France is regarded as a land country, and its fate is closely related to the European continent. But in fact, France has both land and sea advantages and has made brilliant achievements in the ocean. France has a powerful navy and commercial fleet, and was once one of the great powers in North America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
prehistoric civilization
Since the earliest human history, every stage of France has played a great role in the history of western civilization. The prehistoric cave murals found in Dordogne and the Pyrenees can be traced back to 20,000 years ago and are the richest prehistoric culture in Europe.
Ancient Roman
After the Celts developed a strong "culture of the Lejon era", the Romans instilled collective consciousness into the brave Celts. The Roman Empire occupied the Mediterranean region of France from 125 BC to 2 1 BC, and it was not until Julius Caesar really conquered the militant Celts. Vercingetorix led the Celtics in heroic resistance, but Caesar still won the final victory in alesia, Burgundy in 52 BC. Although Wiesinger Torrix was defeated, he became a national hero. The subsequent "Great Harmony" brought wealth and prosperity to the region.
Franks (surname)
With the decline of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries, the Roman Gauls surrendered to the Frankish King, the Frankish Kingdom. Frank originally belonged to a Germanic tribe and lived outside the Roman Empire. He was called "barbarian" by the Romans. They gradually rose in the declining empire. At the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century, Merovingians, a Frankish tribe, occupied the northern part of France and gradually expanded its power to the south. Clovis, the ruler of this clan, chose Paris as the capital and converted to Catholicism in 496 AD, thus expanding his power to the southern Catholic region.
Charlemagne
In the 8th century AD, Prince Charlemagne of Frank ascended the throne and established the Carolingian Dynasty, which ruled the territory of France and Germany today. In 800 AD, Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope (the first person to be crowned by the Pope after the Roman ruler ended). With the disintegration of the feudal system and the invasion of Saracens in northern Italy, magyars in Central Europe and Nordic in Scandinavia, the Carolingian dynasty was doomed to be short-lived. The treaty of verdun, signed in 843 AD, divided the empire into three parts: the Germanic kingdom in the eastern Frankish region and the kingdom in the western Frankish region, which will become the historical core of France in the future, with Lotharingia in the middle. In 987 AD, the Western Frankish Kingdom, later the Frankish Kingdom, fell into the hands of hugues capet and established the Cape Dynasty. His descendants ruled this dynasty until19th century.
Cape's sphere of influence is very small, and its direct jurisdiction is only ile-de-france around Paris. This small base is precariously surrounded by the territories and war zones of feudal princes all over France. William, Duke of Normandy, was one of the princes and became king of England after the successful invasion of 1066. The British Empire was founded, and its territory extended from Beric on the Tweed River to the Pyrenees. The Cape dynasty resisted British power and rule through war, diplomacy, marriage and alliance or simply deception.
The crusades
1 1 century to13rd century, France joined the Crusaders to save the holy land that fell into the hands of pagans. Louis IX even died because of the Crusaders. /kloc-in the 0/3rd century, the Cape Dynasty arrived in southwest France. Under the authorization of the Pope, the Crusaders conquered the so-called Albigen Sect. At this time, the ruling power of the French king penetrated into the south from the northern Mediterranean for the first time.
With the continuous strengthening of the monarch's power in the Cape Dynasty, economic activities have become increasingly prosperous. Funds were invested in the construction of cathedrals, and Gothic church architecture became the object of imitation in Europe. Universities have appeared in cities. Pierre? Abelard and Thomas? The University of Paris, where Thomas Aquinas taught, immediately won a resounding reputation.
the Hundred Year's War
At the beginning of14th century, the economy began to decline, and the Black Death in 1348 led to economic collapse. The Black Death claimed a third of the population of France, and even centuries later, some areas slowly recovered to the pre-outbreak level. The plague has dealt an unprecedented blow to the economy. Due to the shortage of working population and the decline of feudal system, the lords were forced to reduce the burden on serfs. At this important moment, Britain's failure to claim French territory triggered the Hundred Years' War (1337- 1453). Burgundy, which has always demanded autonomy, is allied with Britain.
France is always unlucky in war. For example, in the famous Battle of Ginkul in 4 15, under the powerful British infantry offensive, the French king was humiliated by large and small battles. 15 at the beginning of the opportunity, the French king had no power at all, and the country was facing a situation of disintegration. At the call of Joan of Arc, 1429 or 1430, the French king finally resisted the British offensive. Joan of Arc died at the hands of Britain and Burgundy, but the French king Charles VII drove the English back to the other side of the English Channel. He and his successor leveled Burgundy, and Burgundy was merged into France in 1477. Then night of Provence 1480 joined; Brittany joined France on 149 1.
The Renaissance
1494, French king Charles XIII invaded the Italian peninsula, which triggered the Italian war and lasted until 1559. Although the war was fought on Italian soil, the purpose of the French aggression was to seize the title of "Holy Roman Emperor" of the Habsburg Dynasty which ruled Germany and Spain. This war, or a stalemate, has brought a new situation to France's economy and culture. Italian renaissance master da? Leonardo da Vinci and cellini worked for Francois I (1). The magnificent palace culture promoted by Francois I had a great influence on architecture. One of the most outstanding works is the Loire Valley. From the newer castles of Chambord, Chenoso and Azailedo, dazzling castles are scattered everywhere, and some old castles, such as Blay Castle, have also been expanded.
religious war
The Renaissance also brought about the Reformation. France is divided into two religious factions. Between 1562 and 1598, there were no fewer than eight wars between Protestants and Catholics. These battles were fierce and bloody, especially the San bartholomew massacre in 1572. In Paris, about 2,700 people were massacred, which was more than the number executed by the revolutionary courts during the terror of the French Revolution (A.D. 1792-1794). In other French cities, more than 20,000 people were killed. It was not until Henry IV, the founder of Bourbon Dynasty, converted to Catholicism as a Protestant that this religious war ended. In A.D. 1598, the edict of Nantes was issued, and the two factions finally came to a truce.
Henry IV not only had a tolerant religious mind, but also paid great attention to social welfare after the war. His ideal of "every tenant has a chicken in the pot" is unforgettable and won him the title of "Good King Henry". However, since the 1920s of 17, Cardinal Li Sailiu and Masalin came to power one after another. In order to defeat the Habsburg dynasty, France became a centralized and autocratic country. This has brought considerable pressure to French society: between 630 and 1648, the people's tax revenue has tripled compared with the past. The discontent of the poor and the unhappiness of the nobles, coupled with religious friction, eventually led to riots and rebellions.
Malik Halsid
Despite the crisis, the centralized monarchy still laid the foundation at 66 1. Louis XIV won the support of most people and began his personal rule. The reign of the "King of the Sun" was one of the longest periods in France, which was praised as well as praised. The luxury of Versailles has become the envy of all Europe. It is also the base for Louis to pursue European hegemony and establish colonial empires, such as Canadian colonies.
This period is also the most creative period in French cultural history. Descartes, Gao Naiyi, Racine, Moliere and other masters came forth in large numbers. When France's national strength reached its peak in Europe, culture also achieved a brilliant and rich "great century". However, from 65438 to the 1980s, Louis XIV began to fight against Britain and the Netherlands. 1685 abolished the edict of Nantes and suppressed Protestants, which aggravated social problems.
the Enlightenment
/kloc-the cultural achievements in the 0/7th century were concentrated in Versailles; /kloc-The Enlightenment in the 0/8th century joined the middle class and integrated into trade and industrial manufacturing activities. Salons, cafes, colleges, novels, periodicals, newspapers, freemasonry huts and political associations proliferated, which developed urban humanities and culture and criticized conservative and stubborn nobles. The French Enlightenment was international, and many philosophers from England and Scotland joined it as honorary members, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson from the United States. In contrast, the war of regime change became primitive and cruel.
The Enlightenment advocated freedom and social reform, but the kings didn't try their best. The royal family is heavily in debt, although the economy has flourished for a hundred years. In diplomacy, in order to maintain a balanced relationship between European countries, it plays the devil's advocate against its business rival Britain. This policy lasted from 1688, when Louis XIV ended the war, to 18 15, when Napoleon was defeated.
However, in the whole century, France lost any struggle, the only exception being the War of Independence to help North America get rid of British colonialism (A.D. 1775- 1783). The huge cost of the war almost defeated France, and the economic crisis, coupled with the failure of agricultural production in the 1980s from 65438 to 2008, pushed France to a more intense situation than the reform-revolution.
French Revolution
The French Revolution sowed the seeds of freedom and democracy in Europe. 1789 promulgated the "Declaration of Human Rights", which sacredly put forward three slogans of freedom, equality and fraternity, established ideal political activities and political and cultural norms, and influenced the subsequent follow-up in Europe. From 1789 to 10 in 1799, there were five types of regimes: old monarchy, constitutional monarchy, independence and freedom, and finally Napoleon's military dictatorship.
If you want to ask the kind but incompetent Louis XVI why he didn't become an autocratic king but made himself a ruler under a strict constitution, I'm afraid he can only be speechless. Mary, the Austrian queen of Louis XVI? Marie Antoinette was extremely opposed to the revolution and encouraged the king to rely on nobles instead of the New Deal.
The incompetence of the French king in the process of regime consolidation led France to declare war on Austria. Louis XVI did not fully support the war against Austria, which led to his overthrow in 1792 and his execution in 1 month the following year. With the war becoming more and more critical, the original peace system has gradually moved towards the exclusive power system.
At the beginning of 1793, France declared war on almost all of Europe. Although the Enlightenment advocated religious tolerance, surprisingly, religion became the pillar of the struggle. The church supported the ancient monarchy, while revolutionaries opposed religious politics more than ever before.
Occupation and disintegration of colonial empire
France suffered two heavy blows in the 20th century: the first was World War II, and the second was the independence of colonial countries.
1940 German Nazis defeated France and occupied French territory. First, it occupied the northern half of France, and by 1942, the whole of France was occupied by the Germans. Someone became a traitor and cooperated with the Nazis. Mahsha, a famous Jewish soldier in World War I? Marechal Betan was appointed to lead the Vichy government.
De Gaulle, who fled to London, formed a resistance army. In the early 1940s, he joined hands with the * * * production party and carried out a lot of political activities. 1944, the fierce army landed in Normandy, and the rebels also gained a lot. The Germans are losing ground. After the war, France established the Fourth Republic, which allowed women to vote for the first time. However, the pain of "collaborating with the enemy" is still fresh in my memory, and the question of loyalty to the country has always haunted the hearts of the French people.
The disintegration of the colony also brought pain to France. In the early 1950s, the independence movement in North Africa and French Indian zhina triggered French military intervention. 1954, in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Indo-China Peninsula, France was defeated, and the Indian zhina returned to the hands of communist party Yueming, which led to France's full withdrawal from the Far East. The civil war in Algeria even threatened the political stability of France.
The Algerian war brought about a political crisis, which prompted Charles de Gaulle to make a comeback and become the president of the Fifth Republic, with great power. Dai made Algeria independent, evacuated the French colonists in Algeria and solved the political crisis. But this left resentment on both sides of the Mediterranean.
May incident
In addition to political turmoil, France in the second half of the 20th century had many thorny problems. The last thing I expected was that France could maintain political stability. During Charles de Gaulle's administration, political critics believed that only extreme right elements could take charge of the Fifth Republic. Facts have proved that this regime can still exist after the death of its founder. 198 1 year, francois mitterrand was elected president of France. He is a socialist. Since then, the ruling power has alternated between left-wing and right-wing parties.
The first crisis of the French regime occurred in the unusual and unclassified "May Incident" in 1968. Students, workers and liberals almost overthrew the government of Charles de Gaulle. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Fifth Republic, people look back on history and find that the Dais regime has become the second longest-lived regime in French history since the18th century, second only to the undervalued Third Republic.
European Union
Since World War II, a lingering nightmare in French politics has been Germany. During the period of 65438+ 1960- 1940, France's foreign policy was hostile to Germany. But after the war, people of insight in the two countries promoted Franco-German cooperation. 195 1 The coal-steel alliance opened the door to cooperation. After that, the two countries became pioneers in promoting various European unions, including the one that advocated the use of the same currency.
This is also a condition for France's prosperity and success. 1945 After the end of World War II, the so-called "glorious thirty years" also began, and the French economy experienced unprecedented prosperity and growth, so some critics thought that this was the real French Revolution. Admirable economic growth rate and unprecedented baby boom have promoted the development of infrastructure and service industry, and a large number of goods and entertainment have appeared. The phenomenon of new wealth challenges traditional customs and habits.
Although opinion polls show people's worries about political and economic development from time to time, most people still think that France is the most attractive country to live or visit. Paris, which combines political and cultural advantages (such as Pompidou Center in Pompidou Center, Paris National Opera-Bastille Opera House, Orsay Museum in Ossetia Art Museum, etc.). ) is still one of the most outstanding cities in the world. Cities in other provinces, such as Lyon, Montpellier, Lille and Nimes, are also receiving increasing attention. On the eve of the Millennium, regionalism, multiculturalism and gender issues have broadened political and cultural horizons. In this way, we can enjoy the scenery of France from different angles.