The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes situated on the Lower and Middle Rhine as of 363 AD, when they started expanding east and west of the Rhine River, conquering the lands of the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Alemanni in Germany and also conquering Jutland from the Saxons. They were eventually forced westwards by the Lombardii and Burgundii, and made a permanent settlement in present-day France, Belgium, and the Netherlands after conquering it from the Western Roman Empire.
History[]
The Franks were originally German people living along the Rhine River bordering the Alemanni, Chatti, Marcomanni, and Quadi; the latter three were subject to military expeditions by the Frankish tribes, which resulted in their conquests. The Franks established a power base across the Rhine and expanded to the Elbe and to the Loire, fighting the Lombardii, Burgundii, Alemanni, Saxons, and Western Roman Empire, conquering most of Gaul and Western Europe. They were once humbled by the Saxons by a military expedition, forced to stop their attacks on their empire in return for survival. The Franks continued their wars against Rome and took over Arles, Bordeaux, and Samarobriva, taking over all of West Europe for themselves. After the fall of Rome, they conquered the Alemanni and founded the Merovingian Empire.