Franks

The Franks were a Germanic people group who, starting from the 4th century AD, settled in the present-day Belgium and Netherlands, then still part of the Roman Empire, as feoderati. They eventually conquered all of present-day France, Benelux, and the western parts of Germany. Among their most important kings was Clovis I (465-511), who conquered Gaul and converted the Franks to Christianity, and Charlemagne (742-814), who unified much of western Europe around the year 800 AD.

see Netherlands for later history

Further reading[edit]

• Blok, Petrus Johannes. History of the People of the Netherlands (5 vol 1898-1912) famous classic; part 1 to 1500, online from Google
• James, Edward. The Franks (1991) excerpt and text search