Part 6/15:
As the centuries progressed, the chaos of invasions, including by the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and later the rising threat of the Vikings, fragmented political authority. The Frankish kingdom evolved through treaties, wars, and the partitioning among heirs, eventually leading to the Carolingian Empire under Charlemagne, crowned emperor of the Romans in 800 AD, which sprawled across much of Western Europe.
The Medieval Period: Feudalism, Power Struggles, and Kingdom Formation
The Middle Ages in France were characterized by a patchwork of feudal lords, fragmented authority, and almost constant warfare. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided the Carolingian Empire among Charlemagne's grandsons, sowing the seeds for future political boundaries.