French history spans thousands of years, beginning with the early Celtic tribes known as the Gauls. In 52 BC, the Roman general Julius Caesar conquered the region, integrating it into the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome, the area became part of the Frankish Empire, leading to the rise of the Merovingian and later the Carolingian dynasties, with Charlemagne as a notable ruler. The Middle Ages saw the establishment of the Capetian dynasty and the Hundred Years' War against England. The French Revolution in 1789 marked a significant turning point, leading to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the eventual establishment of the modern French Republic.