Kings of the Franks and France
The Franks were Germanic tribes who settled in Roman territory in the 4th century as allies (foederati) of Emperor Julian. Clovis unified all Franks in the early 6th century, founding the Merovingian dynasty named after his ancestor Merovech. In 743, Pépin the Short replaced the Merovingians with the Carolingian dynasty, named for his father Charles Martel. Pépin's son Charlemagne built a vast European empire. After his grandson Louis the Pious died, the kingdom was divided among his sons, with the western portion becoming France under Charles the Bald. The Capetian dynasty began in the late 10th century under Hugues Capet, followed by the Valois branch and then the Bourbon kings, who ruled until the French Revolution. France also had two 19th-century emperors: Napoleon and his nephew Napoleon III.
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