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Major Rulers of France
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Major Rulers of France

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History

During its long history, France has gone through numerous types of government. Under the Fifth Republic, France’s current system, the head of state is the president, who is elected by direct universal suffrage.

The table provides a list of the major rulers of France.

Major rulers of France
See also the table of Holy Roman emperors
Carolingian dynasty
Pippin III, the Short (mayor of the palace) 741–751
Pippin III, the Short (king of the Franks) 751–768
Carloman (king of the Franks) 768–771
Charlemagne (Charles I; king of the Franks) 771–800
Charlemagne (Charles I; Holy Roman emperor) 800–814
Louis I, the Pious (emperor) 814–840
Lothar I (emperor) 840–855
Louis II, the German (king of the East Franks) 840–876
Charles II, the Bald (king of the West Franks) 843–875
Charles II, the Bald (Holy Roman emperor) 875–877
Louis II (emperor) 855–875
Charles III, the Fat (king of the East Franks) 876–887
Charles III, the Fat (Holy Roman emperor, king of the West Franks) 884–887
Louis II, the Stammerer (king of the West Franks) 877–879
Louis III (king of the West Franks) 879–882
Carloman (king of the West Franks) 879–884
Arnulf (king of the East Franks) 887–899
Capetian (Robertian) dynasty
Eudes (king of the West Franks) 888–898
Carolingian dynasty
Charles III, the Simple (king of the West Franks) 898–922
Louis IV, the Child (last king of the East Franks) 899–911
Capetian (Robertian) dynasty (king)
Robert I 922–923
Rudolf 923–936
Carolingian dynasty
Louis IV d'Outremer 936–954
Lothar 954–986
Louis V 986–987
Capetian dynasty
Hugh Capet 987–996
Robert II, the Pious 996–1031
Henry I 1031–60
Philip I 1060–1108
Louis VI 1108–37
Louis VII 1137–80
Philip II 1180–1223
Louis VIII 1223–26
Louis IX (St. Louis) 1226–70
Philip III 1270–85
Philip IV 1285–1314
Louis X 1314–16
John I 1316
Philip V 1316–22
Charles IV 1322–28
Valois dynasty
Philip VI 1328–50
John II, the Good 1350–64
Charles V 1364–80
Charles VI 1380–1422
Charles VII 1422–61
Louis XI 1461–83
Charles VIII 1483–98
Valois dynasty (OrlΓ©ans branch)
Louis XII 1498–1515
Valois dynasty (AngoulΓͺme branch)
Francis I 1515–47
Henry II 1547–59
Francis II 1559–60
Charles IX 1560–74
Henry III 1574–89
House of Bourbon
Henry IV 1589–1610
Louis XIII 1610–43
Louis XIV 1643–1715
Louis XV 1715–74
Louis XVI 1774–92
Louis (XVII) 1793–95
First Republic (president)
National Convention 1792–95
Directory 1795–99
Consulate (Napoleon Bonaparte) 1799–1804
First Empire (emperor)
Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte) 1804–14, 1815
Napoleon (II) 1815
House of Bourbon (king)
Louis XVIII 1814, 1815–24
Charles X 1824–30
House of OrlΓ©ans
Louis-Philippe 1830–48
Second Republic (president)
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte 1848–52
Second Empire (emperor)
Napoleon III (Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) 1852–70
Third Republic (president)
Adolphe Thiers 1871–73
Patrice de Mac-Mahon 1873–79
Jules Grévy 1879–87
Sadi Carnot 1887–94
Jean Casimir-Périer 1894–95
Félix Faure 1895–99
Émile Loubet 1899–1906
Armand Fallières 1906–13
Raymond Poincaré 1913–20
Paul Deschanel 1920
Alexandre Millerand 1920–24
Gaston Doumergue 1924–31
Paul Doumer 1931–32
Albert Lebrun 1932–40
Vichy France (head of state)
Philippe Pétain 1940–44
Provisional government 1944–46
Fourth Republic (president)
Vincent Auriol 1947–54
René Coty 1954–59
Fifth Republic
Charles de Gaulle 1959–69
Georges Pompidou 1969–74
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing 1974–81
François Mitterrand 1981–95
Jacques Chirac 1995–2007
Nicolas Sarkozy 2007–12
François Hollande 2012–17
Emmanuel Macron 2017–
This article was most recently revised and updated by Alison Eldridge.
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