Hugh Capet was the first French king of the Capetian dynasty, which ruled France from July 3, 987 to October 24, 996. He was born in 941, and he succeeded his father, Hugh the Great (898-956), as Duke of the Franks in 956. He ruled over a small area around Paris and Orleans, but he began to consolidate his power and expand his territory through a combination of military conquest and political maneuvering.