Western Francia: the southern principalities
Michel Zimmermann
For the western Frankish kingdom, Odo's reign initiated era of principalities: hegemonies over cultural or ethnic entities which revived former territorial units making up regnum Francorum. Sources from north Loire largely ignore what was happening in south: Annales Flodoard contain only a few scattered references to southern events, mainly during Radulf's reign. Gascony soon became 'national' principality, culturally and linguistically homogeneous population subject authority native chieftains. The tenth century age still formation 900, they were decline before 1000. Catalonia second half does, however, answer definition principality. decades around millennium turning point history principalities. princes thus forcibly declared an independence hitherto restrained by their loyalty Carolingian order.
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