The+Franks

The Franks were a clan of Germanic tribes from Gaul that merged with Gallo-Roman groups after the 3rd century. The Franks began appearing in recorded history in the 3rd century and never died off. Some people living in France still consider themselves part of the Frankish Tribe. The Franks are from present-day northern France, western Germany, and Belgium. They are most famous for being the most powerful kingdom in early Midwestern Europe based on Christianity.

They are very well known for ruling most of Europe. There were three different kingdoms, and two of them never existed simultaneously. The three kingdoms were the Merovingian Kingdom, the Carolingian Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire. The Merovingian Kingdom ruled for 200 years, led by King Clovis. He converted the tribe to Christianity. The Carolingian Empire began when Pepin the Short took over the tribe. The greatest ruler of this Holy Roman Empire was Charlemagne, and he ruled from 742 to 814. Charlemagne brought strong government, education, written laws, support for the arts, and a monetary standard to the Franks.

The tribe impacted the present-day countries it settled in. They left their culture behind. So much so that many people still feel they are Frankish. The most powerful tribe of early Midwestern Europe was the Frank tribe. France (Francia) even comes from their name. They made a big impact on history because they established many countries that are still there today such as parts of France and Germany.