Overview
France on these bookmarks is one kingdom and two dynasties. Charles the Bald of the Karlings holds West Francia in 867. Patch 1.20.1.2 rates that seat Medium. Philip I of the Capet dynasty is king in 1066, on the throne since 1060, with a wide kingdom and a small royal domain. Louis VII, still Capetian, is king in 1178, two years before his death, with Henry II's Angevin lands on his border.
The title on Charles's card and on the Capetian cards is France. The dynasty row changes from Karling to Capet. The faith row changes from Chalcedonianism in 867 to Catholicism in the later bookmarks.
Starts
867
Charles the Bald is king of West Francia. The bookmark is The Carolingians. He became emperor in 875, after the death of his nephew Louis II of Italy.
| Seat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start | 867 |
| Bookmark | The Carolingians |
| Title | France |
| Realm size | 89 counties |
| Status | Independent |
| Difficulty | Medium, the bookmark rating in patch 1.20.1.2 |
| Culture | French |
| Faith | Chalcedonianism |
| Dynasty | Karling |
| Age | 43 |
1066
Philip I is king of the Franks. He has been on the throne since 1060. The kingdom on the map is large. The royal domain inside it is small, and the great vassals, including Normandy, are the real power around the crown.
| Seat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start | 1066 |
| Title | France |
| Realm size | 84 counties |
| Status | Independent |
| Culture | French |
| Faith | Catholicism |
| Dynasty | Capet |
1178
Louis VII is still king, with two years left before his death in 1180. The realm facing him is Henry II's. His son Philip II is the king who later breaks the Angevin hold on Normandy.
| Seat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start | 1178 |
| Title | France |
| Realm size | 46 counties |
| Status | Independent |
| Culture | French |
| Faith | Catholicism |
| Dynasty | Capet |
Later impact
Charles died in 877. The West Frankish crown passed through his descendants, then the Robertians, until Hugh Capet was elected king in 987. Philip I's 1066 kingdom is that Capetian crown, still hemmed in by dukes and counts who treat the king as a peer.
The Norman conquest joins England to the duke of Normandy and, over the next century, to the Angevin assemblage. Louis VII's 1178 kingdom is the Capetian side of that rivalry. Philip II succeeded in 1180, took Normandy from John in 1204, and turned the small royal domain into a much larger French crown.
A campaign that starts with Charles is a Carolingian succession problem. A campaign that starts with Philip or Louis is the long Capetian recovery. The later bookmarks already sit inside that recovery. They do not start it.
Historical links
- Charles the Bald · 867 · France
- Philip I · 1066 · France
- Louis VII · 1178 · France
All realms · kingdom · 867 · 1066 · 1178