The Emergence of Europe (286-843) Part XXIX: The Saxon Conquest

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 twenty-nine explains that the Frankish kingdom had expanded close to the border of the eastern Roman Empire. Conflict seemed likely until King Charles and Empress Irene negotiated a marriage alliance between their children. Recognizing that the former Lombard kingdom and Aquitaine needed time to adapt to Frankish control, Charles appointed his two youngest sons sub-kings of the two regions. Once the border regions had been resolved, Charles could focus his energy on the subjucation of the Saxons. Fighting was fierce, but the last major resistance ended when the Saxon leader Widukind bent the knee. When the empire tried to place Desiderius' son Adelchis on the throne of Benevento after Arichis died suddenly, Charles backed Arichis' son Grimoald because he would not be an imperial puppet.

 

Cast of Characters:

Charles-king of the Franks and the Lombards

Pepin the Hunchback-Charles' eldest son, illegitimate

Charles the Younger-Charles' eldest legitimate son

Pippin-king of Italy, Charles' second-eldest legitimate son, formerly Carolman

Louis-king of Aquitaine, Charles' third-eldest legitimate son

Hadrian I-Pope (772-795)

Desiderius-king of the Lombards (756-774)

Arichis II-prince of Benevento (774-787), duke of Benevento (758-774)

Grimoald III-prince of Benevento (788-806)

Adelchis-eldest son of Desiderius, brother-in-law of Arichis

Widukind-king of the Saxons

 

 

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

The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe-Pierre Riche, Translated by Michael Idomir Allen

The Frankish Kingdoms Under the Carolingians, 751-987-Rosamond McKitterick

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

Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe-Judith Herrin

The Popes: A History-John Julius Norwich

The Republic of St. Peter: The Birth of the Papal State, 680-825-Thomas F. X. Noble

 

Image Credit

By Unknown author - [1] 'Grandes Chroniques de France, Mandragore, BNF, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=723625