Marches of Neustria

The Marches of Neustria (French: Marches de Neustrie; Breton: Marz Neustria; Norman: Maurches de Neûtrie) were two marches created in 861 by the Carolingian king of West Francia Charles the Bald. They were ruled by officials appointed by the Monarchy of France (or the Crown), known as wardens, prefects or margraves (French: marquis). One march (the Breton March) was created as a buffer against the Bretons and the other (the Norman March) against the Norsemen.

Ultimately, for the Breton March alone, some 29 strongholds across several 'provinces'^{[clarification needed]} were constructed or fortified and designated to serve as fortresses of the march.

In 911, Robert I of France, the incumbent margrave of Breton March, was affirmed/appointed margrave of both marches by king Charles the Simple, and took the title demarchus. His family, the later Capetians, ruled the whole of Neustria until 987, when Hugh Capet was elected King of the Franks. The subsidiary counts of Neustria had exceeded the margrave in power by that time and the peak of Viking and Breton raiding had passed. After Hugh Capet became King of the Franks, no further margraves were appointed.