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France history for kids
France history for
kids Pre-modern hominid populations migrated to France during Paleolithic times, and between 30,000 and
10,000 years ago, modern humans left evidence of their presence in cave art
early childhood education.
After 600 B.C. Greek
and Phoenician traders operated along the French Mediterranean coast, while
Celts migrated westward from the Rhine valley, France history for kids settling
the territory later called Gaul by the Romans. The Romans under Julius Caesar conquered
part of Gaul in 57–52 B.C., and it remained Roman until the early childhood
education Western Roman Empire disintegrated into small-scale agrarian
settlements as the Franks invaded in the fifth century A.D. France history for
kids.
An interval of
territorial consolidation occurred in the eighth century under the Freakish
King Charlemagne, who took the title of Holy Roman Emperor. After his death,
his three grandsons divided his empire among themselves and held territories
corresponding roughly to France, Germany, and Italy. These territories early
childhood education became increasingly equalized, with rule by numerous local
lords. Vikings or “Northmen” raided coastal settlements, colonized Normandy, a
territory named after them, and in 1066 conquered England, installing Duke
William the Conqueror King of France history for kids.
In the meantime
learning websites, from 987 and for the France history for kids next 350 years,
an unbroken line of Caption kings added to their domain, the region surrounding
Paris known as the File-de-France. As royal power gained ground against the
feudal lords, the great monastic orders and emerging towns fueled an economic
and cultural flowering. By 1328 and the accession of Philip VI, the first of
the Valise kings, France boasted the highest achievements of medieval European
France history for kids culture early childhood education learning websites its
Romanesque and Gothic architecture and was the most powerful nation in Europe,
with a population of 15 million. This population, like others in Europe France
history for kids, suffered a demographic disaster after 1348, when the Black
Death (bubonic plague) entered France through Marseilles and killed as many as
one-third of the country’s inhabitants learning websites.
France history for kids decade before the Black Death struck
disputed territorial
and dynastic claims between France and England led to the Hundred Years’ War
(1337–1453) in France. When the French eventually won, with the help of the
young Joan of Arc, the English retained no Relearning websites inch possessions
except Calais. The Valise dynasty’s holdings came to resemble modern France,
learning websites once Burgundy and Brittany were added. After the U.S.S.R.,
the Protestantism of John Calvin spread throughout France history for kids and
led to civil wars early childhood education. The Edict of Mantes (1598), issued
by Henry IV of the Bourbon dynasty, sustained Catholicism as the established
religion of France but granted religious tolerance to the learning websites
French Protestants France history for kids learning websites (Huguenots) and
calmed religious conflict. Absolute monarchy reached its apogee in the reign of
Louis XIV (1643–1715), the Sun King, who built the Palace of Versailles, a
celebration of French art and architecture France history for kids.
The ambitious projects
and military campaigns of Louis and his successors led to chronic financial
problems in the eighteenth century France history for kids. Deteriorating
economic conditions and popular learning websites resentment against the system of privileges
and tax exemptions enjoyed by France history for kids the nobility and clergy
were among the principal causes of the French Revolution (1789–94). The
Revolution ended unchecked monarchical rule, enhanced the power of non-noble
elites, learning websites and brought more equitable land distribution to the
peasantry early childhood education.
French revolutionary
ideals France history
for kids especially ideals of nationhood and universal rights long proved a
powerful influence on the development of national movements elsewhere in the
world. However, France’s own first experiment in republican and egalitarian
government fell into turmoil, France history for kids culminating in the “Reign
of Terror learning websites. France history for kids” France reverted to forms
of dictatorship or constitutional monarchy on four occasions in the nineteenth
century the Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte (1804–14, and three-month restoration,
1815), learning websites the Bourbon Restoration (1814–30), the reign of
Louis-Philippe (1830–48), and the Second Empire of early childhood education
Napoleon III (1852–70). Under Napoleon Bonaparte, France extended its rule and
cultural influence over most of Europe before suffering defeat at Waterloo in
1815 France history for kids.
learning websites Another defeat a half century later early childhood education
in the Franco-Prussian
War (1870), ended the rule of Napoleon III and ushered in the Third Republic,
which lasted until France’s military defeat at the hands of Nazi Germany in
1940. Throughout these learning websites changes in the political landscape,
France remained among the world’s leaders in industrialization, science and
technology, and eventually France history for kids labor and social legislation
France history for kids. France was also a major participant in Europe’s
colonial expansion, early childhood education second only to Britain in the
extent of its empire in Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East. Finally,
France remained a magnet for generations of avant-garden artists and writers
learning websites.
Although on the
victorious side in World War I, France bore the brunt of the war’s huge human
and material losses and emerged at the end of learning websites 1918 determined
to early childhood education keep Germany weak through France history for kids
systems of alliances and defenses France history for kids. Despite these,
learning websites France was defeated by Nazi Germany early in World War II. In
1940 Nazi troops marched into an undefended Paris, and Marshal Henri Philippe
Ethan signed an armistice France history for kids.
France was divided
into an occupied north and an unoccupied south, France history for kids Vicky
France, which became a German puppet state with Ethan as its head. Vicky France
acquiesced in the plunder of French resources and the deportation of forced
labor and Jews to France history for kids Germany learning websites. After four
years, learning websites Allied armies liberated France in August 1944, and a
provisional government was established, headed by General Charles de Galled,
the wartime leader of Free France early childhood education.
In 1946 de Galled
resigned, early childhood education and a new constitution set up the Fourth
Republic, learning websites featuring a parliamentary form of government controlled
by a series of party coalitions. Under this governmental arrangement, France
took important steps in promoting international cooperation, when it joined the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and spearheaded European France
history for kids integration. In 1951, in a France history for kids dramatic
reconciliation, France and Germany, along with four other countries, founded
the European Coal and Steel Community learning websites. It featured a joint
administration, parliament, and supreme court, institutions that still govern
today’s European Union (EU). In 1957 France and the same five countries created
a broader economic bloc, the European Economic Community, or Common Market,
when they acceded to the Treaty of Rome, the core agreement of the EU France
history for kids.
Notwithstanding its
accomplishments, learning websites the French government was prone to France
history for kids cabinet crises and proved inadequate to the challenge of the
independence struggles of the country’s early childhood education colonies in
French Indochina, or present-day Vietnam (1945–54), and Algeria (1954–62).
France’s war against communist insurgents in Indochina was abandoned after the
defeat of French forces at Diem Bien Phi in 1954 France history for kids.
A revolt in Algeria
proved so divisive in France as to threaten a military coup there, prompting
the National Assembly in 1958 to invite de Galled learning websites to return
as premier with extraordinary powers. Under the new early childhood education
Gaul list constitution for a Fifth Republic France history for kids, which
strengthened the presidency and reduced legislative power, he was elected
president in December 1958 France history for kids.
early childhood education Under de Galled, the dissolution of France’s
overseas empire
continued. The French protectorates of Morocco and Tunisia had received
learning websites independence in 1956. In 1960 French West Africa was
partitioned, and the new France history for kids nations were granted
independence. Algeria, after a long civil war, finally became independent in
1962. Many of the former colonies maintained close economic and cultural ties
with France.
In an example of
France’s France history for kids occasionally maverick foreign policy, de
Galled France history for kids took France out of the NATO military command in
1967 and expelled all foreign-controlled troops from the country learning
websites. De Galled’s government was weakened by massive protests early
childhood education in May 1968 when student rallies merged with wildcat
strikes by millions of factory workers across France. The movement aimed at
transforming the authoritarian, elitist French system of governance and came
close to forcing de Galled from power France history for kids.
After order was
reestablished in 1969, France history for kids de Galled resigned and his
successor, Georges Pompadour (1969–74), modified Gaul list early childhood
education policies to include a stronger market orientation in domestic
economic affairs learning websites. Valley Discard Destin, elected president in
1974, also supported conservative, pro-business policies France history for
kids.
Socialist Francois
Mitt errand was elected president in 1981, beginning a record 14-year tenure in
that office France history for kids. He saw seven prime ministers and two
periods of “cohabitation” (1986–88 and 1993– 95) in which the prime minister
was from the center-right France history for kids opposition. He also saw
France’s first female prime minister, Edith Cession (1991–92). Early in the
Mitt errand presidency, the victorious socialists, carrying out their campaign
pledges, imposed a wealth tax, learning websites nationalized key industries,
decreed a 39-hour workweek and five-week paid vacations, halted nuclear
testing, suspended nuclear power plant construction, and abolished the death
penalty France history for kids.
The most notable and
lasting achievements of the Mitt errand presidency, however, came in the
international arena, where France’s major commitment remained the European
Economic France history for kids Community and, especially, improved
Franco-German relations, regarded as the key to Europe’s integration. Under
Mitt errand, early childhood education after decades of ups and downs, the Common
Market got a boost from the 1986 Single European Act, which eased the free
movement of goods and labor. A capstone accomplishment came in the 1992 Treaty
of Mastic, which established a common currency and created the France history
for kids EU to coordinate foreign policy and immigration as well as economics.
In promoting the treaty and monetary union, Mitt errand worked well with
Germany’s Chancellor Helmut Kohl, strengthening Franco-German economic and
security ties.
France continued to be
a driving force learning websites behind the EU’s progress and expansion
under the center right Gaul list Jacques Circe, who won the presidency in 1995
on a platform of reducing France’s chronically high unemployment France history
for kids. Circe briefly resumed France’s nuclear testing in the South Pacific
early childhood education, despite widespread international protests. During
his five years of cohabitation (1997–2002) with a socialist legislative
majority, the euro was introduced (2002) and the franc retired as legal tender
France history for kids.
In 1999 France took
part in the NATO airstrips in Kosovo, France history for kids despite some
internal opposition. In the 2002 election season, Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of
the neo-fascist, France history for kids anti-immigrant National Front party,
shocked France with his strong performance, a second place finish in the first
round of voting. He took 17 percent of the vote, France history for kids
handing a humiliating defeat to Lionel Joplin, the Socialist prime minister,
whose party threw its support behind the incumbent Circe and bolstered his
overwhelming victory of 82 percent in the runoff election.
In 2003, in Circe’s
second term, France defied the United States and the United Kingdom in the
France history for kids run-up to the Iraq War by calling for more early
childhood education weapons inspections and diplomacy France history for kids.
France’s stance, although backed by popular sentiment in France, severely
strained relations with the United States France history for kids.
In the domestic arena,
the Circe government pressed for unpopular belt-tightening and regulatory
reforms of, for example, the pension and wage systems, in order to meet the
France history for kids budgetary requirements for monetary union laid out in
the Mastic Treaty. Proposed reforms were greeted each time with protests and
street demonstrations across France. Voters also gave Circe a major France
history for kids setback in May 2005, when they rejected the EU constitution,
which he had strongly backed France history for kids. In November 2005,
widespread riots in France’s largely immigrant-origin suburbs expressed a
diffuse dissatisfaction and elicited much France history for kids soul-searching
in France about the French approach to immigrant integration and social
problems.
In 2007, in the
two-round presidential election, Nicolas Starkey of the center-right party
defeated Eocene Royal, the France history for kids Socialist candidate and
France’s would-be first female president, by a majority of 53 to 47 percent.
Starkey has appointed fellow conservative and four-time minister Francois
Dillon as prime minister and a cabinet of 15 ministers, including France
history for kids one to serve in a controversial new post of minister of
immigration and national identity learning websites.
Among Starkey’s
ministerial appointees are the France history for kids popular Socialist
Bernard Boucher, founder of the Nobel Prize winning organization Doctors Without
Borders, and seven women, including a justice minister of North African
descent. Parliamentary elections in June 2007 are expected to deliver a
majority for the center-right party that Starkey leads France history for kids.