French History Quiz

History of France: From Prehistory to Modern Times

• Stone tools discovered in France indicate pre-human ancestors may have been present in the region at least 1.6 million years ago.

• Neanderthals were present in Europe from about 400,000 BC, but died out about 40,000 years ago.

• The earliest modern humans entered Europe by 43,000 years ago (the Upper Paleolithic).

• The Paleolithic cave paintings of Gargas (c. 25,000 BC) and Lascaux (c. 15,000 BC) as well as the Neolithic-era Carnac stones (c. 4500 BC) are among the many remains of local prehistoric activity in the region.

• In the Iron Age, what is now France made up the bulk of the region known to the Romans as Gaul.

• The Roman Republic annexed southern Gaul as the province of Gallia Narbonensis in the late 2nd century BC, and Roman forces under Julius Caesar conquered the rest of Gaul in the Gallic Wars of 58–51 BC.

• Gaul was divided into several different provinces and a Gallo-Roman culture emerged.

• In 486, Clovis I, leader of the Salian Franks, defeated Syagrius at Soissons and subsequently united most of northern and central Gaul under his rule.

• Following the Hundred Years' War, the medieval Kingdom of France emerged from the western part of Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire, known as West Francia.

• France was one of the Triple Entente powers in World War I against Germany and the Central Powers.

• Following the defeat of France in World War II, the country was governed for a period as a Republic, until Napoleon Bonaparte's French Empire was declared.

• France played a central role in the unification process after 1945 that led to the European Union.

• Despite slow economic growth in recent years, France remains a strong economic, cultural, military, and political factor in the 21st century.A Brief History of France

• The Carolingian dynasty, established by Pepin the Short, became the kings of the Franks.

• Charlemagne, Pepin's son, expanded the Frankish domains and conquered various territories.

• Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III in 800.

• After Charlemagne's death, the Carolingian Empire was divided among his three sons.

• The imperial title ceased to be held in the western realm, which was to form the basis of the future French kingdom.

• Under the Carolingians, the kingdom was ravaged by Viking raiders.

• The Capetian dynasty, predecessors of the Robertines, emerged from interactions between the new Viking aristocracy and the already mixed Franks and Gallo-Romans.

• The monarchy overcame the powerful barons over ensuing centuries, and established absolute sovereignty over France in the 16th century.

• The late direct Capetian kings were considerably more powerful and influential than the earliest ones.

• Philip II Augustus's reign marked an important step in the history of French monarchy.

• Saint Louis became a truly centralised kingdom under Louis IX.

• The Hundred Years' War between France and England lasted from 1337 to 1453, and resulted in French victory.France's History: The Early Capetians to the Wars of Religion

• Louis IX became King of France at the age of twelve, with his mother Blanche of Castile as regent.

• The University of Paris went on strike in 1229, causing significant disruption.

• The Treaty of Paris in 1229 saw Count Raymond VII of Toulouse retain much of his lands for life, but the county went to the King of France.

• The Saintonge War (1242) saw King Henry III of England defeated and forced to recognise Louis IX's overlordship.

• Louis IX supported Gothic architecture, with the Sainte-Chapelle becoming a famous example.

• The Kingdom of France was involved in two failed crusades under Saint Louis.

• Philip III became king after Louis IX's death in 1270 and died during the Aragonese Crusade in 1285.

• Philip IV, also called Philip the Fair, ended the Knights Templar, signed the Auld Alliance, and established the Parlement of Paris.

• The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) saw the Plantagenets claim the French throne from the Valois, leading to several wars and civil unrest.

• Charles VII established the Compagnies d'ordonnance, the first French standing army, and defeated the Plantagenets at Patay (1429) and Formigny (1450).

• The Early Modern period in French history spanned from 1461 to the Revolution in 1789.

• The "beautiful 16th century" saw peace, prosperity, and population growth across France, with Paris flourishing and Toulouse experiencing wealth.

• The Protestant Reformation challenged the Catholic Church, leading to the French Wars of Religion and the Edict of Nantes in 1598.Overview of French History from Religious Conflicts to the French Enlightenment

• Religious conflicts plagued France during the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to the Siege of La Rochelle and Peace of Alais, which confirmed religious freedom but dismantled the Protestant military defences.

• Huguenots dispersed throughout Protestant kingdoms in Europe and America in the face of persecution.

• The Thirty Years' War eroded the power of the Catholic Habsburgs and Cardinal Richelieu joined the war on the side of the Protestants in 1636 in the national interest.

• Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King," reigned from 1643 until 1715 and believed in the divine right of kings, which led to the creation of a centralized state governed from Paris and the weakening of the aristocracy.

• Louis XIV's reign saw France involved in many wars that drained its treasury, including the War of Devolution, Franco-Dutch War, War of the Spanish Succession, and the Seven Years' War.

• Louis XIV's military architect, Vauban, became famous for his pentagonal fortresses, and Jean-Baptiste Colbert supported royal spending as much as possible.

• The French colonized North American territories and established several colonies during the 16th century, and Samuel de Champlain established the first successful French settlements in the New World in the early 17th century.

• The French Enlightenment was dominated by 18th-century French intellectuals who advocated for human progress, including Deism and religious tolerance.

• Denis Diderot was editor in chief of the famous Enlightenment accomplishment, the Encyclopédie, which sparked a revolution in learning throughout the enlightened world.

• The leader of the French Enlightenment was Voltaire, who wrote extensively on history, science, and philosophy, and popularized Isaac Newton in Europe.

• Astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, and technology flourished in France during the Enlightenment.