General Notes

d. June 16/17, 956
also called HUGH THE WHITE, French HUGUES LE GRAND, OR HUGUES LE BLANC,duke of the Franks, count of Paris, and progenitor of the Capetian kingsof France. He was the most powerful man in the kingdom of France (WestFrancia) during the reign of Louis IV d'Outremer and the early years ofKing Lothair.


Son of a king (Robert I), father of another (Hugh Capet), andbrother-in-law of three more (Rudolf of France, Athelstan of England, andOtto of Germany), Hugh possessed such vast territories that he couldeasily have assumed the crown on the death of Rudolf in 936. Preferringto work from behind the throne, he instead suggested the accession ofLouis IV, son of the deposed Charles III the Simple. Louis proved nopuppet, however, and his reign saw an almost constant struggle betweenKing and Duke in which all the great magnates of France, Otto I ofGermany, and the dukes of Lorraine were at one time or another involved.In 945 Louis fell into Hugh's hands and was incarcerated for a yearbefore pressure from abroad and public opinion at home brought hisrelease. Excommunicated by French and German councils and by the Pope,Hugh finally submitted to Louis in 951.


On the death of the King three years later, Hugh again turned down theopportunity to become king, plumping instead for Louis's young son,Lothair; but for his last two years Hugh was effectively the ruler ofFrance.