# Constantine defeats rivals and controls Gaul (312)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/312-constantine-defeats-rivals-and-controls-gaul
Location: Gaul

Constantine used Trier and Gallic resources as a base in his struggle for imperial power. Within the broader Roman Gaul period, Roman conquest transformed Gaul through provincial government, roads, cities, citizenship and cultural exchange. The later empire brought Christianity, civil wars, frontier pressure and the rise of successor kingdoms. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Roman Empire (Roman imperial rule in Gaul). Constantine defeats rivals and controls Gaul is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Constantine defeats rivals and controls Gaul is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France.

Ruler at the time: [Roman Empire](https://history-france.com/rulers/roman-empire)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Constantine defeats rivals and controls Gaul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Constantine+defeats+rivals+and+controls+Gaul&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Constantine defeats rivals and controls Gaul](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Constantine+defeats+rivals+and+controls+Gaul)
- [Wikipedia — History of France overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France)