The Frankish Kingdom in the 6th Century

Timeline

1. 501–558Soissons · FranceAfter Clovis died in 511 the kingdom was divided among his sons by tradition, producing the coexistence of kingdoms such as Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy. In the early 6th century Chlothar I gradually annexed his brothers' territories and briefly reunified the realm in 558, but the succession system still harbored the seeds of division.
2. 559–584Gaul · GaulAfter the renewed partition of 561, the noble factions of Queen Mother Brunhilda of Austrasia and Queen Mother Fredegund of Neustria engaged in prolonged blood feuds; kings succeeded one another in rapid succession, and real power in the monarchy passed to the mayors of the palace. Gregory of Tours recorded the complex interaction between Church and royal power in this period.
3. 585–600Paris · FranceChlothar II was already on the throne before defeating Brunhilda in 613 (slightly outside this period), and by the late 6th century the kingdom gradually moved toward reunification. In 596 Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to preach in Britain, marking the westward expansion of the Frankish-Roman church system; the 6th-century Frankish kingdom consolidated its position as the core Christian polity of Western Europe.