A Short History of France

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Title: A Short History of France
Author: Mary Platt Parmele
Release Date: October 20, 2005 [EBook #16910]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Produced by Al Haines

[Frontispiece: Gambetta proclaiming the Republic of France. From the painting by Howard Pyle.]

A SHORT HISTORY OF FRANCE
BY
MARY PLATT PARMELE

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1907

Copyright, 1894, By
WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON
Copyright, 1898, 1905, 1906, By
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Early Conditions in Gaul
CHAPTER II.
Julius Caesar's Conquest of Gaul Lutetia
CHAPTER III.
Birth of Christianity Its Dissemination Its Espousal by the Roman Empire Hunnish Invasion
CHAPTER IV.
The Frank in Gaul Clovis Rois-Fainéants Charles Martel Mahometanism Pepin Seizes the Crown
CHAPTER V.
Charlemagne Holy Roman Empire Treaty of Verdun
CHAPTER VI.
Invasions by Northmen Normandy Given to Invaders Feudalism Decline of Kingship Ascendancy of the Church Hugh Capet "Truce of God" William the Conqueror
CHAPTER VII.
Social Structure of France Free Cities Their Creation and Enfranchisement The Crusades Philip Augustus War with King John of England Toulouse and the Albigensian War
CHAPTER VIII.
Abelard Louis IX. End of Crusades Philip III. Philip IV. and Papacy Creation of States-General Popes at Avignon Knights Templar Exterminated Change in Succession
CHAPTER IX.
Edward III. Claims French Throne Crécy Poitiers Treaty of Bretigny Charles V. and Bertrand du Guesclin Death of Black Prince Charles VI. A Mad King Feud Between Houses of Orleans and Burgundy Siege of Orleans Joan of Arc Charles VII.
CHAPTER X.
Standing Army Created Louis XI. The Passing of Mediaevalism Charles VIII. Invasion of Italy Louis XII. Francis I. Struggle for Throne of the German Empire The Reformation
CHAPTER XI.
The House of Guise Marie Stuart Francis II. His Death Regency of Catharine de' Medici Her Designs Coligny Henry of Navarre His Marriage Charles IX. St. Bartholomew's Eve Henry III. His Death Henry of Navarre King
CHAPTER XII.
Edict of Nantes Ravaillac Louis XIII. Regency of Maria de' Medici Richelieu The Fronde
CHAPTER XIII.
Louis XIV. Four Great Wars Revocation of Edict of Nantes A Victorious Coalition Death of Louis XIV. Louis XV.
CHAPTER XIV.
John Law Life at Versailles Marriage of Dauphin Unseen Currents Approaching Crisis Death of Louis XV.
CHAPTER XV.
Louis XVI. American Revolution Turgot Necker States-General Summoned National Assembly Destruction of Bastille Revolution Lafayette Varennes The Temple Triumphant Jacobins Execution of the King Charlotte Corday Execution of Queen Fate of the Dauphin Girondists Philippe égalité Revolution Ended
CHAPTER XVI.
France a Republic Napoleon Bonaparte Breaking Chains in Italy Campo Formio Campaign in Egypt An Empire Rapid Steps from Toulon to Versailles A New Map of Europe Maria Louisa Moscow Leipsic Elba
CHAPTER XVII.
Louis XVIII. Return of Napoleon Waterloo St. Helena Bourbon Restoration Charles X. Louis Philippe Revolution Second Republic Louis Napoleon
CHAPTER XVIII.
Second French Republic The _Coup d'état_ Napoleon III. A "Liberator" in Italy Peace of Villafranca Suez Canal An Empire in Mexico Franco-Prussian War Sedan
CHAPTER XIX.
Third French Republic The Commune The Germans in Paris Reconstruction from Thiers to Loubet Affaire Dreyfus Law of Associations Separation of Church and State Conference at Algeciras Election of M. Fallières Conclusion
Sovereigns and Rulers of France
Index

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Gambetta, proclaiming the Republic of France . . . Frontispiece Coronation of Charlemagne
Burning of Joan of Arc at Rouen, May 30, 1431
Napoleon at the Battle of Rivoli, January 14, 1797
Josephine crowned Empress, December 2, 1804, in Notre Dame Cathedral
The Revolution of July 28, 1830

A SHORT HISTORY OF FRANCE.
CHAPTER I.
One of the greatest achievements of modern research is the discovery of a key by which we may determine the kinship of nations. What we used to conjecture, we now know. An identity in the structural form of language establishes with scientific certitude that however diverse their character and civilizations, Russian, German, Englishman, Frenchman, Spaniard, are all but branches from the same parent stem, are all alike children of the Asiatic Aryan.
So skilful are modern methods of questioning the past, and so determined the effort to find out its secrets, we may yet know the origin and history of this wonderful Asiatic people, and when and why they left their native continent and colonized upon the northern shores of the Mediterranean. Certain it is, however, that, more centuries before the Christian era than there have been since, they had peopled Western Europe.
This branch of the Aryan family is known as the Keltic, and was older brother to the Teuton and Slav, which at a much later period followed them from the ancestral home, and appropriated the middle and eastern portions of the European Continent.
The name of Gaul was given to the territory lying between the Ocean and the Mediterranean, and the Pyrenees and the Alps. And at a later period a portion of Northern