Francia 990–1031

Hugh Capet established the Capetian line in 987 when he was elected king of the Franks. His direct line of hereditary rule which would last 13 generations. Hugh made his son Robert co-ruler shortly after his own coronation, claiming that another king was needed in case he died during an upcoming expedition to Spain. At the time of Hugh’s reign he held very little in terms of land or direct power over any of Francia, besides his small territory around Paris, and thus had to use his control of the Church to legitimize claims he made over lands controlled by the powerful nobility. Robert II inherited sole rule of the crown when Hugh died in 996 and experienced the same issues as his father when it came to expanding his power-base. He secured the duchy of Burgundy in 1016 but died in a civil war against his own sons in 1031.