holy See. This donation, or the Patrimony of St. Peter, as it was called, was the commencement of the Temporal sovereignty of the popes, who were no longer subject to the control of any ruler. This donation was confirmed by Charlemagne and succeeding emperors. "