A series of civil wars and repeated invasions by Germanic tribes caused the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Following the end of imperial authority, several Germanic tribes struggled against each other for control of territory. The Franks became the dominant power in Gaul, but Greater Frankia repeatedly broke apart during wars between rival claimants for the throne. Finally, Charlemagne united the Franks, and greatly expanded the size of the kingdom. However, his grandsons proved unwilling to share the empire, and divided it in...
A series of civil wars and repeated invasions by Germanic tribes caused the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Following the end of imperial authority, several Germanic tribes struggled against each other for control of territory. The Franks became the dominant power in Gaul, but Greater Frankia repeatedly broke apart during wars between rival claimants for the throne. Finally, Charlemagne united the Franks, and greatly expanded the size of the kingdom. However, his grandsons proved unwilling to share the empire, and divided it in 843, laying the foundations for France and Germany. Episode thirty-seven explains that Louis smoothly succeeded his father as ruler of the Frankish empire. After the pope traveled north to crown Louis emperor, Louis held an assembly to settle the succession. Lothar, the eldest son, became co-emperor, while his other sons Pippin and Louis received Aquitaine and Bavaria respectively. However, Bernard, Louis' nephew and king of Italy, was not mentioned. Naturally, Bernard traveled north to talk to his uncle, but was declared a rebel and blinded, while his followers were executed. Even Louis' half-brothers were placed in remote monasteries. The empire did not face a genuine external threat, but Louis had failed to expand the empire's borders because the powerful nobles who actually ran the large empire were unenthusiastic.
Cast of Characters:
Charles-emperor, formerly king of the Franks and the Lombards
Louis-emperor, formerly king of Aquitaine, Charles' third-eldest legitimate son
Lothar-co-emperor, eldest son of Louis
Pippin-king of Aquitaine, second-eldest son of Louis
Louis-king of Bavaria, youngest son of Louis
Bernard-king of Italy, son of Pippin, grandson of Charles
Wala-count, son of Bernard, illegitimate son of Charles Martel
Adalhard-abbot, son of Bernard, illegitimate son of Charles Martel
Al-Hakam I-emir of Cordoba (796-822)
Leo V-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (813-820)
Omurtag-khan of Bulgaria (814-831)
Godfred-king of Denmark (804-810)
Hemming-king of Denmark (810-812), nephew of Godfred
Harald Klak-co-king of Denmark (812-813), brother of Reginfred
Reginfred-co-king of Denmark (812-813), brother of Harald Klak
Sources:
Charlemagne-Derek Wilson
Charlemagne: Father of a Continent-Alessandro Barbero, translated by Allan Cameron
Charlemagne-Johannes Fried, Translated by Peter Lewis
Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800-Jeff Sypeck
Emperor of the West: Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire-Hywell Williams
King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne-Janet L. Nelson
The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe-Pierre Riche, Translated by Michael Idomir Allen
The Frankish Kingdoms Under the Carolingians, 751-987-Rosamond McKitterick
Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe-Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry
The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders-Peter Heather
The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000-Chris Wickham
Before the Normans: Southern Italy in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries-Barbara M. Kreutz
A History of Venice-John Julius Norwich
Venice: A New History-Thomas F. Madden
Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe-Judith Herrin
The Popes: A History-John Julius Norwich
Keepers of the Keys of Heaven: A History of the Papacy-Roger Collins
The Republic of St. Peter: The Birth of the Papal State, 680-825-Thomas F. X. Noble
The Early Medieval Balkans-John V. A. Fine, Jr.
Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain-Brian A. Catlos
God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215-David Levering Lewis
Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus-Hugh Kennedy
Image Credit
By Unknown author - [1] 'Grandes Chroniques de France, Mandragore, BNF, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=723625
