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They solidified their hold on what is now Belgium, took permanent control of the lands immediately west of the middle Rhine River, and edged into what is now northeastern France. The Vandals launched a massive invasion of Gaul in 406, and in the ensuing decades the Franks took advantage of the overstrained Roman defenses. Some Frankish leaders became Roman allies ( foederati) in the defense of the Roman frontier, and many Franks served as auxiliary soldiers in the Roman army.Ĭharlemagne assumed rulership at a moment when powerful forces of change were affecting his kingdom. During the course of these drawn-out struggles the Franks were gradually influenced by Roman civilization. In the mid-4th century the Franks again attempted to invade Gaul, and in 358 Rome was compelled to abandon the area between the Meuse and Scheldt rivers (now in Belgium) to the Salian Franks. In the mid-3rd century the Franks tried unsuccessfully to expand westward across the Rhine into Roman-held Gaul. These branches were related to each other by language and custom, but politically they were independent tribes. At this time they were divided into three groups: the Salians, the Ripuarians, and the Chatti, or Hessians. Linguistically, they belonged to the Rhine-Weser group of Germanic speakers.
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The Franks emerged into recorded history in the 3rd century ce as a Germanic tribe living on the east bank of the lower Rhine River. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
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