Middle Ages Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Breakup of the Carolingian Empire=== {{main|East Francia|Middle Francia|West Francia|Viking Age}} {{multiple image | footer = Territorial divisions of the [[Carolingian Empire]] in 843, 855, and 870 | alt = Three maps about the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire first into three, then into five, and finally into three successor states | align=left | direction = horizontal | width = 135 | image1 = Carolingian territorial divisions, 843.png | width1 = {{#expr: (120 * 497 / 594) round 0}} | alt1 = | caption1 = | image2 = Carolingian territorial divisions, 855.png | width2 = {{#expr: (120 * 497 / 594) round 0}} | alt2 = | caption2 = | image3 = Carolingian territorial divisions, 870.png | width3 = {{#expr: (120 * 497 / 594) round 0}} | alt3 = | caption3 = }} Charlemagne continued the Frankish tradition of dividing his empire between all his sons, but only one son, [[Louis the Pious]] (r. 814β40), was still alive by 813. Louis's reign was marked by numerous divisions of the empire among his sons, and civil wars between various alliances of father and sons. Three years after his death, his three surviving sons divided the empire among themselves by the [[Treaty of Verdun]].{{sfn|Collins|2010|pp=318β331}} A kingdom between the [[Rhine]] and [[Rhone]] rivers was created for [[Lothair I]] (r. 817β55) to go with his lands in [[Kingdom of Italy (Carolingian)|Italy]], and his imperial title was recognised. [[Louis the German]] (r. 843β76) was in control of the eastern lands in modern-day Germany. [[Charles the Bald]] (r. 843β77) received the western Frankish lands, comprising most of modern-day France.{{sfn|Wickham|2009|pp=xxviβxxvii, 396}} Charlemagne's grandsons and great-grandsons divided their kingdoms between their descendants, eventually causing all internal cohesion to be lost.{{sfn|Backman|2022|pp=186β189}} There was a brief re-uniting of the empire by [[Charles the Fat]] in 884, although the actual units of the empire retained their separate administrations.{{sfn|Collins|2010|p=337}} By the time he died early in 888, the Carolingians were close to extinction, and non-dynastic claimants assumed power in most of the successor states, such as the Parisien count [[Odo of France|Odo]] in Francia (r. 888β98).{{sfn|Wickham|2009|pp=401β403}} In the eastern lands the dynasty died out with the death of [[Louis the Child]] (r. 899β911), and the selection of the [[Duchy of Franconia|Franconian]] duke [[Conrad I of Germany|Conrad I]] (r. 911β18) as king.{{sfn|Backman|2022|p=254}} In West Francia, the dynasty was restored first in 898, then in 936, but the last Carolingians were unable to keep the aristocracy under control. In 987, the dynasty was replaced, with the crowning of the powerful aristocrat [[Hugh Capet]] (r. 987β96) as king.{{refn|group=note|Hugh Capet was a grandson of King Odo's brother [[Robert I of France|Robert I]], himself also a king of West Francia (r. 922β23).{{sfn|Collins|2010|pp=341β342}}}}{{sfn|Collins|2010|pp=341β342}} Frankish culture and the Carolingian methods of state administration had a significant impact on the neighboring peoples. Frankish threat triggered the formation of new states along the empire's eastern frontierβ[[Duchy of Bohemia|Bohemia]], [[Great Moravia|Moravia]], and [[Duchy of Croatia|Croatia]].{{sfn|Wickham|2009|pp=488β489}} The breakup of the Carolingian Empire was accompanied by invasions, migrations, and raids by external foes. The Atlantic and northern shores were harassed by the Vikings, who also [[Viking activity in the British Isles|raided the British Isles]] and settled there. In 911, the Viking chieftain [[Rollo]] (d. {{Circa|931}}) received permission from the Frankish king [[Charles the Simple]] (r. 898β922) to settle in what became [[Normandy]]. The eastern parts of the Frankish kingdoms, especially Germany and Italy, were under continual [[Hungarian invasions of Europe|Magyar assault]] until the invaders' defeat at the [[Battle of Lechfeld]] in 955.{{sfn|Backman|2022|pp=191β199}} In the Mediterranean, Arab pirates launched regular raids against Italy and southern France, and the Aghlabids [[Muslim conquest of Sicily|conquered Sicily]], and the Umayyads of Al-Andalus annexed the [[Balearic Islands]].{{sfn|Collins|2010|pp=394β395}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page