France

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France (Latin: Francia) is a country situated in Western Europe, which shares a border with, among others, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain.

As one of the most central and biggest powers on the European continent, 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

Isu Era

During the Isu Era, the First Civilization built at least two sites containing artifacts near the future location of Paris. After the Great Catastrophe, the Isu were no more and their former slaves, the humans, spread across the world.

Classical Antiquity

During the era of Classical Antiquity, France was known as Gaul and were populated by various Celtic tribes. Between 58 and 50 BCE, the Roman army led by the consul Julius Caesar conquered the Gaul which became a part of the future Roman Empire. The city of Lugdunum was the capital of the Roman Gaul and also the headquarters of the Liberalis Circulum, the Roman counterpart of the Hidden Ones, a secret Brotherhood dedicated to protect the free will of humanity. In 259 CE, the Liberalis Circulum fought against their sworn enemies, the Order of the Ancients, to recover the Ankh, a piece of Eden who could temporarily reviving dead.

During the 3rd century, the presence of Christianity increased in Gaul. Denis, the bishop of Paris, was martyred and beheaded, but according to legend, he walked to the village of Catolacus with his head between his hand before collasping. The village became known as Saint-Denis.

Middle Ages

In 481 CE, the province of Gaul was established as the Kingdom of Francia, five years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In 800, the Kingdom became a part of the empire of Charlemagne. The Frankish capital of Paris was also a target for two important raids in the Viking expansion across Europe. The first was 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 Charles the Bald gave the invaders 7,000 lives of silver and gold.

Siege of Paris (885 — 886)

Main article: Siege of Paris (885–886)

From 885 to 886, the Elgring Clan, led by its Viking jarl Sigfred, planned another siege and sent his niece, Toka Sinricsdottir, to find other allies to assist them. In response, jarlskona Eivor Varinsdottir of the Raven Clan accepted the proposal and traveled to Melun, but only to find a truce between King Charles and her to not invade England.

Nevertheless, despite attempts of truce with both Count Odo and King Charles, the Vikings planned their defenses, and soon besieged Paris.. In the end, it came to a truce between Sigfred and King Charles, who made Sigfred lord of Rouen and Amiens and gave him an abundance of treasure.

By 887, King Charles tried to kill his wife, Queen Richardis, by trial by fire, but it proved unsuccessful due to "divine intervention" with the simultaneous rain. With Eivor's intervention, King Charles was soon deposed of his rule and Count Odo led the country as his successor.

Late Middle Ages

In 1129, the Council of Troyes officialized the foundation of the Order of the Knights Templar, the new iteration of the Order of the Ancients. They became a powerful faction in Europe and Middle East. In 1307, King Philip IV of France, who was heavily in debt to the Templars, was manipulated by the French Assassins into disbanding the Templars by accusing them of heresy. King Philip arrested hundreds of Templars, and burned their Grand Master Jacques de Molay at the stake, driving the Order back underground.

From 1337 to 1453, France became involved in the Hundred Years' War with England, fighting for control over the French throne. England repeatedly led expeditions into French soil, which dealt a huge toll of 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.

In the 1400s, Jeanne d'Arc acquired a Sword of Eden, and led French soldiers to victories in the war. In 1431, she was captured and executed by the English, while opportunistic Templars took the Sword.

Renaissance

Paris during the Renaissance

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.

In the early 1500s, a French Army, under the command of 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.

Age of Enlightenment

During the Age of Enlightenment, France, in competition with Spain and England, sought to build up their Empire by capturing territories in Africa and, to a lesser extent, the West Indies.

France aided 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.

French Revolution

Main article: French Revolution

Eventually, numerous troubles in their homeland led to the French having their own revolution in 1789,and control of France ultimately fell to one 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.

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, especially 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.

Orsini Affair

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, who was aided and equipped by the mysterious figure, the "Magus." Although the Emperor and his wife survived with little injuries, hundreds of civilian casualties occurred as a consequence. Unknown to most, Assassin Simeon Price, trained by the Parisian Brotherhood, and Aurora Equestrian Troupe's acrobat Pierrette Arnaud stopped another bomb from exploding at the theater. As a result, Orsini and his cohorts were executed as tensions grew between France and England, which pushed harsher government laws on its people.

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 as 'Belle Époque', Paris underwent technological advances which led to increase in size, economic power as well as the improvement of life quality.

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.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (mentioned in glyphs only)
• 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 (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Unity novel
• Assassin's Creed: Unity
• Assassin's Creed: Heresy
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Blood Brothers (flashback)
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris
• Assassin's Creed: Fragments – Les Sorcières des Landes
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy

References

de:Frankreich es:Francia fr:France hu:Franciaország it:Francia nl:Frankrijk pl:Francja ru:Франция zh:法国