General Notes

REFR
DATE 0925
RETO
DATE 0956
OCCU Duke of France
RELI Sources: Dee, Danielle Marie.  AOL user Dani Dee.  File uploa poisoned. [Footnote by Altschul:  "E..
ALIA also called HUGH THE WHITE, French HUGUES LE GRAND, or HUGUES LE BLANCHugh THE GREAT,also called HUGH THE WHITE, French HUGUES LE GRAND, or HUGUES LEBLANC (d. June 16/17, 956), duke of the
Franks, count of Paris,and progenitor of the Capetian kings of France. He was the mostpowerful man in the kingdom of France (West Francia) during thereign of  Louis IV d'Outremer and the early years
of KingLothair.Son of a king (Robert I), father of another (Hugh Capet), andbrother-in-law of three more (Rudolf of France, Athelstan ofEngland, and Otto of Germany), Hugh possessed such
vastterritories that he could easily have assumed the crown on thedeath of Rudolf in 936. Preferring to work from behind thethrone, he instead suggested the accession of Louis IV, son ofthe deposed
Charles III the Simple. Louis proved no puppet,however, and his reign saw an almost constant struggle betweenKing and Duke in which all the great magnates of France, Otto Iof Germany, and the dukes
of Lorraine were at one time oranother involved. In 945 Louis fell into Hugh's hands and wasincarcerated for a year before pressure from abroad and publicopinion at home brought his release.
Excommunicated by Frenchand German councils and by the Pope, Hugh finally submitted toLouis in 951.On the death of the King three years later, Hugh again turneddown the opportunity to become king,
plumping instead forLouis's young son, Lothair; but for his last two years Hugh waseffectively the ruler of France. Related Propaedia TopicsThe West Frankish kingdom (France): dynastic rivalry
betweenCarolingians and Robertians (to 987) and the ascendancy of thefeudal magnatesCopyright (c) 1996 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All RightsReserved
RFNO @N2618@
FREN Y
DATE 14 MAR 1999