As well as most the European states, France passed through an era of feudal fragmentation. The history of association of this country was rich in significant events and reflected all complexity of a political situation in Europe of times of the late Middle Ages.
Instruction
1. France as the state appeared after signing in 843 of the Verdennsky treatise according to which Charles the Great's empire was divided into France and Germany. Nevertheless real possession of the French king were much less. When in the 10th century the founder of a dynasty Kapetingov of Gugo Kapet ascended to a throne, kings owned only a part of the modern region Ile-de-France: lands from Paris to Orléans. However except these lands the French king had the power and over territories of the vassals who took him the oath.
2. By the end of the 12th century there was a situation when in the territory of modern France more lands belonged to the English king, than French. The situation was changed by the French king Philip-Augustus, having won from the English monarch Eduard Bezzemelnogo all possession, except Aquitaine. Also actually royal possession extended.
3. In the 13th century there was a weakening of the Sacred Roman Empire. In the next century, governors of France used it. In 1312 Lyon with the neighboring lands was annexed to France, and in a couple of decades lands Dofine were bought. In the 15th century France got close to modern borders - in the east of its border was prolonged up to the Alps. Also the sizes of the royal domain grew - in particular, marriage of one of governors with Anna Bretonskaya, the successor and the ruler of Brittany, attached this earth to royal. Completely association of the country under the power of the king happened already during an absolutism era, in the 16-17th centuries.
4. The territory of France and after association did not remain stable. In the 18th century Corsica was its part. The country reached the largest sizes at the time of the Napoleonic wars when the part of the Belgian and German territories was its part. Completely modern borders of France were established after World War II when the disputed States of Alsace and Lorraine finally passed from Germany to France.