| The Kings of the French - Philippe I (Tonto_Marechal) |
| The congregation sighed with relief as the Bishop of Paris lowered the French crown onto the head of Philippe I. The nobles had faith in Philippe I. They wanted an end to the destructive wars of his father. They wanted peace. They prayed silently for peace as the bishop delivered the benediction. "Peace in our lifetime," swore Philippe I before his council of ministers. Few at the table believed such a thing would be possible. The Year of Our Lord 1087 saw a divided realm. France proper was cut off from the important provinces of Brittany and Toulouse, which were themselves, cut off from each other. British and German armies threatened the kingdom on all sides. Such anxious thoughts were on the minds of the nobles as they watched Philippe I formulate his agenda. Had they only known how true he would be to his word, they probably would have had some reservations. Between the years 1087 and 1121, France was at war for only two years. Almost the entire reign of Philippe I was dominated by diplomacy. A half dozen royal heirs were begotten, in addition to another half dozen princesses. Marriages were contracted and treaties signed throughout Europe as Philippe strove to provide security for his realm. His plans were interrupted in 1098, with the Aragonese invasion of Toulouse. Lord de Plaisians fought a series of small battles with his isolated regiment, but by 1099 he was defeated and the province annexed. Philippe I could not do anything to save Toulouse and his frustration was made more accute when a treaty of alliance was signed with the enemy in 1105. This final alliance completed his grand project, the "Quintuple Alliance" of England, France, Poland, Hungary, and Aragon. Not being entirely naive, Philippe I did manage to quadruple the number of troops at France's disposal. Unfortunately, nearly half of those troops were mercenaries in addition to the several companies of peasants under arms. This also left the treasury weaker than desirable. Numerous improvements were made in the French infrastructure, however, with superior farming and the development of military institutions at home. Philippe I's greatest claim to France's greatness did not lie in these things though. In 1089, a French missionary came into possession of one of the greatest artifacts in human history. Philippe I immediately ordered its seizure and under heavy escort, a piece of the One True Cross was brought into Paris and placed in the Cathedral. High Mass was celebrated with the king himself delivering a message of thanksgiving to God Almighty for such a marvelous treasure to be kept in the city of Paris under the protection of the French nation. And then lots of boredom. No glorious military campaigns, no honor and glory, only peace in the realm. Even the nobles were grumbling in their idleness in 1121 when Philippe I passed away. He had ruled France for thirty-four years. He had managed to obtain a piece of the One True Cross upon which the Lamb of God, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God was crucified upon. But Philippe I also lost Toulouse to the Aragonese and signed an alliance with them to complete his Quintuple Alliance. The treasury was depleted and the army composed of mercenaries and peasants. All eyes were fixed on the middle-aged Philippe II as he was crowned in turn at the Paris Cathedral by the Bishop of Paris in 1121. |