[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":24},["ShallowReactive",2],{"zoom:p4ch2z3:en":3},{"period":4,"chapter":14,"zoom":17},{"id":5,"title":6,"titleEn":6,"titleEs":7,"range":8,"rangeEn":8,"rangeEs":8,"cover":9},"p4","Early Middle Ages","Alta Edad Media","476 → 987",{"fileName":10,"filePageUrl":11,"imageUrl":12,"sourceLabel":13},"François Louis Dejuinne 08265 baptême de CLovis.JPG","https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fran%C3%A7ois%20Louis%20Dejuinne%2008265%20bapt%C3%AAme%20de%20CLovis.JPG","/assets/p4-haut-moyen-age-cover.png","Wikimedia Commons",{"id":15,"title":16},"p4ch2","Theuderic I: Heir of the East (Austrasia)",{"id":18,"title":19,"chapterId":15,"html":20,"hasEn":21,"isFallback":22,"seoDescription":23},"p4ch2z3","Thuringia and Burgundy: Why the Merovingians Wage War","\u003Cp>In the 6th century, a Merovingian king had to be a war leader. Lasting peace was rare because power rested on conquest, booty, and the ability to protect.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>💥 Why is war permanent?\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Prestige\u003C/strong>: a king who does not win loses his warriors’ obedience.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Resources\u003C/strong>: booty, tribute, land, and cities = the kingdom’s wealth.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Security\u003C/strong>: striking neighbours can prevent them from striking first.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Family rivalries\u003C/strong>: after 511, brother-kings want to enlarge their share.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🛡️ Thuringia: securing the East\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>In the East, campaigns aim to control routes and impose the king’s strength on frontier zones.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Goal\u003C/strong>: prevent another people or another king from occupying this space.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Result\u003C/strong>: Austrasia becomes militarised and turns into a war machine.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🏰 Burgundy: a rich kingdom to conquer\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Burgundy is a tempting target: cities, wealth, Roman networks.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>The conflicts are also political: controlling Burgundy means controlling a major part of Gaul.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🧠 Key takeaways\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>War is a Merovingian tool of government.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>It serves both to enrich and to legitimise the king.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>It builds durable kingdoms, but makes the Frankish world violent and unstable.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n",true,false,"In the 6th century, a Merovingian king had to be a war leader. Lasting peace was rare because power rested on conquest, booty, and the ability to protect.",1778543115076]