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...
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-six explains that tensions were rising as the two epires' borders grew closer to each other. Then, two of Charles' three sons died within the space of a year, so Charles agreed to the Peace of Aachen, abandoning the Frankish claim to Venice. Since the eastern empire had just suffered a massive defeat a year earlier, it was eager to sign a peace treaty in order to concentrate on the Bulgars, even though it had to accept that Charles was an emperor. Meanwhile, the expanding Frankish empire had reached the Danes, but Charles was too tired to launch a serious invasion. Anyway, Charles died two years after signing the Peace of Aachen, leaving Louis as the unchallenged ruler of the Frankish empire.
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 Carloman
Louis-king of Aquitaine, Charles' third-eldest legitimate son
Bernard-king of Italy, son of Pippin, grandson of Charles
Oblerio-doge of Venice
Nikephoros I-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (802-811), formerly finance minister
Michael I-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (811-813), Nikephoros' son-in-law
Leo V-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (813-820)
Krum-khan of Bulgaria (803-814)
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
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
