• The Republic of France has been a crucial, central player in the history of the European continent. Although marred by frequent military conflict, the progress of French history is marked by great cultural, scientific, and economic achievement. Today, France is a major G8 world power and a leading member of the European Union.

• 1. Established: 843
  2. Established by: Treaty of Verdun
  3. Formerly: Gaul, Roman Gaul, Francia, Frankish Empire
  4. Location: Western Europe
  5. Language: French
  6. Current Population: 64,473,140
  7. Bordered by: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, Spain

• Key Events

  1. 58-51 BC: Julius Caesar fights Gallic Wars
  2. 486 AD: Clovis I unites Northern Gaul
  3. 1214: St. Louis IX becomes King of France
  4. 1337–1453: Hundred Years' War
  5. 1789: French Revolution begins
  6. 1799: Napoleon elected First Consul
  7. 1914-1918: World War I
  8. 1940: Invaded by Nazi Germany
  9. 1968: May student protests

• Key Figures

  1. Charlemagne: King of the Franks from 768-814, he expanded the Frankish Empire and in many ways set the boundaries and influenced the culture of Medieval Europe
  2. Joan of Arc: 15th century French saint who led the French Army to victory in the Siege of Orleans during the Hundred Years' War
  3. Louis XIV of France: Also known as "the Sun King," he ruled France from 1643-1715 and converted Versailles into the royal palace
  4. Napoleon Bonaparte: Ruler of France from 1804-1814, and again in 1815, he won a flurry of military victories throughout Western Europe before being defeated and exiled
  5. Charles de Gaulle: Prime Minister in the immediate aftermath of World War II, De Gaulle served as the first President of the Fifth Republic of France from 1959–1969

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