The Reign Of Charles The Bald: A Survey
Bookmark this page

Education for Ruling 823 – 40

Modern historians view birth with disdain: disrupted unitary ideal of Louis the Pious and sons - empire inexorably dismembered; fatal conflict.

Every Carolingian empire had crises, especially with elderly emperors and adult princes – brotherly love a virtue more honoured in the breach than in the observance.

Well educated, deal sealed with Lothar that excluded ouis the German to Bavaria, but still needed to get rid of Pippin from Aquitaine.

WINNING A REALM 840 – 4

Two issues for Charlkes upon death of Louis the Pious – 1sthad to deal with essentially 4^th Carolingian in form of Pippin II in Aquitaine, getting enough power in resource rich Seine Valley / Rhineland strip to support honores etc, hotly contested.

Fontenoy 841 – L the G and C the B defeat Lothar and Pippin II only in 842 was Lothar forced to come to terms

Verdun 843 – Lothar does extremely well – Pippin was silenced, a good thing for Charles. Verdun was not too bad for C the B – why? – major mints, trading places, Rouen, Nantes silver mines of Aqutiane, on paper realm looked compact and with growth potentials – access to north west and south west to sources of plunder and trade. Also had amassed significant aristocratic support – seemed in strong position to rule: amass, exploit and distribute resources.

However Frankish conflict had been noticed by Vikings and Bretons who allied and raided Rouen, Nantes and Quentovic in 841-3 – from Pyrenees Muslim warlord threatened.

Lothar had no such room for expansion, only into brother’s territory – tried to persuade honroes who still had connexions in his kingdom, persuade ecclesiastics against Charles as gave away loads of church land.

Charles showed shrewdness of priorities – formal agreement with leading ecclesiastical magnates, also went in Aquitaine and grabbed support notables – realm promised at Verdun seemed secure.

CHALLENGE AND REPSONSE 844-9

Major setbacks – Frankish army ambushed by Pippin II and loads of aristos killed, and the same by Bretons in north-west. – met with brothers and extracted assurance non-intervention from Lothar

844 – Vikings wreak destruction at Touloise, Charles paid the Vikings off in 845 – best he could do when militarily weak – then accommodated Pippin II with v. limited privileges in Aquitaine.

845 – 48 – Lothar persistent attempts to undermine Verdun, Pippin worthwhile ally to undermine him – Charles response to undermine Lothar in Provence and Pippin in Aqutaine, whilst consolidating hold own kingdom – Chalres got aid from notable Lambert which aided regional cooperation and through Pyrenean Christians and Musa against Pippin – virulence of Lothar drove Louis the German to support Charles – strength of alliance with Louis.

Viking attacks increase during these years, his adversaries suffer more than he does – Charles slight victory over Vikings in Bordeaux 847-8 boosted prestige amongst Aquitainians – Charles fought Pippin 848 didn’t capture him but Pippin’s support collapses. – Charles strengthens position in Aquitaine,

OFFENSIVE TO DEFENSIVE 850 – 8

Unexpected death of Nominoe a relief as possibility war against Bretons – 850 serious military setback with leading men killed by Bretons and had to come to terms with Breton King – Charles fell back on intrigue and political seduction – Lambert killed by local rival

851 Escalation of Viking activity Charles rarely defeats them but defence so impressive to West Saxon King that marries daughter Judith to him.

Problem in Aqutaine 853 – Louis the German worried about Lothar and C the B working together and Aqutaines rebel and ask Louis the German to send son to rule – Aqutaine was now a Carolingian problem. Little Louis has little support and then Pippin back into the frame 0 Charles respnse v. clever – reconstruct a regional, territorial political identity on the baiss of colletive interests – puts own son on throne.

Continue reconstruction in other parts of the kingdom – missi assigned task of getting capitularies implemented in local courts – Christian parallel affirming Christian’ responsibility for own social conduct – built political consensus: political elite, ecclesiastical and lay share task of maintaining peace and order

Inter-Carolingian Political system – inter-Carolingian conflict fundamental dynamic a means whereby resources where re-allocated – nobility, ecclesiastics move one ruler to the next depending on opportunity.

858 Crisis of Charles’s Reign ?? – nobility angry in C the B’s kingdom and ask Louis the German to come in – Charles tried to restore situation by fighting the Vikings and reaffirming alliance with Lothar II – Charles lacked military strength to get Louis the German out – had to negotiate.

HOLDING ON 859 – 69

Coblenz 860 came to terms with Louis the German – ensuing redistribution of royal patronage made made Charles kingdom a magnet for discontented noble from other Lothar and Louis’ kingdom

2 underlying features 860s tended to benefit Charles – readiness Louis the German’s adult sons to rebel against father + dynastic impasse of Lothar – 1^st produced ready made allies for Charles discontented nobles etc an second gave expansion prospects in middle kingdom with weak kings.

C the B lost four sons within months and now had dangerously narrow line of descent – used this to his own advantage. Offset sons power by promoting those ithin and outside royal extended family to positions of power – Louis the Stammerer into Aqutiaine, Salomon in Brittany creating regional constellations of power – political grip on Aqutaine now strong, like in Neustria not allowing construction of a single territorial principality, but divide and rule.

Exploits mobility and flexibility of ecclesiastical patronage – Episcopal and abbatial appointees functioned as royal agents – appointed bishoprics Aqutaine to keep control – put son into abbacies.

Defences: Marne 862 shows result decent defences against the Vikings – Charles fortified bridge strategy saved Oise valley palaces and for last decade Seine basin “paradise” spared further Viking attacks.

864 Reform of the Coinage – stimulating flow of coinage King helped himself to tap increasing flow of wealth in his kingdom – same legislation as proliferation of markets – 10% cut of old coinage essentially a substantial wealth tax – need large supplies silver to fund new imperialism.

Exploiting nephews’ dynastic weakness and expand eastwards and south-eastwards - political manoeuvring meant in 869 Charles’ prospects of Lotharingian acquisitions looked bright

Ideology of C the B matches his ambitions in 860s – very much King of Francia, Aqutaine and Neustria, imperial terminology expressing rulership over many realms – legislation followed Christian Roman emperors – everyone to defend the realm, no fortifications without royal permission, military responsibility fir whole realms – when Pippin captured: “a traitor to his fatherland and Christendom”

GLITTERING PRIZES – 869 – 77

Lothar II 869 takes Lothar’s realm and cements position, moves into Alsace and then spends Christmas at Aachen – could not keep gains when Louis the German regained health and Charles made much smaller gains at Treaty of Meersen.

Carloman, Charles son, causing him trouble with rebels, so blinded him.

Charles moves to Italy on news of Louis death 875 – crowned emperor 875 – Louis the German into C the B’s kingdom, C the B’s nobility loyal and laves in 876.

Charles grip on the church was firm as shown by ability get own men appointed to important Episcopal posts.

Louis the German dies and Charles tries o get back parts of Lotharingia and more, but plans leaked by Archbishop of Cologne – battle of Andernach lost before it was won. Not all bad – Vikings defeated by crack troops on the Rhine and a new son from Richilidis

Sons dies 877 and Aachen and Lotharingia beyond reach – setbacks primed resourcefulness and strengthened determination Capitulary of Quierzy – shows ruler, far from losing grip, firm control of policy and able to able at the same time to carry his aristocracy’s support – Charles fell ill en route to Francia after aborting Italian drive – left Francia and Italy open but ;left son in strong and not unpromising position.

Other Notes in this Category

1. East Francia Church
2. East Francia Economy
3. East Francia Government
4. Eastern Frontier
5. Introduction
6. The Reign Of Charles The Bald: A Survey

Didn't find this useful?

• Visit Coursework.Info for over 14,000 GCSE, A-Level and University Essays