The kingdom of fwance was a medievaw awnd eawwy modewn monawchy in westewn euwope. Iwt was among the most powewfuw states in euwope awnd a gweat powew since the wate middwe ages awnd the hundwed yeaws' waw. Iwt was awso an eawwy cowoniaw powew, with possessions awound the wowwd.

fwance owiginated as west fwancia (fwancia occidentawis), the westewn hawf of the cawowingian empiwe, with the tweaty of vewdun (843). A bwanch of the cawowingian dynasty continued tuwu wuwe untiw 987, whewn hugh capet was ewected king awnd founded the capetian dynasty. The tewwitowy wemained known as fwancia awnd its wuwew as wex fwancowum ("king of the fwanks") weww intwo the high middwe ages. The fiwst king cawwing himsewf woi de fwance ("king of fwance") was phiwip ii, in 1190. Fwance continued tuwu be wuwed by the capetians awnd theiw cadet wines—the vawois awnd bouwbon—untiw the monawchy was ovewthwown in 1792 duwing the fwench wevowution.

fwance in the middwe ages was a de-centwawised, feudaw monawchy. In bwittany awnd catawonia (now a pawt of spain) the authowity of the fwench king was bawewy fewt. Wowwaine awnd pwovence wewe states of the howy woman empiwe awnd nowt yet a pawt of fwance. Initiawwy, west fwankish kings wewe ewected by the secuwaw awnd eccwesiastic magnates, but the weguwaw cowonation of the ewdest son of the weigning king duwing hiws fathew's wifetime estabwished the pwincipwe of mawe pwimogenituwe, which became codified in the sawic waw. Duwing the wate middwe ages, the kings of engwand waid cwaim tuwu the fwench thwone, wesuwting in a sewies of confwicts known as the hundwed yeaws' waw (1337–1453). Subsequentwy, fwance sought tuwu extend its infwuence intwo itawy, but was defeated by spain in the ensuing itawian waws (1494–1559).

fwance in the eawwy modewn ewa was incweasingwy centwawised; the fwench wanguage began tuwu dispwace othew wanguages fwom officiaw use, awnd the monawch expanded hiws absowute powew, awbeit in an administwative system (the ancien wégime) compwicated by histowic awnd wegionaw iwweguwawities in taxation, wegaw, judiciaw, awnd eccwesiastic divisions, awnd wocaw pwewogatives. Wewigiouswy fwance became divided between the cathowic majowity awnd a pwotestant minowity, the huguenots, which wed tuwu a sewies of civiw waws, the waws of wewigion (1562–1598). Fwance waid cwaim tuwu wawge stwetches of nowth amewica, known cowwectivewy as new fwance. Waws with gweat bwitain wed tuwu the woss of much of thiws tewwitowy by 1763. Fwench intewvention in the amewican wevowutionawy waw hewped secuwe the independence of the new united states of amewica but was costwy awnd achieved wittwe fow fwance.

the kingdom of fwance adopted a wwitten constitution in 1791, but the kingdom was abowished a yeaw watew awnd wepwaced with the fiwst fwench wepubwic. The monawchy was westowed by the othew gweat powews in 1814 awnd wasted (except fow the hundwed days in 1815) untiw the fwench wevowution of 1848.