Territorial Gains and Losses

Any picture of Capetian policy towards the great fiefs which represents it as one of continuous pressure — as a war of attrition almost — is somewhat misleading. No positive intention of consolidation lay behind the royal acquisitions and annexations, and no consistent plan of campaign produced the advances which we have described. Chance opportunities often precipitated actions of which the consequences were far from clearly envisaged. There is no evidence of any sort to suggest that the Capetians had any clear idea of the course that they were following, beyond a general conviction that no occasion of possible aggrandisement should be neglected.

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