Charles II the Bald person

Charles II known as the Bald person (born the June 13rd 823 with Francfort-sur-le-Main, Germany - died the October 6th 877 with Avrieux, Savoy).
Grandson of Charlemagne, he is the son of the emperor Louis the Piles and of his third wife Judith of Bavaria. He was monarchs of France|king] of Francie Western of 840 with 877 and emperor of Occident of 875 with 877.

It was called the Bald person, not because of a Calvitie, but because on May 5th, 877, day of the dedication of the Collégiale Sainte-Marie, future Abbaye Saint-Crow with Compiegne, it would have been made shave cranium as a sign of tender to the Église, and this, in spite of the franque habit requiring that a king have the long hair.

To the seven years age, Charles was entrusted to a Précepteur of reputation: Walahfrid Strabo (v. 808/809 - 849), monk with the Monastery of Reichenau, in Alémanie, cultivated spirit attached to the imperial myth, poet, author of a Glose which contains comments of the Bible, on which will be based several centuries during interpretations of the crowned book. During nine years, it will ensure the education of the young prince, convinced of the great destiny which awaits its pupil.

In conflict with his half-brothers for the division of the immense empire of their grandfather, maintained by their father, it had to await the end of its life to gird the imperial crown.

Share empire of Charlemagne

As of August 829 with Worms, his/her father does it duke of Alémanie, including the Rhétie, the Alsace and part of the Burgundy.
In September 832, it names it king d' Aquitaine to replace his half-brother Pépin Ier of Aquitaine; this last, having helped his/her father in the rebellion against his sons, recovers its throne on March 15th 834 with Quierzy.
In 837, at the assembly of Aachen, her father grants to him the coastal territories located between the Frise and the the Seine.
In 838, it obtains a territory compared to a kingdom including the Maine and the area ranging between the Seine and the the Loire.
May 28th 839, at the assembly of Worms, Louis the Piles gives him part of the Western Francie lain between the Meuse and the Seine, the west and the south of Burgundy, the Provence, the Neustrie, the Marche of Brittany, the Royaume of Aquitaine, the Gascogne and the Septimanie.

In 840, with died of the Louis emperor the Piles, the war started immediately between its sons for the division of the vast empire of Charlemagne. The favors which had been granted to Charles the Bald person with the detriment of his half-brothers groins, were the cause of the disorders who agitated the end of the reign of their father and of the disagreement which existed between its heirs. Charles links with his half-brother Louis Germanic the, to fight Lothaire Ier their older brother, who wanted to exclude them from the division of the empire. Together, they gained in 841 the Bataille of Fontenoy-in-Puisaye in Burgundy.
The February 14th 842, they reinforced their alliance by reciprocally pronouncing the Serment of Strasbourg (whose result was an equal division of the empire between the three brothers (Traité of Verdun, 843):

- Lothaire Ier accepted the Francie median, Francia media, of the the North Sea to the Italy

- Louis the Germanic one accepted the Eastern Francie, Francia orientalis or Germanie (future the Germany)

- Charles the Bald person accepted the Western Francie, Francia occidentalis (future the France)

Wars against the Breton ones and Vikings

In 841, Charles the Bald person receives the oath of Nominoë, king of Brittany. In 843, release of the hostility between Charles the Bald person and Nominoë. In 845, at the time of the Battle of Balloon, victory of Nominoë over Charles the Bald person. A first treaty is concluded in 846 with Nominoë, which becomes sovereign then of Brittany. During the resumption of the hostilities to Brittany in 849, of many raids take place in Francie Western (Maine, Anjou, Poitou), as well as the catch of the cities of Rennes and Nantes. In 851, Charles the Bald person concedes the badges of the royalty of Brittany with Erispoë, including the counties of Rennes and Nantes.

Of 856 with 861, Francie Western is several times held to ransom by the Viking S which multiplied their raids. Many times, king Charles commits himself giving them large sums so that those are withdrawn and ceased plundering the rich person abbeys. But nothing made there, the Norman ones touches the ransom and returns later. Because of the incapacity of the king to subject the invader, large kingdom, having at their head Robert the Fort, rebel and call for the aid Louis Germanic the. During the autumn 858, the king of Germanie leaves Worms and invades the kingdom of his brother; arrived at Orleans, Louis receives the homage of Aquitanian and the Breton ones. King Charles, who besieged the island of Oscelle occupied by the Vikings, is constrained to take refuge in Burgundy. Vis-a-vis these events, several bishops, under the control of the archbishop Wénilon de Sens, react. At this meeting in Rheims on November 25th 858, they ask for the departure of German and the return of Charles. Louis is carried out and laid off part of his army. Benefitting then from the situation, Charles succeeds in gathering a troop and walks in direction of his brother. With Jouy, close to Soissons, the two sovereigns face but, seeing the army of his brother more important, Louis the Germanic one withdraws himself without fighting.

Wars in Aquitaine and Lotharingie

Charles increases his kingdom, either by conquest, or by heritage, with in particular the Provence into 863 and the Lotharingie in 869 qu ' it had nevertheless to divide with Louis the Germanic one with the Traité of Meerssen in August 870. This treaty carries the border of its kingdom on the Moselle and returns for the first time neighbors the two kingdoms.

Charles the Bald person had several wars to support to preserve the Aquitaine that it held with the damage of his nephew Pépin II of Aquitaine. In 875, after the death of the emperor Louis II, oldest son of Lothaire Ier, it is him which inherited the imperial throne. The December 25th 875 in Rome, 75 years day for day after the crowning of his/her grandfather Charlemagne, it accepted on its head the imperial crown of the hands of the pope Jean VIII.

The August 28th 876, his/her Louis half-brother the Germanic one died in Francfort-sur-le-Main. Charles the Bald person benefitted from it to invade Lotharingie Eastern. But its nephews, the wire of Louis the Germanic one, having been stripped, joined together an large army and a severe defeat to him the October 8th 876 with Andernach inflicted on the edges of the Rhine close to Coblentz.

Birth of feudality

In June 877, it promulgated the Capitulaire of Quierzy which made hereditary the loads comtales; this act can be regarded as the birth certificate of the Féodalité. Being then returned to Italy in order to carry help to the pope Jean VIII in fight with the Buckwheat S, it was constrained to return to France to face an attack of Carloman, other wire of Louis the Germanic one. On the way of the return, it was seized by a violent disease, and died, the October 6th 877 at the village of Brilliances, current the Avrieux with the foot of the Mount-Cenis in Savoy. The public rumor quickly showed Sédécias, one of its doctors, and Jew to have poisoned the king; Richilde was also suspected of complicity. It was buried in Saint-Pierre of Nantua and later, in 884, its bones were brought back to the abbey of Saint-Denis.

It is after the death of Charles the Bald person that developed feudality while weakening the Carolingian power considerably. Like all the Carolingian sovereigns, it left many Capitulaire S.

Genealogy

He is the son of Louis Ier known as '' the Piles '' and of his third wife Judith of Bavaria.

┌─ Charles I {{er}} known as '' Large the '' or '' Charlemagne '' (747 - 814), king of the Francs (768), king of Lombards (774), emperor of Occident (800). ┌─ Louis I {{er}} known as '' the Piles '' (778 - 840), king d' Aquitaine (781 - 814), emperor of Occident (814 - 840). │ └─ Hildegarde de Vintzgau (v. 757 - 783). │ Charles II known as '' the Bald person '' │ │ ┌─ Welf Ierer (? -?). └─ Judith (? - † April 13rd 842). └─ Heilwich (? -?).

Charles II known as '' the Bald person '' 1) ép. Ermentrude of Orleans (cf Agilolfing) 2) ép. Richilde (cf Bosonides) │ ├─De 1 Judith de France (v. 843 - 870) │ 1) ép. in 856 Æthelwulf de Wessex (795 - † 858), king of Wessex (856 - 858). │ 2) ép. in 858 Æthelbald de Wessex (829 - † 860), wire of its preceding husband. │ 3) ép. Baudouin I {{er}} known as '' Arm wrestling '' (cf House of Flanders) │ ├─De 1 Louis II known as '' the Stammerer '' (846 - 879), king of the Francs (877 - 879). │ 1) ép. in 862 Ansgarde of Burgundy │ 2) ép. in 878 Adelaide of the Friuli │ ├─De 1 Charles known as the Child (? - 866). ├─De 1 Carloman (wire of Charles the Bald person) (v. 847 - † 876). ├─De 1 Ermentrude (? -?). ├─De 1 Hildegarde (? -?). ├─De 1 Rotrude (? -?). ├─De 1 Lothaire the Lame (v. 850 - † 866), abbot of Saint-Germain of Auxerre. └─De 2 Rothilde (v. 871 - v. 928). ép. Roger of Maine (cf County of Maine)

Iconography

the first enluminée Bible of king Charles the Bald person (IXe century)

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