ABSTRACT
The French kingdom in the tenth and eleventh centuries presents a striking contrast with that of Germany. The North and the South formed two separate kingdoms, though each recognised the same king; the later Carolingians styled themselves “kings of the Franks and the Aquitanians.” In spite of spasmodic attempts of the French kings to intervene, they retained both their independence and their isolation, until at last the male line came to an end with the death of William X in 1137. Otto I was now in a position to hold the balance between his two brothers-in-law,1 and he had no desire to see the duke of the Franks exalted further at the expense of the king. The accession of Hugh Capet has often been described as the victory of the feudal principle over the monarchical, of the idea of suzerainty over the idea of sovereignty; in the words of Montesquieu, “the title of king was united to the greatest fief.”.
