Hugues Capet (khoảng 940 – 24 tháng 10 năm 996) là Vua Pháp đầu tiên của vương triều Capet từ khi được bầu làm vua kế vị cho Louis V nhà Caroling năm 987 cho tới khi băng hà. Là con trai của một vị công tước người Pháp, Hugues le Grand và vợ Hedwige xứ Sachsen. Hugh là hậu duệ của các con trai của Hoàng đế Charlemagne là Louis Mộ đạo và Pepin của Ý thông qua mẹ và bà nội của ông, và cũng là cháu trai của Otto Đại đế.[1]Vương triều do ông thành lập đã cai trị nước Pháp trong gần 3,5 thế kỷ, từ năm 987 đến năm 1328 trong dòng cao cấp, sau đó các chi nhánh đã tiếp tục cai trị Pháp cho đến năm 1848 (với thời gian gián đoạn từ năm 1792 đến năm 1814).[2][3] Một số nhánh Bourbon của Vương tộc Capet vẫn còn cai trị Tây Ban Nha và Luxembourg cho đến tận ngày nay.
Capetian France
In France, the Carolingian dynasty was followed by the Capetians in 987.
Founded by Hugh Capet, the dynasty's aim was to unite France as a proud nation.
Capet was the nickname given to Hugh Capet, the dynasty's founder,
because of the short cape he wore when he was a lay abbot.
As Duke of Francia, he had been the chief vassal of the last Carolingian king
and was himself elected French king.
Capetian was not very strong. From Paris, he ruled northern France,
but the dukes of Normandy, Burgundy, and Aquitaine were nearly as powerful as he was.
The Making of France
The aim of the Capetians was to unite France and build it up as a proud and prosperous nation.
Capetian influence and French nationalistic feeling grew under Louis the Fat,
who made alliances with church leaders against the Germans and the English.
Unlike the kings, the dukes were far more interested in the fortunes of their own dynasties
than those of France as a whole.
Marriage alliances allowed land to pass out of central control, and this was to become a problem.
French and Normans
In 1152, King Louis VII's wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, divorced him.
He was away on crusades too often.
She then married Henry II, the French Norman king of England, putting Aquitaine under Norman rule.
France was then split into two halves, and this led to conflict.
By 1214, the French had regained some of the Norman land,
and by 1226, Louis VIII had strengthened France greatly.
This process was continued by Louis IX, known as Saint Louis,
who conquered the south and overcame several rebellious nobles.
However, the dukes still held much power, and the Normans exploited this.
They wanted to control France.
The question of Norman power in France was not resolved,
and after the Capetians fell in 1328, a century of war began between the English and the French.
The Capetians had given France nationhood and stability,
but this had taken some time to achieve.
