European Kingdoms

Frankish Roman Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire
AD 800 - 888

Central Europe All Modern States Hessian States Modern Balkans Modern British Isles Saxon States

The Merovingian Frankish empire was divided and reunified several times, but eventually it was formally divided into a western kingdom (formerly Neustria), an eastern kingdom (formerly Austrasia), and Burgundy with a firm division into what would eventually become medieval France and the Holy Roman empire.

The early eighth century AD saw the rapid diminution of Merovingian power and influence. Instead it was their deputies, the Carolingian mayors of the palace, who exercised real authority throughout the Frankish kingdom. A palace usurpation took place, with the full backing of the Pope, in which the mayor, Pepin III was able to send the last Merovingian king to a monastery and become the first Carolingian king of the Franks in his place.

Not a notable general, Pepin nevertheless remained undefeated in battle. However, it was his son, Charles, later known as Charles 'the Great', or Charlemagne, who really reversed Frankish fortunes and created a vast European empire. Shortly after he had completed his conquest of much of the Germanic-speaking lands by defeating the mighty Saxons, in AD 800 he was crowned 'Roman Emperor' by Pope Leo III, apparently against his own wishes.

Partially this was a papal attempt to be able to claim sovereign rights over the new emperor and his territories. In part, too, it was to convey upon Charlemagne, and the vast territory he had conquered, the historical legacy of the Roman empire, thereby legitimising this new empire. The rule of Charlemagne laid the foundations of future monarchies in Western Europe and Central Europe.

Furthermore, Charlemagne’s descendants became responsible for establishing the basis of modern Europe's nation states. This started through division which took place in the ninth century. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 confirmed the official division of the empire between Charlemagne's surviving three grandsons, into the Western Franks, Eastern Franks, and Middle Franks. These kingdoms would, in time, provide the basis for the modern nation states of France, Germany, and Italy respectively.

(Information by William Willems & Peter Kessler, with additional information from The Annals of Fulda (Manchester Medieval Series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II) Timothy Reuter (Trans) 1992, from Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians 751-987, R McKitterick (1983), from Noble Strategies in an Early Modern Small State: The Mahuet of Lorraine, Charles T Lipp, from The History of the Franks, Volume II, Gregory of Tours (O M Dalton, Trans, 1967), from the Codex Gothanus, Lupus Servatus (commissioned by Eberhard of Friuli), from From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms, Thomas F X Noble, from Popular Revolt, Dynastic Politics, and Aristocratic Factionalism in the Early Middle Ages: The Saxon Stellinga Reconsidered, Eric J Goldberg (Speculum, Vol 70, No 3, Jul 1995), and from External Links: the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, and Encyclopaedia.com, and Cranach Digital Archive (in German and English), and the Medieval Sourcebook: Gregory of Tours (539-594): History of the Franks: Books I-X (Fordham University), and Carolingian Empire (Holy Roman Empire Association), and Carolingians (Encyclopaedia Britannica).)

800 - 814

King of the Franks (Italy, Germany, & Burgundy). First HRE.

804

The Saxon Wars come to an end with the Carolingian empire annexing the Saxon state (and it virtually is a state by now), across the Saxon March. The Franks now move northwards, finding themselves on the border with the Danes, whose King Gudfred immediately responds to their threat by erecting defensive works.

Charlemagne unified all the Frankish states under one ruler and created an empire which stretched deep into modern Germany, something the Romans had never managed - but this vast domain was too big to endure long as a single entity after his death

806 - 814

By the Act of Thionville in 806, Charlemagne announces the division of his vast empire between his three sons. By 814, Pepin in Italy has already predeceased his father (810), as has Charles 'the Younger', dux Cenomannici of the Breton March and also king of West Francia under Charlemagne following the latter's assumption of the role of emperor (suffering a stroke in 811), so Louis 'the Pious' is crowned Frankish emperor at his capital of Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle).

812

The 'Peace of Aachen' confirms Dalmatia as a Frankish domain, other than the Eastern Roman cities and islands. The boundaries within Dalmatia which are imposed by this treaty are unclear (forcing an embassy to be sent to Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) in 817 to clarify them).

Under Charlemagne's leadership, the Franks greatly expanded their borders eastwards, engulfing tribal states, the Bavarian state and its satellite, Khorushka, and much of northern Italy, with the Avars now an eastern neighbour (click or tap on map to view full sized)

814 - 840

King of the Franks. The empire was divided upon his death.

820 - 840

The first military raids take place by marauding Vikings, as they see a viable switch from early trade routes to early routes of attack and plunder. King Gudfred's Danish military strike against Frisia is being remembered and mirrored, with northern Frankish settlements being the target.

828

Despite an expedition by Charles 'the Younger', the Moorish threat to Corsica remains very serious. Now the island's defence is handed over to Boniface II of Tuscany, and he carries out a successful expedition against the Aghlabids in Africa. He also builds the Bonifacio fortress in the southern part of the island and, for the next century, Corsica remains part of the march of Tuscany.

Charlemagne received the surrender of the Saxons at Paderborn in 785 after two hard years of fighting against a people who were determined to retain their independence

838

Gebhard of Logenahe, count of Nieder-Lahngau in Hesse, becomes allied to Poppo, count in the Grapfeld of north-eastern Franconia and Archbishop Otgar of Mainz against the rebellious Louis 'the German'. The intention is to support Louis' father, Emperor Louis 'the Pious', a cause which is largely successful.

840 - 843

Louis wills the Frankish empire to his sons, but tries to ensure that the eldest gains the biggest share, in order to avoid the fragmentation of territory which so weakened the Merovingians. Lothar receives Middle Francia (the Rhine corridor including the kingdom of Burgundy, and Italy).

Charles 'the Bald' receives Western Francia (today's France including the duchy of Burgundy); and Louis 'the German' receives Eastern Francia (today's Germany, including Alemannia, Bavaria, Khorushka, and Saxony).

However, Lothar initially claims overlordship over all three regions and Louis and Charles have to go to war to convince him to relent. The Treaty of Verdun, signed in 843, recognises the division of the empire.

King Louis 'the Pious' of the Frankish empire attempted to leave the empire intact for his eldest son, Lothar, but the others rebelled at the idea. The treaty of Verdun in AD 843 confirmed the official division of the empire between Charlemagne's three surviving grandsons (click or tap on map to view full sized)

840 - 855

King of the Middle Franks & Burgundy.

855

Upon Lothar's death at Prüm Abbey in Lotharingia, Middle Francia is divided between his three sons. Louis II receives Italy and the imperial crown. It is Charles who receives southern Burgundy, which includes Lyon, Provence, and Vienne, and which comes to be known as the kingdom of Provence.

The remainder goes to Lothar II, including the Rhine corridor from Burgundy up to the North Sea. This area has no traditional name of its own, so it is named after its ruler - Lotharingia (which later becomes Lorraine).

855 - 875

King of Italy.

855 - 875

Louis' title of emperor has little meaning since he rules only in Italy, and even there his reign is constantly challenged by independent Lombard dukes and by the Arab Aghlabid invaders of southern Italy.

He supports his brother Lothar II, king of Lotharingia, in a dispute with the Pope, and briefly (864) occupies Rome. He subsequently submits to the pope, while also unsuccessfully attempting to claim Lotharingia after Lothar's death.

A dramatic depiction of the murder of Alboin, the tribal Langobard leader who united his people and forged a kingdom in northern Italy, by Charles Landseer in 1859

875 - 877

King of the Western Franks & Italy.

875

Charles 'the Bald' of the Western Franks is crowned emperor of the Romans by Pope John VIII and thereafter nominally rules Italy, and the Frankish empire as Charles II. Boso is his viceroy in Italy and Provence (and later becomes independent king of the latter).

Viking raids into Western Francia continue throughout Charles' reign and after his death. Moreover, internal struggles arise across the length and breadth of the empire.

876

The death of Louis 'the German', king of East Francia, results in his territory being divided between his three sons. This is something which he had already foreseen, and portions of territory had been appointed to each of them in 865.

Now in a peaceful succession, Carloman inherits Bavaria and the Ostmark, Louis 'the Younger' gains Franconia (which includes the Hessi lands), Saxony, and Thuringia, while Charles 'the Fat' succeeds to Rhaetia and Alemannia (Swabia). As the oldest son, Carloman also retains de facto dominance over the East Francia as a whole.

The River Lahn ran through the gau or district of the same name, forming an important part of the origins of medieval Hesse even though, in the eighth century it was part of Rhenish Franconia (western Franconia)

877 - 879

Charles 'the Bald' dies while fending off Carloman (son of Louis 'the German', king of the Eastern Franks, who himself had been beaten to the Italian throne by Charles 'the Bald'). Carloman gains Italy, but suffers a debilitating stroke just two years later.

Unable to rule in anything but name and having no legitimate offspring, he divides his holdings between his brothers. Louis 'the Younger' gains Bavaria while Charles 'the Fat' gains Italy. Carloman's illegitimate son, Arnulf, becomes duke of Carinthia.

880

Lotharingia, which has been divided between the Eastern Franks and the Western Franks since 870, is incorporated into the Frankish empire thanks to the Treaty of Ribemont.

881

Charles 'the Fat' succeeds as titular head of the Frankish empire, although he does not directly control the Western Franks. He holds that position as Emperor Charles III after being crowned by Pope John VIII.

Charles 'the Fat' (not necessarily living up to his descriptive sobriquet) welcomes messengers into his tent as titular head of the Frankish empire, as depicted in the fourteenth century Grandes Chroniques de France

881 - 888

King of the Eastern Franks & Italy.

882

Louis 'the Younger' dies and Charles, as the last remaining of the three brothers, inherits his territories of Bavaria, Franconia, Saxony, and Thuringia, thereby reuniting East Francia following its division in 876. It must be Charles who appoints Henry of Babenberg, his right-hand man, as the acting count of Franconia.

885 - 886

Charles refuses to oppose the siege of Paris by Vikings. Instead he withdraws to Alsace. The task of repelling the Vikings is left to the count of Paris, Odo. After their withdrawal has to be purchased, Charles is perceived by the court as being cowardly and incompetent.

887 - 888

The rule of the nascent Holy Roman empire falls to non-Frankish emperors when the weak Charles of the failing Carolingian dynasty is deposed by the Germans at the Diet of Tribur in November 887. With the empire essentially collapsing, the power of the Franks in Germany is broken forever in favour of native 'Germanic Emperors'.

The determined Berengar of Friuli not only controlled the march territory between Italy proper and the Avars and Magyars to the east, but also claimed the Italian throne no less than three times during his eventful life