Frankish Civil Wars
The Frankish Civil Wars were a series of internal conflicts that arose within the Frankish kingdom, particularly following the division of territory among the sons of Clovis, the first ruler to unite the Franks. Established in the late 5th century, the Merovingian Dynasty under Clovis initially expanded the kingdom, but the custom of dividing land among heirs led to constant rivalries and competition for power. By the 7th century, the Catholic Church formed a significant alliance with the Franks, which provided stability amidst the civil strife.
Prominent figures during these conflicts included Pépin II of Hérstal and his son Charles Martel. Pépin's reign saw the rise of the mayor of the palace as a powerful role, leading to numerous civil wars that often resulted in violence and betrayal. Charles Martel ultimately centralized authority after defeating various factions and expanded Frankish territory through military campaigns against external threats. This tumultuous period shaped the political landscape of the region, paving the way for the Carolingian Renaissance and the eventual rise of the Carolingian Empire. The Frankish Civil Wars highlight the complexities of power dynamics in early medieval Europe and the interplay between political and religious institutions.
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Frankish Civil Wars
At issue: Rule of Frankish kingdom
Date: c. 675-719
Location: Frankish territories
Combatants: Claimants to Merovingian throne
Principal commanders: Pépin II of Hérstal (d. 714), Charles Martel (689-741)
Principal battle: Tours
Result: Ascension of Carolingians to throne
Background
The Franks were a Germanic tribe who became foederati, or associates, of the Romans in the middle of the fourth century. They occupied an area at the mouths of the Rhine and Schelde Rivers and areas of southern Holland and northern Belgium. The Franks supplied a number of recruits for the Roman Legion but were not a highly organized people politically. During the Roman period, the Franks did not become Christians. With the decline of the power of the empire in the West, the Franks began to expand into former Roman territory.
In 481, Clovis became leader of his own tribe of Franks at the age of fifteen. Within five years, Clovis had united the Franks under his leadership. Clovis moved his capital to Paris, and he vowed to become a Catholic Christian if he defeated the Burgundians. Other German leaders followed the Arian version of Christianity. Clovis continued to expand his kingdom, and his dynasty was named the Merovingian Dynasty, after his grandfather. He continued the Germanic custom of dividing his territory among his sons, which led to numerous civil wars and other disputes.
Because land was passed on as personal property, it is not surprising that there was competition among the heirs to gain a greater share of the patrimony, and a rivalry arose between Neustria, Austrasia, and Aquitaine—the three major regions of the realm. There were constant civil wars. In spite of these wars, the Merovingian Dynasty ruled for about three hundred years.
Action
By the seventh century, the Catholic Church had entered into a firm alliance with the Franks. The Church had a stake in maintaining order within the Frankish realm, and the Merovingians also had an interest in maintaining Catholic support to aid in the administration of the realm. The alliance was mutually beneficial. Because other Germanic kings had embraced non-Catholic versions of Christianity, the Catholic Church relied on its special relationship with the Franks.
Pépin II of Hérstal, the mayor of the palace, became ruler of the Franks and the first of the great Carolingian mayors of the palace. Pépin retained Theodoric III on the throne. He kept this policy by supporting the next three Merovingian kings. Pépin pursued a number of wars, defeating the Frisians, for example, in 689. In true royal style, he married his son Grimoald to Theodelind, daughter of the Frisian chief Radbod. Pépin defeated the Alemanni, compelling them to recognize Frankish authority again. Toward that end, he encouraged Christian missionaries in Alemannia and Bavaria.
What Pépin had begun, his son Charles Martel completed. Charles became mayor of the palace of Austrasia, in the east of the kingdom, from 715 to 741. Martel reunited the Frankish kingdom while also defeating the Muslims at Poitiers in 732 at the Battle of Tours.
Pépin had begun the unification of the old realm with his conquest and annexation of Neustria in 687. This policy of Pépin led to a series of bitter “civil wars” in which his only living legitimate son was assassinated. Pépin left his lands to his grandsons, but Charles Martel began a series of wars in which he defeated both those who represented Pépin’s grandchildren and the old Merovingian king. The real power was in the hands of Ragenfrid, mayor of the palace of Neustria. Ragenfrid formed an alliance with the Frisians in Holland.
Plectrude, Pépin’s widow, had imprisoned Charles, but he escaped, raised an army, and defeated the Neustrians at Amblève, near Liège, in 716 and at Vincy, near Cambrai, in 717. Plectrude and the Austrasians surrendered, and by 719, Charles was sole ruler of the kingdom, keeping the title of mayor of the palace.
Aftermath
Charles next attacked Neustria, conquering it in 724. Continuing his campaigns, Charles attacked Aquitaine. He also fought against the Frisians, Saxons, and Bavarians, whose lawlessness endangered the eastern frontiers of his kingdom. Following his father’s lead and Frankish established policy, Charles supported Saint Boniface and other missionaries in their efforts to convert the German tribes on the eastern frontier to Christianity.
Bibliography
Geary, Patrick J. Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Hen, Yitzhak. Culture and Religion in Merovingian Gaul,a.d.481-751. New York: E. J. Brill, 1995.
Lasko, Peter. The Kingdom of the Franks: North-west Europe Before Charlemagne. London: Thames & Hudson, 1971.
Silber, Manfred. The Gallic Royalty of the Merovingians in Its Relationship to the Orbis Terrarum Romanum During the Fifth and the Sixth Centuriesa.d. Bern, Switzerland: Herbert Lang, 1970.
Wood, Ian. The Merovingian Kingdoms: 450-751. New York: Longman, 1994.