Aisne with the Middle Ages

The Aisne one of the eighty-three department S was created in 1790. It consisted of territories resulting from the Île-de-France, of the Picardy, the Laonnois, the Soissonnais, the Noyonnais, the Valois, the Vermandois and Thiérache.

We will speak here, for the Moyen-âge, of the area included/understood within the current geographical limits of this department.

One can say that the Antiquité of Aisne finishes in 486 with the defeat of Syagrius to Soissons vis-a-vis the Francs saliens led by Clovis which opens the Middle Ages of the area.

Aisne under the kings mérovingiens

The conquest of Soissons was the first notable exploit of Clovis Ier. It decided to make this city its first capital and made its place of residence of it during more than twenty years. When he had sat his authority on the Gaulle, thanks to its conquests, its intrigues but also especially thanks to the support of the bishops after his marriage with Clotilde and her conversion, he chooses Paris like capital.

With its death, its kingdom was divided between its four sons. Soissons and all the surrounding area were allotted to Clotaire Ier which returned in Soissons and made its capital of it. Clotaire Ier managed to join together in its States the shares of his/her two brothers, Childebert and Clodomir. The Neustrie had been born whereas the kingdom of Metz was indicated under the name of Austrasie.

Clotaire Ier spent the last years of its life in its villa of Braine. With its death, the kingdom of Neustrie was divided between its two sons: Chilpéric Ier and Caribert. With died of Caribert, Chilpéric Ier recovered the share of his/her brother and reconstituted all the kingdom of Neustrie.

The situation of Aisne current makes that the area was at the time with the limits of these two states: Neustrie and Austrasie. The two kingdoms were rival and the area was the witness and the theater of the principal periods of hostilities which opposed the two kingdoms. The area was also subjected to the bloody domination of Frédégonde which directed the businesses of the kingdom after the death of her husband Chilpéric Ier; their young person wire Clotaire II being hardly 4 months old. However, it appears also clearly that the area was also, in an intermittent way, subjected to the influence of Austrasie and Brunehilde which directed the policy of the kings of this kingdom.

It is around Soissons that were held the most important events between the two kingdoms.

In 593, with Droizy (15 km in the south of Soissons), the army of Childebert II was demolished and in 596, in Latofao (today Laffaux, between Soissons and Laon), Théodebert II essuya, like his/her father, a defeat.

In June 687, at the time of the battles of Tertry in Vermandois (to fifteen km in the west of Saint-Quentin), Pépin of Herstal, Maire of the palate of Austrasie, gains a victory over Berchaire, mayor of the palate of the king mérovingien Thierry III of Neustrie.

Aisne under Charlemagne and its successors

In 751, Pépin the Brief was proclaimed king and crowned by Saint Boniface, with Soissons. After the crowning of Pip the Brief, the area lost of its political importance since Pépin moved its capital on Paris.

In 768, with died of Pip the Brief, his/her oldest son Carloman is high with the throne by the assent of large and the dedication of the bishops to Soissons while his/her brother, Charles (future Charlemagne), is proclaimed with Noyon.

The reign of Carloman was short since he died on December 4th 771 with the Carolingian palate of Samoussy. With the advertisement of died of his brother, Charles called a meeting of the principal bishops with Corbeny and was made grant the crown of his brother, usurping kind the heritage of his nephews.

Although the big events of the reign of Charlemagne occurred far from the area, it came there from time to time. Thus in 804 it accepted the pope Leon III with Rheims and Quierzy.

The successor of Charlemagne, Louis the Piles, known as also Louis Débonnaire, knew a reign extremely agitated and dense as regards family conflicts. In the division which followed its death and which was ratified by the Traité of Verdun, the area of Aisne was included/understood in the share allotted to Charles II the Bald person, his last wire.

The capitulary one of Quierzy-on-Oise

to also see: Capitulary of Quierzy and article: Charles II the Bald person

Quierzy was the place where Charles the accomplished Bald person the most important act of its reign: the Capitulary of Quierzy which is the element founder of the Féodalité. Note: the capitulary one legislatively ratified a State which existed already makes some but was not legislatively retranscribed.

This decision was not made without reason. Indeed, Charles wished to obtain the support and the vassal devotion of his in the framework of his imperial aimings and the defense of his states against the Normands.

The Norman ones

See also article: Viking

The current area of the Aisne, although far away from the coasts, had to know the pangs of the incursions Normans.

In 882, the Abbaye Saint-Vincent de Laon was plundered and set fire to first once by the invader Viking. Ten years later, after the second plundering, the monks gave up the abbey. It was necessary to wait year 925 to see the bishop Adelelme de Laon supporting their return.

In 883, Charles the Large bought peace with their chiefs Siegfried and Godfried which withdrew valley of the Meuse to invade that of the Somme. Making way, they burned in the passing, Saint-Quentin and advanced to the doors of Laon and Rheims. While returning, they benefitted from it to plunder Castle-Thierry.

Two years later, during the winter 885/886, while the men of Siegfried besieged Paris, the valley of Aisne had to undergo many incursions on behalf of the Scandinavian invaders who arrived amongst other things until Soissons where they set fire to the abbey Saint M3edard's Day.

When Charles the Large one was deposited, the lords of the area proclaimed, like all the other lords of the kingdom, Eudes as king.

Eudes and Carolingian reaction

The advent of Eudes Ier instead of the legitimate successor, Charles Simple the, was however not accepted in a way so unanimous that one often does not make it clear it and, primarily as regards the partisans Carolingiens.

Thus the count of Flanders, Baudouin II of Flanders opposed Eudes Ier and that the count Waucher (or Valtguire) seized Laon. Eudes Ier managed to take again the city and made decapitate Waucher. Called in Aquitaine it could not, however, to choke the Carolingian party whose chiefs, Foulques, archbishop of Rheims, and Pépin, count de Vermandois, benefitted from it to crown king Charles, wire of Louis the Stammerer. Reacting to this new mark of opposition, Eudes Ier returned between Laon and Rheims what forced the chiefs of the Carolingian reaction to treat with Zwentibold, king of Lorraine which penetrated in France and besieged Laon. It was demolishes by Eudes Ier which also came to end from Foulques and Pip.

The Carolingian reaction did not remain however without effect since Eudes Ier promised with Charles Simple the to succeed to him. Word given was held: Charles the Simple one succeeded without any difficulty Eudes, when this last died in Fère in 898.

Aisne under Charles the Simple one

The authority of Charles was hardly considerable on its subjects and it did not have, into clean, that the counties of Laon and Soissons. It was surrounded by Haganon as to advise which succeeds, for various reasons of which all are not yet well established today, to alienate the lords.

In 920, the large lords held an assembly with Soissons where they separated from the king and denied to him all suzerainty. The king did not accept this dismissal and resisted. Its vassal then took the weapons and Laon fell to the hands from Robert, count de Paris which benefitted from it to be made crown king with Rheims the June 30th 922. After this forced dismissal, Charles, via same the Haganon which had however caused its loss, treated with the Lorrains and the Normands. The negociations allowed the lifting of an army which, under the control of Charles, penetrated on the territory of Aisne and went in direction of Soissons.

June 25th 923, the army of Charles the Simple one met that of Robert in Soissons. where engaged a hard and fatal battle during which Robert was killed. Paradox of its victory, the losses having been numerous within the two armies, Charles could not continue the demolished army and had to take refuge in Lorraine.

Benefitting from this unhoped-for fold of the winner, on July 13rd 923 the princes proclaimed and made crown in Saint M3edard's Day de Soissons Raoul, duke of Burgundy and son-in-law of Robert.

The count Herbert de Vermandois

Fight of the last Carolingians

In 936, with died of Raoul, Hugues Large the made return the son of Charles Simple the, Louis IV of Overseas, which had followed his/her mother in England where it had taken refuge.

Louis IV of Overseas was crowned king with Laon by the Archevêque of Rheims, Artaud. The sacring of Louis was only one sudden start before the extinction…

The royal field of Louis IV counted only the counties of Soissons and Laon. However, as much its field was limited, as much its ambition was large. Too much large with the vassal eyes of its . As well and so that when they were really convinced as them suzerain really wished to control, they took the weapons and were opposed to the ambitions too interventionists of their king.

They besieged Rheims and the Artaud archbishop, however faithful to his king, had to be solved to treat. Incompetent to support a seat, it exchanged his episcopal see which was returned… to the son of Herbert de Vermandois which had been driven out by it by Raoul. (See the Count Herbert de Vermandois above) .

The vassal mutineers walked then on Laon which remained faithful to the king Louis IV. The city held the shock and resisted until issued general peace in November 942.

Little time afterwards, Herbert died. Its fields were shared between its four sons. One had the Comté of Vermandois, the other that of Castle-Thierry, a third the abbey of Saint M3edard's Day and, the last, the archbishop's palace of Rheims. This division, no matter what logical the destiny of the house of Vermandois sealed. Its power, divided by four, will be able to never again counterbalance the fortune of the house of Hugues the Large one.

After having lost, in spite of the peace of 942, of many possessions, Louis IV had sights very precise and marked on the Normandy. Thus it made remove the duke Richard Ier of Normandy, then young child, and made it lock up with Laon. The duke, after being parvenu to escape, took refuge with the Château of Coucy from where it regained his duchy of Normandy.

Not wishing to be in remainder, Louis IV proposed in Hugues the Large one to conquer with him Normandy but the businesses did not turn to the advantage of the king. And due… it was captured by the Norman ones and was locked up with Rouen. Hugues the Large one intervened with the Norman ones in order to release Louis IV. But Hugues did not do it in a not involved way. Which interest besides to make release a king who aggravated it by his affirmed wish reign? At least one and not of least… that to see itself yielding the town of Laon which constituted the last center of Carolingian resistance to the house of the dukes of France.

Granted concession, Louis IV lost his faithful city. It was not long in negotiating with Otton, his brother-in-law. These negotiations brought some armed troops to him with which it took again Laon except for the tower which bore its name. The combat being trailed in length and not revealing any winner, the weapons were deposited. Hugues agree to return Laon and Soissons to Louis IV.

After the resumption of Laon and the profit of Soissons, the king spent the last years of his life to fight some of his vassal in perpetual revolt against him. He died in Rheims in 954 of a fall of horse occurred during a shooting party organized on the grounds of Ecry (current Asfeld).

Lothaire, wire of Louis IV, succeeded his father. He had a son Louis V who was the last Carolingian king.

Although Laonnois was still the residence of the kings Lothaire and Louis V, the principal events marking the extinction of the Carolingiens proceeded out of the area which will become, well later, the department of Aisne.

Lothaire died into 986 and its Louis heir into 987.

Hugues Capet, duke of France and king in fact is crowned with Noyon by the archbishop of Rheims, Adalbéron.

The stamping from the communes

The national feeling

Communal militia with Bouvines

The intellectual movement with the Middle Ages in the area

Territorial administration

The One hundred Year old War and its implications for the area

The Jacquerie

Armagnacs and the Burgundian ones

The bag of Soissons

In 1414, the army of the king de France Charles VI comes to put the seat in front of Soissons which is occupied by the troops of Jean without Peur, duke of Burgundy. The city is taken, plundered and set fire to.

Jeanne d' Arc

Wars against Charles Quint

Truce of Crépy

After having invaded Provence and Champagne, Charles Quint is overcome with Cérisoles the April 11th 1544. The September 18th, it must sign the peace of Crépy, with Crépy (Aisne) within the Notre-Dame church, which puts an end to the war against.

Schedule of Villers-Cotterêts

See also: Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts

War against Philippe II

Sit of Saint-Quentin

Wars of religion in the area

The League

The Peace of Vervins

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