Frankish Kingdom, 687–751 CE

Autocracy · Monarchy · Western Europe · Early Middle Ages era

The Frankish realm ruled in fact by the Carolingian mayors of the palace, reuniting Gaul and turning back the Umayyad advance at Tours.

From the late seventh century the Frankish kingdoms were governed in practice by the Carolingian mayors of the palace, who reunited a divided realm under nominal Merovingian kings. Charles Martel’s victory over an Umayyad raiding force near Tours in 732 became emblematic of the frontier. In 751 the Carolingians assumed the kingship outright, ending the Merovingian line.

Open Frankish Kingdom 687–751 CE in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • External Expansion
  • Militarization
  • Imperial Decline
  • Succession Crisis
  • Democratization

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power45
Media Control42
Repression45
Nationalism45
Militarization72
Economic Stress45
External Conflict72
Cult of Personality55
Elite Fragmentation65
Institutions52
Social Polarization45
Corruption & Patrimonialism48
Ideological Mobilization55
External Sovereignty88

Economy & society

GDP per capita$650 (intl-$)
Population5.0M people
Share of world population2.4%
Territory~600k km²
Capital population~20k

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Frankish Kingdom 687–751 CE, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Habsburg Monarchy, 1700–1740 CE – similarity 98/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
  2. Khazar Khaganate, 650–750 CE – similarity 97/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
  3. Kievan Rus, 980–1054 CE – similarity 94/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
  4. Ethiopia, 1889–1906 – similarity 92/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
  5. Parthian Empire, 100 BCE–1 CE – similarity 91/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  6. Elam, 850–800 BCE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
  7. Ayyubid Sultanate, 1171–1250 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  8. Maratha Confederacy, 1720–1761 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis

What followed

  • Reunification of Frankish power under one house.
  • The rise of the Carolingian dynasty and kingship.