The Franks built the first dynasty in France and on of the strongest royal dynasties in Europe. They originated from one of the Germanic tribes. In the middle of the third century, the Salian and Ripurian groups settled along the RhineRiver (Gregory, 1974). However, the Salians took over the Romans after the collapse of the imperial system to form a stronger kingdom. Additionally, the two main groups combined to come up with the Merovingian dynasty. The dynasty became strong because of a number of reasons. Firstly, there was the Salian’s first settlement on Roman soil. Secondly, the leaders incorporated Christianity in their leadership. Thirdly, there was the combination of the smaller groups to form a larger and stronger group as compared to the others. Finally, the military power of the dynasty played a great role.
The Salian’s settlement on the Roman land played a role in strengthening their dynasty. Although both Salian and Rupirian groups settled in the Roman Empire in the third century, the Romans allowed the Salians to form a kingdom after 357 (Gregory, 1974). This establishment was a strong foundation. The Salians were able to learn the ways of the Romans quite easily, thus they easily succeeded to Romans after the fall of the empire in the fifth century. Mingling with people enables one to understand their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. The Salians’ demographic growth during their stay in Rome also enabled them to gain the power that comes with multitudes. They had settled along the river. This proved that there was abundance in food and economic activities. Additionally, the river enabled the Salians to learn a few navigation skills that became significant during the wars against other regions (Lasko, 1971). Taking over the Roman Empire established a strong foundation in the creation of the Franks dynasty. The Salians did not comprise all Franks. Some Franks had involved themselves with the Romans in Gaul. In the sixth century, the Salians managed to take over the people in Gaul.
Influence of the Christian Religion on Franks
The incorporation of the Christian religion also played a role in forming a strong dynasty. The leader of this dynasty was Clovis (Gregory, 1974). Instead of making people Arians as was the case with the leaders in Gaul, Clovis incorporated Christianity. He adopted this practice from the Romans. By then, the foundation of Christianity was on the Roman Catholic Church. Clovis saw Christianity as an effective tool to control the people in his dynasty (Gregory, 1974). At that time, Christianity was rapidly progressing all over Europe and became useful in interacting with other regions in Europe. The dynasty’s interactions with the rest of Europe not only strengthened the king’s leadership, but also allowed the dynasty to comprehend the strengths and weaknesses of other regions.
The Merovingian dynasty was a combination of the diverse groups in Franks. After the defeat of the people in Gaul, the Franks living in this region joined the Salians. This strengthened the dynasty (Lasko, 1971). It is significant to note that the Salians did not gain victory at first. When they first attacked the Romans, the Romans defeated them. However, the Romans offered them land to dwell on. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Franks took over to form their own strong dynasty. After defeating the other groups, thy combined to form a larger and stronger group than before. Each group brought its own ways of leadership and other skills that contributed to the progress of the dynasty (Lasko, 1971). The weaknesses in one group were compensated by the strengths from another group. This aspect was not common in other regions. Their compensatory attributes played a role in defeating other regions.
Another reason enabling the dynasty to become strong is their possession of military power. This was a barbaric dynasty. The leadership’s way of controlling and defeating its own people and defeating other regions was through barbaric means (Todd & Wilson, 1972). This instilled fear both locally and in other regions. Other regions were afraid of what they would go through in the hands of the Franks, thus they kept off from interfering with the dynasty. Additionally, the military had other skills that were not prevalent in other regions. For example, the Franks’ military was good in navigation. When they incorporated the people from Gaul into their kingdom, they gained other military experience. The Franks in Gaul gained military experience from the Romans in the same place. This experience gained became of use in the Franks’ dynasty. Military power was essential as it was important in the protection of a dynasty and the capturing of other regions in order to strengthen the same (Todd & Wilson, 1972).
The main elements strengthening the Franks’ dynasty included early settlement in Rome, incorporation of Christianity, combined groups, and military power. These aspects of the dynasty enabled it to have control over its own people and other regions. The dynasty was known as the barbaric dynasty. It used cruel means to control people. However, this was a contrary perception of the people’s belief in Christianity, an action that served to the leaders’ advantage. The Franks played a great role in spreading Christianity to other parts of Europe. However, this was only a tactic of gaining better control of other regions. The experiences gained in settling in Rome, the involvement with the Roman army at Gaul, and the Franks’ settlement along the river assisted them to have the many victories they had over the years.