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{{ | {{Era|Locations}}{{WP-REAL}} | ||
{{ | {{Country Infobox | ||
[[ | |title1=France | ||
'''France''' | |image1=Flag of France.png | ||
|caption1= | |||
|ethnic_groups= {{wiki|French people|French}} | |||
|languages= {{wiki|French language|French}} | |||
|religion= [[Christianity]]<br>[[Islam]]<br>[[Judaism]] | |||
|demonym= French | |||
|current_state= {{wiki|French Fifth Republic}} | |||
|capital= [[Paris]] | |||
|assassin_branch= [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|Parisian Brotherhood]] | |||
|templar_branch= [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|Parisian Rite]] | |||
|past_states= [[Francia|Kingdom of the Franks]] {{c|481–843}} | |||
*[[Carolingian Empire]] {{c|800–843}} | |||
[[Francia|Kingdom of the West Franks]] {{c|843–987}}<br>[[Kingdom of France]] {{c|987–1792, 1814–1815, 1815–1848}}<br>[[First French Republic]] {{c|1792–1804}}<br>[[French Empire|First French Empire]] {{c|1804–1814, 1815}}<br>{{wiki|French Second Republic}} {{c|1848–1852}}<br>[[Second French Empire]] {{c|1852–1870}}<br>[[Third French Republic]] {{c|1870–1940}}<br>{{wiki|French Fourth Republic}} {{c|1946–1958}} | |||
|historical_capitals= | |||
|major_conflicts= [[Hundred Years' War]]<br>[[French Revolutionary Wars]]<br>[[World War I]]<br>[[World War II]] | |||
|region= [[Europe|Western Europe]] | |||
|features= [[Seine]] | |||
|major_cities= [[Orléans]]<br>[[Marseille]]<br>[[Troyes]]<br>[[Bordeaux]]<br>[[Lugdunum|Lyon]] | |||
|major_landmarks=[[Eiffel Tower]]<br>[[Notre-Dame]]<br>[[Mont Saint-Michel]] | |||
|isu_vault(s)=[[Saint-Denis Temple]] | |||
}} | |||
'''France''' ({{Wiki|Latin}}: ''Francia'') is a country situated in Western [[Europe]], which shares a border with, among others, [[Italy]], [[Germany]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Switzerland]], and [[Spain]]. | |||
== | France's social and political affairs have often been influenced by the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]] and [[Templars|Templar Order]] since at least the [[Middle Ages]]. It was also notably the country where the Order of the Knights Templar, as a military order, was both founded and disbanded. | ||
==History== | |||
[[ | ===Isu Era=== | ||
[[ | During the [[Isu Era]], the [[Isu]] built at least [[Saint-Denis Temple|two]] [[Church of the Madeleine|sites]] containing [[Piece of Eden|artifacts]] near the future location of [[Paris]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[It Belongs in a Museum]]</ref> After the [[Great Catastrophe]], the Isu were no more and their former [[Slavery|slaves]], the [[human]]s, spread across the world.<ref name="ACRV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref> | ||
[[ | |||
===Classical antiquity=== | |||
During the era of {{Wiki|classical antiquity}}, the territory of modern-day France was known as Gaul and was populated by various [[Celts|Celtic]] tribes. Between 58 and 50 BCE, the [[Roman Republic|Roman]] [[Roman army|army]] led by {{Wiki|consul}} [[Gaius Julius Caesar]] fought a {{Wiki|Gallic Wars|revolt}} led by the {{Wiki|Gauls|Gallic}} chieftain [[Vercingetorix]].<ref name="Project Legacy set">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref> Once defeated, Gaul became a {{Wiki|Roman Gaul|province}} of the [[Roman Empire]].<ref name="DT">''[[Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt]]'' – {{Cite|9 Apr 2022. Tour needed}}</ref> | |||
By the 1st century CE, the [[Assassins|Hidden Ones]], a secret brotherhood dedicated to [[Assassin-Templar War|protecting]] humanity's free will, had arrived in the province to fight the [[Order of the Ancients]]' rising influence. They installed at least four [[Assassin bureau|bureaus]] in northern Gaul, including [[Lutetia bureau|one]] underneath the city of [[Paris|Lutetia]].<ref name="Hidden">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Hidden]]</ref> | |||
{{AmbCanon Start}} | |||
[[File:Lugdunum.png|thumb|250px|Aquilus watching over Lugdunum]] | |||
By 259 CE, the [[Liberalis Circulum]], a group of Hidden Ones active in the Roman Empire, established themselves in the capital of Roman Gaul, [[Lugdunum]]. That year, the Hidden One [[Accipiter]] led an [[Alemanni]] army to Gaul to fight the Romans. He entrusted to his cousin and fellow Hidden One [[Aquilus]] the [[Ankh]], a [[Piece of Eden]] that could temporarily revive the dead. Aquilus returned to Lugdunum and gave the artifact to his father [[Lucius]].<ref name="Aquilus">''[[Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus]]''</ref> | |||
Later, the senator and Order of the Ancients member [[Caïus Fulvus Vultur]] killed Lucius and stole the Ankh, taking it to [[Rome]]. Aquilus avenged his father and killed Vultur before taking the Ankh back to his home. However, he and his wife [[Valeria]] were arrested soon after by Roman guards.<ref name="Aquilus"/> | |||
At the same time, Accipiter negotiated with the [[Prefect of Lugdunum]] to spare his city in return for a ransom. Learning of Aquilus' plight, Accipiter tried to save his cousin, but he only managed to rescue Valeria as Aquilus was executed by the guards. Accipiter subsequently entrusted Valeria with the Ankh, telling her to hide it somewhere safe.<ref name="Accipiter">''[[Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter]]''</ref> | |||
{{AmbCanon End}} | |||
During the 3rd century, the presence of [[Christianity]] increased in Gaul. Lutetia's bishop [[Saint Denis of Paris|Denis]] found an [[Apple of Eden 1|Apple of Eden]] in an [[Saint-Denis Temple|Isu temple]] under the village of Catolacus and used it to convert the local population to Christianity. After the Romans executed him, an unknown person used the Apple to create a false memory of Denis carrying his own head to his final resting place in Catolacus. Feeling polluted by the Apple, Denis' successor made a [[Head of Saint Denis|special lantern]] to house it and returned it to the Isu temple.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Notes from Eivor's travels]]: "Ancient Stone Tablet 2"</ref> Centuries later, Denis was canonized as a saint, Catolacus became known as [[Saint-Denis]], and a [[Basilica of Saint-Denis|basilica]] was built atop Denis' final resting place, which coincided with the Isu temple's entrance.<ref name="DK">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]] – [[Dead Kings]]''</ref> | |||
In 423, after Emperor [[Honorius]]' death and with the {{Wiki|Western Roman Empire}}'s influence waning, the Gallic Hidden Ones decided to leave the province to join their [[German Brotherhood of Assassins|brethren]] in [[Cologne]]. They sealed the Lutetia bureau and hid its key in the bureaus of [[Champlieu Ruins|Champlieu]], [[Gisacum Ruins|Gisacum]], and [[Diodurum Ruins|Diodurum]]. However, some Hidden Ones elected to remain in Gaul, staying in the region long after the western Empire's {{Wiki|Fall of the Western Roman Empire|collapse}}.<ref name="Hidden"/> | |||
===Middle Ages=== | |||
====Kingdom of Francia==== | |||
In 481 CE, the [[Francia|Kingdom of Francia]] was established in Gaul by the Merovingian dynasty, five years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In 496, King Clovis was anointed in the cathedral of [[Reims]], establishing the tradition for all of his successors.<ref name="Heresy"/> In 630, King [[Dagobert I]] founded the [[Abbey of Saint-Denis]], which became one of the most important of its kind in France, with its abbots serving as advisors of the monarchy and the Basilica of Saint-Denis becoming the royal necropolis.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – ''[[Dead Kings]]'' – [[Database: Abbey of Saint Denis]]</ref> | |||
[[File:ACV BB - Ragnar Lothbrok.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ragnar Lothbrok during the Siege of Paris]] | |||
By 800, the kingdom became a part of the [[Carolingian Empire]]. Its king, [[Charlemagne]], who was also a secret Order of the Ancients leader,<ref name="Poor Fellow-Soldier">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Poor Fellow-Soldier]]</ref> was crowned emperor by Pope [[Leo III]] to thwart the [[Byzantine Empire]]'s power. Decades later, when the Carolingian Empire was divided, the former Gaul became known as West Francia.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Database: Francia]]</ref> | |||
During the 9th century, Francia became the target of the [[Viking expansion]] across Europe. The capital Paris sustained [[Siege of Paris (845)|an invasion]] led by the legendary [[Sweden|Swedish]] king [[Ragnar Lothbrok]] in 845, resulting in the plunder and occupation of the city, which only came to an end when King [[Charles the Bald]] gave the invaders 7,000 {{Wiki|French livre|livre}} in [[silver]] and [[gold]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Blood Brothers]]''</ref> | |||
By 886, a secretive group of religious zealots known as the [[Bellatores Dei]] believed that Francia had fallen into apostasy and sought to restore the state to order through Christian fanaticism. Led by [[Isidore Mercator]], they searched to influence the troubled Emperor [[Charles the Fat]], who ruled over the Carolingian Empire. To ensure their control, the Bellatores planned to kill Charles' wife [[Richardis]], who had great influence over him.<ref name="The Queen's Gambit">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[The Queen's Gambit]]</ref> The Bellatores also tried to excavate the Hidden Ones' bureaus in northern Francia but were stopped by the Hidden One [[Abbo Cernuus]].<ref name="Hidden"/> | |||
During this period, [[Frankish Rebels]] composed of former soldiers and freedom fighters were led by [[Pierre]] to fight Charles' rule.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Database: Frankish Rebels]]</ref> They allied with the Viking [[Elgring Clan]], which had settled in [[Melun]]. The Bellator [[Engelwin]] killed their ''jarl'' [[Sinric]] in his sleep and left his corpse to be taken by animals.<ref name="Warlord"/> To avenge his brother's death, the ''jarl'' [[Sigfred]] planned a siege on Paris and sent his niece, [[Toka Sinricsdottir]], to find other allies to assist them.<ref name="Strangers">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]] – [[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Strangers Bearing Gifts]]</ref> Among their allies were [[Rollo]] but also the ''jarlskona'' [[Eivor Varinsdottir]] of the [[Raven Clan]], who wanted to make a truce with Francia to not invade [[England]].<ref name="Warlord">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Warlord of Melun]]</ref> Allying with the clan and the rebels, Eivor began to hunt the Bellatores, killing Engelwin.<ref name="The Rot in the Slums">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[The Rot in the Slums]]</ref> She also killed the Bellator [[Euphrasia]], saving Richardis in the process and gaining the queen as an ally.<ref name="Sister of Sorrow">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Sister of Sorrow]]</ref> | |||
[[File:ACV The Siege of Paris 17.jpg|thumb|250px|Paris burning during the Elgring clan's attack]] | |||
Eivor attempted a truce with both the Count of Paris [[Odo of France|Odo]] and King Charles, but after they refused, the Vikings decided to [[Siege of Paris (885–886)|besiege Paris]]. Odo defended his city with the Bellatores [[Ebels]] and [[Gozlin]].<ref name="Dark Before Dawn">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Dark Before Dawn]]</ref> The Vikings stormed Paris, and Eivor killed Ebels while Gozlin was left for dead. As Sigfred and his clan began to slaughter civilians,<ref name="The Siege of Paris">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[The Siege of Paris (memory)]]</ref> Eivor decided to stop the siege by again attempting to make a truce with Odo. The count refused to surrender, so Eivor bested him in a duel and Odo accepted the truce, just as Charles arrived with his army. He made peace with Sigfred, granting him lordship over [[Rouen]] and [[Amiens]] and giving him an abundance of treasure. This deal enraged Odo after all the lives lost during the siege,<ref name="Count of Paris">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[The Count of Paris]]</ref> while Sigfred disappeared, leaving Toka as the leader of the Elgring clan.<ref name="Skal">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Skal!]]</ref> | |||
In 887, Odo tasked Eivor to investigate Richardis' welfare and assassinate Charles, who had gone mad. In his [[Villa of Amiens]], Charles was influenced by Gozlin to kill Richardis through a trial by fire, but it proved unsuccessful due to "divine intervention" in the form of a downpour of rain and the arrival of Eivor, who killed Gozlin.<ref name="Fire and Faith">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Fire and Faith]]</ref> After fighting Charles, Eivor locked him in his villa, sparing his life at Richardis' request.<ref name="Madness">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Madness of King Charles]]</ref> Later, Toka and Odo made a truce, and after Charles was deposed from the throne, Odo became the new king of Francia, breaking the influence of the Carolingian dynasty.<ref name="Victory">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Victory]]</ref> | |||
====Rise and fall of the Templars==== | |||
[[File:ACU Paris Temple.png|thumb|250px|left|The Temple in Paris]] | |||
In 1129, the Council of [[Troyes]] officialized the foundation of the [[Templars|Order of the Knights Templar]], the public façade of the Templar Order, formed from the remains of the Order of the Ancients.<ref name="Poor Fellow-Soldier"/> As a military order, the Templars became a powerful and wealthy faction, building strongholds across Europe and the Middle East.<ref name="Hst_Beginning">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Abstergo Files]] – File.0.02\Hst_Beginning</ref> Their headquarters, the [[Temple, Paris|Temple]], was built in Paris in 1240, becoming a city inside the city.<ref name="Database: Temple">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: Temple]]</ref> | |||
During the 13th century, the [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|French Assassins]], the reformed Hidden Ones, also installed their headquarters in Paris, across the underground complex of the [[Sainte-Chapelle]].<ref name="Rebirth">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Rebirth]]</ref> By the dawn of the 14th century, the Assassins planned to eliminate the Templars once and for all. In 1305, the [[Mentor]] [[Guillaume de Nogaret]] poisoned Pope [[Benedict XI]] to place [[Clement V]] as his puppet. As a counselor of King [[Philip IV of France]], Nogaret manipulated the pope and the king into disbanding the Templars by accusing them of heresy.<ref name="Journal of Thomas">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: Journal of Thomas de Carneillon, October 12, 1307]]</ref> | |||
In 1307, King Philip ordered the arrest of all Templars in France, and Assassins disguised as Flemish mercenaries stormed the Temple. During the attack, [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] [[Jacques de Molay]] tasked his [[Jacques de Molay's advisor|his advisor]] to hide a [[Sword of Eden 1|Sword of Eden]] and [[Codex Pater Intellectus|his Codex]] in his secret vault. The advisor did so before he was killed by the [[Master Assassin]] [[Thomas de Carneillon]].<ref name="Tragedy of Jacques de Molay"/> | |||
[[File:Tragedy of Jacques de Molay 15.png|thumb|250px|Jacques de Molay burning at the stake]] | |||
Following his arrest, de Molay was imprisoned in [[Chinon]], where he hid the [[Heart]] of the Sword inside his cell's walls.<ref name="Heresy"/> He also instructed his nine most trusted lieutenants to ensure the Order's continued survival by turning it into a secret organization once more.<ref name="VoxInExcelso">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Abstergo Files]] – File.0.06\Hst_VoxInExcelso</ref> In 1314, the Grand Master was burned at the stake in Paris before Philip and Clement. During his final moments, the Templar cursed them, prophesizing that they would die within the year, which ended up coming true.<ref name="Tragedy of Jacques de Molay">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Tragedy of Jacques de Molay]]</ref> | |||
====Hundred Years' War==== | |||
{{Main|Hundred Years' War}} | |||
From 1337 to 1453, France became involved in the [[Hundred Years' War]] against [[England]], as the Houses of Valois and Plantagenet fought for control of the French throne. England repeatedly led expeditions onto French soil, which took a huge toll on the economy and the nation's morale. In response, the French built the [[Bastille]] in the late 14th century to defend Paris from the English threat, playing a vital role in internal conflicts.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: 21. Medieval]]</ref> | |||
During the latter stages of the conflict, France was divided in three between the Eglish-Burgundy alliance and the House of Valois. Northern France and Burgundy were controlled respectively by the Templars [[John, Duke of Bedford|John of Bedford]] and [[Philip III of Burgundy]], while the south of France was ruled by the Dauphin [[Charles VII of France|Charles]]. The Templar [[Georges de la Trémoille]] served as Charles' Grand Chambellan and plotted to unite France under the Templar banner by controlling the young prince.<ref name="Heresy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Heresy]]''</ref> | |||
However, Charles' mother-in-law, Queen [[Yolande of Aragon]], was the secret Mentor of the French Brotherhood and tasked her Assassins to find the young woman prophetized to save France by rallying its forces against the English. In 1429, they found her in [[Jeanne d'Arc]], a peasant who possessed an unusually high concentration of Isu DNA. Wielding de Molay's Sword of Eden and the Heart, she led French soldiers to victory, liberating [[Orléans]] from a [[Siege of Orléans|siege]] and [[March to Reims|escorting Charles]] to [[Reims]] to be crowned. However, she failed to liberate Paris and, in 1430, she was captured by Templars at the siege of [[Compiègne]]. They recovered the Sword of Eden and framed Jeanne for witchcraft. In 1431, as she was about to be burned in Rouen, the Assassins saved her when Jeanne's follower [[Fleur]] voluntarily took her place on the stake to die with the Heart. The real Jeanne's survival was kept a secret and she passed away in obscurity.<ref name="Heresy"/> | |||
===Renaissance=== | |||
[[File:PL DestructiveCriticism.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Paris during the Renaissance]] | |||
During the [[Renaissance]], France was ruled by King [[Louis XII of France|Louis XII]] from his capital in Paris, though he was drawn away from the throne by his military conquests. During his absence, he left his foreign ministers in command, not knowing that they were working for the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' – [[Contracts (Project Legacy)#Paris, France|Contracts]]: "Destructive Criticism"</ref> The Assassins killed some of the traitorous advisors while attempting to rescue one of their captive Brothers,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' – [[Contracts (Project Legacy)#Paris, France|Contracts]]: "Destructive Criticism"</ref> and eliminated the rest a few years later, after the Templars had persuaded Louis that the Assassins were behind [[Marseille]]'s threats of secession from France.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense#Marseille|Mediterranean Defense]]: "By Any Other Name"</ref> | |||
In the early 1500s, a French army, under the command of the Templar and Baron [[Octavian de Valois]], was employed by [[Cesare Borgia]], the Captain General of the [[Papacy|Papal Armies]], in order to help unite Italy under the Papal banner. The French troops became engaged in [[Skirmish in the Campagna District|skirmishes]] with [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]]'s mercenaries in Rome,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Gatekeeper]]</ref> and were eventually driven out of the city following Octavian's death.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Au Revoir]]</ref> | |||
===Age of Enlightenment=== | |||
[[File:FC Port-au-Prince overlook.png|thumb|250px|Overlook of Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue]] | |||
During the [[Age of Enlightenment]], France, in competition with [[Spain]] and [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], sought to build up its colonial empire by capturing territories in [[Africa]] and, to a lesser extent, the [[Caribbean|West Indies]].<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref> The French colony of [[Haiti|Saint-Domingue]] became the world's leading [[sugar]] producer at the expense of its [[Slavery|enslaved]] population, who were forced to work on [[plantation]]s. Many slaves who managed to escape from their masters ended up organizing [[Maroon rebellion|rebellions]] against the colonists,<ref name="FC">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – ''[[Freedom Cry]]''</ref> culminating in the [[Haitian Revolution]] at the end of the 18th century that saw Saint-Domingue gain its independence from France.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' – [[Eseosa's Codex]]</ref> | |||
In the mid-18th century, France fought in the [[Seven Years' War]] against Great Britain for global hegemony. Despite being supported by the Assassins throughout the conflict, the Templar-backed Britain ultimately emerged victorious, resulting in a near-complete loss of French influence in [[North America]].<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref> | |||
France later exacted retribution on the British by aiding the [[United States|Thirteen Colonies]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]]: the [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]] served as [[George Washington]]'s aide-de-camp from 1777, and the [[French Navy]], under [[François-Joseph Paul de Grasse|Admiral De Grasse]], was instrumental in securing victory.<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref> | |||
===French Revolution=== | |||
{{Main|French Revolution}} | |||
[[File:French Revolution concept.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Paris during the Revolution]] | |||
Eventually, numerous troubles in their homeland led to the French having their own [[French Revolution|revolution]] in 1789,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]''</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The King's Correspondence]]</ref> and control of France ultimately fell to [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], a skilled military Commander in possession of an [[Apple of Eden 1|Apple of Eden]]. From 1804 to 1815, Napoleon ruled over [[French Empire|France and Western Europe]] as an Emperor.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Glyphs]]</ref> | |||
In 1848, a period of civil unrest and loss of work led laborers to revolt against the government. In June, people joined the {{Wiki|June Days uprising|riots}} against the French government, including the [[Marie Arnaud|parents]] of a young [[Pierrette Arnaud]]. However, the riots were unsuccessful as Arnaud's parents, along with others, were killed and buried in unmarked graves.<ref name="Chapter 02">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 2</ref> | |||
===Orsini Affair=== | |||
{{Main|Orsini affair}} | |||
On 14 January 1858, Emperor [[Napoleon III]] and his wife arrived at the {{Wiki|Salle Le Peletier|theater opera of Rue le Peletier}} and were attacked by a collection of bombers, led by Italian rebel [[Felice Orsini]],<ref name="Chapter 15">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 15</ref> who was aided and equipped by the mysterious figure known as the "[[Oscar Kane|Magus]]."<ref name="Chapter 12">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 12</ref><ref name="Chapter 14">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 14</ref><ref name="Chapter 16">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 16</ref><ref name="Chapter 19">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 19</ref> Although the Emperor and his wife survived with little injuries, hundreds of civilian casualties occurred as a consequence. Unknown to most, the Assassin [[Simeon Price]], trained by the Parisian Brotherhood,<ref name="Chapter 13">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 13</ref> and the acrobat Pierrette Arnaud stopped another bomb from exploding at the theater.<ref name="Chapter 15"/> As a result, Orsini and his cohorts were executed while tensions grew between France and England, which pushed harsher government laws on its people.<ref name="Chapter 18">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy]]'' – Chapter 18</ref> | |||
===Belle Époque=== | |||
[[File:Fin de Siecle 10.png|thumb|250px|Paris during the Belle Époque]] | |||
After the end of the [[Franco-Prussian War]] in 1871, France enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity which would last until 1914. Dubbed the "{{Wiki|Belle Époque}}", Paris underwent technological advances which led to an increase in size and economic power, as well as the improvement of life quality.<ref name="Unity Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: 19. Belle Époque]]</ref> | |||
In 1889, the construction of the [[Eiffel Tower]] was completed, with the landmark becoming the symbol of France's new engineering prowess and of the Époque itself.<ref name="Unity Database" /> | |||
===20th century=== | |||
During [[World War II]], France was invaded by [[Nazi Party|Nazi Germany]], whose occupation lasted from 1940 to 1944. Following the successful [[Normandy landings|landing operation]] in [[Normandy]] by the [[United States]] on 6 June 1944, {{Wiki|Allies of World War II|Allied}} forces began working to liberate France and the rest of Western Europe from the {{Wiki|Axis powers}}, and were ultimately successful.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: 20. WW2]]</ref> | |||
===Modern times=== | |||
Despite the Templars' [[Great Purge]] in 2000, which nearly annihilated the Assassin Brotherhood worldwide,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: The Fall 3|Issue #3]]</ref> both the Assassins and Templars continue to maintain an active presence in France during the 21st century. In 2014, an [[Abstergo Industries]] [[Abstergo Industries Paris facility|laboratory]] in Paris was attacked by an Assassin team led by [[Gavin Banks]], resulting in the destruction of its [[Phoenix Project]] samples and the [[Shroud of Eden 1|original]] [[Shrouds of Eden|Shroud of Eden]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – ''[[Jack the Ripper (DLC)|Jack the Ripper]]'' – [[Database: Assassin Intel 4]]</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – [[Database: Reconstructed Data 007]]</ref> | |||
By 2017, [[Nathalie Chapman]] had a secret bunker in the [[Gorges du Pont-du-Diable]], where she stored an [[Animus|Animus Omega]]. After convincing the [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|Japanese Assassin]] [[Tomo Sakagawa]] to help her learn more about [[Project BLUEBIRD]], Chapman brought Tomo to the bunker and had him relive [[Alekseï Gavrani]]'s memories in the Animus. After discovering Chapman's true intentions to start her own version of Project BLUEBIRD by brainwashing her patients with the Animus and an [[Apple of Eden 4|Apple of Eden]], Tomo informed his mentor [[Hajime Shimada]], who subsequently took over the bunker.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone]]'' – ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Book 1|Book 1]]''</ref> Tomo continued to relive Gavrani's memories there until a [[Bleeding Effect]]-induced manic episode caused him to inadvertently destroy the facility and kill Hajime, leaving him to stop Chapman's plans by himself.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone]]'' – ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Book 2|Book 2]]''</ref> | |||
==Appearances== | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' {{1stm}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]] {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' {{1st}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]] | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
**''[[Freedom Cry]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' | |||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Heresy]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers]]'' {{Fb}} | |||
*''[[Echoes of History]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]] – [[The Siege of Paris]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Witches of the Moors]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR]]'' {{Mdat}} | |||
*''[[Animus Hub]]'' {{Mdat}} {{imo}} | |||
==References== | |||
{{Scroll box|content={{Reflist|2}}}} | |||
{{ACRG}} | |||
{{ACU}} | |||
{{ACBs}} | |||
{{ACV}} | |||
{{ACF}} | |||
{{ACTEH}} | |||
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[[Category:France| ]] | |||
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Latest revision as of 15:20, 28 May 2026
France (Latin: Francia) is a country situated in Western Europe, which shares a border with, among others, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain.
France's social and political affairs have often been influenced by the Assassin Brotherhood and Templar Order since at least the Middle Ages. It was also notably the country where the Order of the Knights Templar, as a military order, was both founded and disbanded.
History[edit | edit source]
Isu Era[edit | edit source]
During the Isu Era, the Isu built at least two sites containing artifacts near the future location of Paris.[1] After the Great Catastrophe, the Isu were no more and their former slaves, the humans, spread across the world.[2]
Classical antiquity[edit | edit source]
During the era of classical antiquity, the territory of modern-day France was known as Gaul and was populated by various Celtic tribes. Between 58 and 50 BCE, the Roman army led by consul Gaius Julius Caesar fought a revolt led by the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix.[3] Once defeated, Gaul became a province of the Roman Empire.[4]
By the 1st century CE, the Hidden Ones, a secret brotherhood dedicated to protecting humanity's free will, had arrived in the province to fight the Order of the Ancients' rising influence. They installed at least four bureaus in northern Gaul, including one underneath the city of Lutetia.[5]
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 By 259 CE, the Liberalis Circulum, a group of Hidden Ones active in the Roman Empire, established themselves in the capital of Roman Gaul, Lugdunum. That year, the Hidden One Accipiter led an Alemanni army to Gaul to fight the Romans. He entrusted to his cousin and fellow Hidden One Aquilus the Ankh, a Piece of Eden that could temporarily revive the dead. Aquilus returned to Lugdunum and gave the artifact to his father Lucius.[6] Later, the senator and Order of the Ancients member Caïus Fulvus Vultur killed Lucius and stole the Ankh, taking it to Rome. Aquilus avenged his father and killed Vultur before taking the Ankh back to his home. However, he and his wife Valeria were arrested soon after by Roman guards.[6] At the same time, Accipiter negotiated with the Prefect of Lugdunum to spare his city in return for a ransom. Learning of Aquilus' plight, Accipiter tried to save his cousin, but he only managed to rescue Valeria as Aquilus was executed by the guards. Accipiter subsequently entrusted Valeria with the Ankh, telling her to hide it somewhere safe.[7] |
During the 3rd century, the presence of Christianity increased in Gaul. Lutetia's bishop Denis found an Apple of Eden in an Isu temple under the village of Catolacus and used it to convert the local population to Christianity. After the Romans executed him, an unknown person used the Apple to create a false memory of Denis carrying his own head to his final resting place in Catolacus. Feeling polluted by the Apple, Denis' successor made a special lantern to house it and returned it to the Isu temple.[8] Centuries later, Denis was canonized as a saint, Catolacus became known as Saint-Denis, and a basilica was built atop Denis' final resting place, which coincided with the Isu temple's entrance.[9]
In 423, after Emperor Honorius' death and with the Western Roman Empire's influence waning, the Gallic Hidden Ones decided to leave the province to join their brethren in Cologne. They sealed the Lutetia bureau and hid its key in the bureaus of Champlieu, Gisacum, and Diodurum. However, some Hidden Ones elected to remain in Gaul, staying in the region long after the western Empire's collapse.[5]
Middle Ages[edit | edit source]
Kingdom of Francia[edit | edit source]
In 481 CE, the Kingdom of Francia was established in Gaul by the Merovingian dynasty, five years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In 496, King Clovis was anointed in the cathedral of Reims, establishing the tradition for all of his successors.[10] In 630, King Dagobert I founded the Abbey of Saint-Denis, which became one of the most important of its kind in France, with its abbots serving as advisors of the monarchy and the Basilica of Saint-Denis becoming the royal necropolis.[11]
By 800, the kingdom became a part of the Carolingian Empire. Its king, Charlemagne, who was also a secret Order of the Ancients leader,[12] was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III to thwart the Byzantine Empire's power. Decades later, when the Carolingian Empire was divided, the former Gaul became known as West Francia.[13]
During the 9th century, Francia became the target of the Viking expansion across Europe. The capital Paris sustained an invasion led by the legendary Swedish king Ragnar Lothbrok in 845, resulting in the plunder and occupation of the city, which only came to an end when King Charles the Bald gave the invaders 7,000 livre in silver and gold.[14]
By 886, a secretive group of religious zealots known as the Bellatores Dei believed that Francia had fallen into apostasy and sought to restore the state to order through Christian fanaticism. Led by Isidore Mercator, they searched to influence the troubled Emperor Charles the Fat, who ruled over the Carolingian Empire. To ensure their control, the Bellatores planned to kill Charles' wife Richardis, who had great influence over him.[15] The Bellatores also tried to excavate the Hidden Ones' bureaus in northern Francia but were stopped by the Hidden One Abbo Cernuus.[5]
During this period, Frankish Rebels composed of former soldiers and freedom fighters were led by Pierre to fight Charles' rule.[16] They allied with the Viking Elgring Clan, which had settled in Melun. The Bellator Engelwin killed their jarl Sinric in his sleep and left his corpse to be taken by animals.[17] To avenge his brother's death, the jarl Sigfred planned a siege on Paris and sent his niece, Toka Sinricsdottir, to find other allies to assist them.[18] Among their allies were Rollo but also the jarlskona Eivor Varinsdottir of the Raven Clan, who wanted to make a truce with Francia to not invade England.[17] Allying with the clan and the rebels, Eivor began to hunt the Bellatores, killing Engelwin.[19] She also killed the Bellator Euphrasia, saving Richardis in the process and gaining the queen as an ally.[20]
Eivor attempted a truce with both the Count of Paris Odo and King Charles, but after they refused, the Vikings decided to besiege Paris. Odo defended his city with the Bellatores Ebels and Gozlin.[21] The Vikings stormed Paris, and Eivor killed Ebels while Gozlin was left for dead. As Sigfred and his clan began to slaughter civilians,[22] Eivor decided to stop the siege by again attempting to make a truce with Odo. The count refused to surrender, so Eivor bested him in a duel and Odo accepted the truce, just as Charles arrived with his army. He made peace with Sigfred, granting him lordship over Rouen and Amiens and giving him an abundance of treasure. This deal enraged Odo after all the lives lost during the siege,[23] while Sigfred disappeared, leaving Toka as the leader of the Elgring clan.[24]
In 887, Odo tasked Eivor to investigate Richardis' welfare and assassinate Charles, who had gone mad. In his Villa of Amiens, Charles was influenced by Gozlin to kill Richardis through a trial by fire, but it proved unsuccessful due to "divine intervention" in the form of a downpour of rain and the arrival of Eivor, who killed Gozlin.[25] After fighting Charles, Eivor locked him in his villa, sparing his life at Richardis' request.[26] Later, Toka and Odo made a truce, and after Charles was deposed from the throne, Odo became the new king of Francia, breaking the influence of the Carolingian dynasty.[27]
Rise and fall of the Templars[edit | edit source]
In 1129, the Council of Troyes officialized the foundation of the Order of the Knights Templar, the public façade of the Templar Order, formed from the remains of the Order of the Ancients.[12] As a military order, the Templars became a powerful and wealthy faction, building strongholds across Europe and the Middle East.[28] Their headquarters, the Temple, was built in Paris in 1240, becoming a city inside the city.[29]
During the 13th century, the French Assassins, the reformed Hidden Ones, also installed their headquarters in Paris, across the underground complex of the Sainte-Chapelle.[30] By the dawn of the 14th century, the Assassins planned to eliminate the Templars once and for all. In 1305, the Mentor Guillaume de Nogaret poisoned Pope Benedict XI to place Clement V as his puppet. As a counselor of King Philip IV of France, Nogaret manipulated the pope and the king into disbanding the Templars by accusing them of heresy.[31]
In 1307, King Philip ordered the arrest of all Templars in France, and Assassins disguised as Flemish mercenaries stormed the Temple. During the attack, Grand Master Jacques de Molay tasked his his advisor to hide a Sword of Eden and his Codex in his secret vault. The advisor did so before he was killed by the Master Assassin Thomas de Carneillon.[32]
Following his arrest, de Molay was imprisoned in Chinon, where he hid the Heart of the Sword inside his cell's walls.[10] He also instructed his nine most trusted lieutenants to ensure the Order's continued survival by turning it into a secret organization once more.[33] In 1314, the Grand Master was burned at the stake in Paris before Philip and Clement. During his final moments, the Templar cursed them, prophesizing that they would die within the year, which ended up coming true.[32]
Hundred Years' War[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Hundred Years' War
From 1337 to 1453, France became involved in the Hundred Years' War against England, as the Houses of Valois and Plantagenet fought for control of the French throne. England repeatedly led expeditions onto French soil, which took a huge toll on the economy and the nation's morale. In response, the French built the Bastille in the late 14th century to defend Paris from the English threat, playing a vital role in internal conflicts.[34]
During the latter stages of the conflict, France was divided in three between the Eglish-Burgundy alliance and the House of Valois. Northern France and Burgundy were controlled respectively by the Templars John of Bedford and Philip III of Burgundy, while the south of France was ruled by the Dauphin Charles. The Templar Georges de la Trémoille served as Charles' Grand Chambellan and plotted to unite France under the Templar banner by controlling the young prince.[10]
However, Charles' mother-in-law, Queen Yolande of Aragon, was the secret Mentor of the French Brotherhood and tasked her Assassins to find the young woman prophetized to save France by rallying its forces against the English. In 1429, they found her in Jeanne d'Arc, a peasant who possessed an unusually high concentration of Isu DNA. Wielding de Molay's Sword of Eden and the Heart, she led French soldiers to victory, liberating Orléans from a siege and escorting Charles to Reims to be crowned. However, she failed to liberate Paris and, in 1430, she was captured by Templars at the siege of Compiègne. They recovered the Sword of Eden and framed Jeanne for witchcraft. In 1431, as she was about to be burned in Rouen, the Assassins saved her when Jeanne's follower Fleur voluntarily took her place on the stake to die with the Heart. The real Jeanne's survival was kept a secret and she passed away in obscurity.[10]
Renaissance[edit | edit source]
During the Renaissance, France was ruled by King Louis XII from his capital in Paris, though he was drawn away from the throne by his military conquests. During his absence, he left his foreign ministers in command, not knowing that they were working for the Borgia.[35] The Assassins killed some of the traitorous advisors while attempting to rescue one of their captive Brothers,[36] and eliminated the rest a few years later, after the Templars had persuaded Louis that the Assassins were behind Marseille's threats of secession from France.[37]
In the early 1500s, a French army, under the command of the Templar and Baron Octavian de Valois, was employed by Cesare Borgia, the Captain General of the Papal Armies, in order to help unite Italy under the Papal banner. The French troops became engaged in skirmishes with Bartolomeo d'Alviano's mercenaries in Rome,[38] and were eventually driven out of the city following Octavian's death.[39]
Age of Enlightenment[edit | edit source]
During the Age of Enlightenment, France, in competition with Spain and Great Britain, sought to build up its colonial empire by capturing territories in Africa and, to a lesser extent, the West Indies.[40] The French colony of Saint-Domingue became the world's leading sugar producer at the expense of its enslaved population, who were forced to work on plantations. Many slaves who managed to escape from their masters ended up organizing rebellions against the colonists,[41] culminating in the Haitian Revolution at the end of the 18th century that saw Saint-Domingue gain its independence from France.[42]
In the mid-18th century, France fought in the Seven Years' War against Great Britain for global hegemony. Despite being supported by the Assassins throughout the conflict, the Templar-backed Britain ultimately emerged victorious, resulting in a near-complete loss of French influence in North America.[43]
France later exacted retribution on the British by aiding the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War: the Marquis de Lafayette served as George Washington's aide-de-camp from 1777, and the French Navy, under Admiral De Grasse, was instrumental in securing victory.[44]
French Revolution[edit | edit source]
- Main article: French Revolution
Eventually, numerous troubles in their homeland led to the French having their own revolution in 1789,[45][46] and control of France ultimately fell to Napoleon Bonaparte, a skilled military Commander in possession of an Apple of Eden. From 1804 to 1815, Napoleon ruled over France and Western Europe as an Emperor.[47]
In 1848, a period of civil unrest and loss of work led laborers to revolt against the government. In June, people joined the riots against the French government, including the parents of a young Pierrette Arnaud. However, the riots were unsuccessful as Arnaud's parents, along with others, were killed and buried in unmarked graves.[48]
Orsini Affair[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Orsini affair
On 14 January 1858, Emperor Napoleon III and his wife arrived at the theater opera of Rue le Peletier and were attacked by a collection of bombers, led by Italian rebel Felice Orsini,[49] who was aided and equipped by the mysterious figure known as the "Magus."[50][51][52][53] Although the Emperor and his wife survived with little injuries, hundreds of civilian casualties occurred as a consequence. Unknown to most, the Assassin Simeon Price, trained by the Parisian Brotherhood,[54] and the acrobat Pierrette Arnaud stopped another bomb from exploding at the theater.[49] As a result, Orsini and his cohorts were executed while tensions grew between France and England, which pushed harsher government laws on its people.[55]
Belle Époque[edit | edit source]
After the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, France enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity which would last until 1914. Dubbed the "Belle Époque", Paris underwent technological advances which led to an increase in size and economic power, as well as the improvement of life quality.[56]
In 1889, the construction of the Eiffel Tower was completed, with the landmark becoming the symbol of France's new engineering prowess and of the Époque itself.[56]
20th century[edit | edit source]
During World War II, France was invaded by Nazi Germany, whose occupation lasted from 1940 to 1944. Following the successful landing operation in Normandy by the United States on 6 June 1944, Allied forces began working to liberate France and the rest of Western Europe from the Axis powers, and were ultimately successful.[57]
Modern times[edit | edit source]
Despite the Templars' Great Purge in 2000, which nearly annihilated the Assassin Brotherhood worldwide,[58] both the Assassins and Templars continue to maintain an active presence in France during the 21st century. In 2014, an Abstergo Industries laboratory in Paris was attacked by an Assassin team led by Gavin Banks, resulting in the destruction of its Phoenix Project samples and the original Shroud of Eden.[59][60]
By 2017, Nathalie Chapman had a secret bunker in the Gorges du Pont-du-Diable, where she stored an Animus Omega. After convincing the Japanese Assassin Tomo Sakagawa to help her learn more about Project BLUEBIRD, Chapman brought Tomo to the bunker and had him relive Alekseï Gavrani's memories in the Animus. After discovering Chapman's true intentions to start her own version of Project BLUEBIRD by brainwashing her patients with the Animus and an Apple of Eden, Tomo informed his mentor Hajime Shimada, who subsequently took over the bunker.[61] Tomo continued to relive Gavrani's memories there until a Bleeding Effect-induced manic episode caused him to inadvertently destroy the facility and kill Hajime, leaving him to stop Chapman's plans by himself.[62]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed II (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed III (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (mentioned only)
- Freedom Cry (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- Assassin's Creed: Unity
- Assassin's Creed: Unity novel
- Assassin's Creed: Heresy
- Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers (flashback only)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris
- Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Witches of the Moors
- Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Animus Hub (mentioned in Database entry only) (indirect mention only)
References[edit | edit source]
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