Economic history of France
History of France
This article is part of a series
Ancient history
Prehistoric France
Celtic Gaul
Roman Gaul (50 BC-486)
The Franks
Merovingians (481-751)
Middle Ages
Carolingians (751-987)
Direct Capetians (987-1328)
Valois (1328-1498)
Early Modern France
Valois-Orléans (1498-1515)
Valois-Angoulême (1515-1589)
House of Bourbon (1589-1792)
French Revolution (1789)
19th century
First Republic (1792-1804)
National Convention (1792-1795)
Directory (1795-1799)
Consulate (1799-1804)
First Empire (1804-1814)
Restoration (1814-1830)
July Revolution (1830)
July Monarchy (1830-1848)
1848 Revolution
Second Republic (1848-1852)
Second Empire (1852-1870)
Third Republic (1870-1940)
Paris Commune (1871)
20th century
Vichy France (1940-1944)
Provisional Government (1944-1946)
Fourth Republic (1946-1958)
Fifth Republic (1958-present)
France Portal
This is a history of the economy of France.
For more information on historical, cultural,
demographic and sociological developments
in France, see the chronological era articles
in the template to the right. For more inform-
ation on specific political and governmental
regimes in France, see the dynasty and re-
gime articles.
Ancient France
Medieval France
The collapse of the Roman Empire devast-
ated the French economy. Town life and
trade declined and society became based on
the self-sufficient manor. What limited inter-
national trade existed in the Merovingian age
— primarily in goods such as silk, papyrus,
and silver — was carried out by foreign mer-
chants such as Syrians.
Agricultural output began to increase in
the Carolingian age as a result of the arrival
of new crops, improvements in agricultural
production, and good weather conditions.
However, this did not lead to the revival of
urban life; in fact, urban activity further de-
clined in the Carolingian era as a result of
civil war, Arab raids, and Viking invasions.
The High Middle Ages saw a continuation
of the agricultural boom of the Carolingian
age. In addition, urban life grew during this
peri