Raoul de France

See also: Raoul

Raoul de France , also called Rodolphe (v. 890 - † 936), duke of Burgundy (921 - 923), king de France (923 - 936), is the son of Richard II of Burgundy known as Richard the Dispenser of justice , duke of Burgundy and Adélaïde. He is the nephew of Rodolphe Ier of Burgundy, the king Charles the Bald person and also of Boson V of Provence (his/her mother was the sister of king Rodolphe Ier of Burgundy, his/her father was the brother of the king Boson V of Provence and Richilde of the Ardennes which was concubine and second wife of Charles the Bald person).

In 921, it succeeds his father and becomes duke of Burgundy, count d' Auxerre, count d' Autun and of Avallon, Abbé Laïc of Saint-Germain of Auxerre and Holy-Dove of Direction. He marries Emme de France, sister of the Duc of the Francs Hugues Large the and girl of the king Robert I {{er}}. Emma is also the half-sister of Adele, the wife of the count Herbert II of Vermandois.

With died of Robert Ier, with the battle of Soissons in 923, the large ones of the kingdom, not wanting to return the crown to Charles Simple the, choose it for king; his/her brother-in-law Hugues Large the refused the title of fear to give up his counties and to thus lose his influence on the large ones. The July 13rd 923, Raoul is crowned with Saint M3edard's Day of Soissons.

During the first years of its reign, the Anarchie will reign in all the kingdom. In spite of real qualities, Raoul will have evil to be made recognize as king by large the vassal.

In 924, it is constrained to fight on the edges of Oise the Normands of Rollon that Charles the Simple one had called with the rescue before Herbert II of Vermandois does not do it captive by treachery the July 17th 923. Continued as far as Normandy, Rollon requires to negotiate peace; in exchange of the stop as of its incursions devastators, it receives the Hiémois and the Bessin. The December 6th 924 with Chalmont, between Milly-the-Forest and Barbizon, Raoul inflicts a severe defeat with Ragenold, another chief Viking who had ventured as far as Burgundy.

During the summer 925, it succeeds in gathering an large army to fight the Norman ones which broke peace once again. With the assistance of Herbert II of Vermandois, from Helgaud of Ponthieu, Arnoul Ier of Flanders and its brother Adalolphe of Boulogne, it obtains with Have a great victory which makes many victims among the invader. But the following year, the Norman ones put at evil the royal Ost with the battle of Fauquembergues on the Aa, close to Thérouanne, between Saint-Omer and Montreuil. During this battle, while the count Helgaud de Ponthieu is killed, Raoul is so seriously wounded that it is constrained to flee the engagements and to regain Laon. The winners have the free field to plunder the country to the borders of the Lorraine.

After the death of the count Roger Ier de Laon occurred into 926, Herbert II of Vermandois asserts the county laonnois for Eudes, his oldest son. He is established there against the initial will of Raoul who finally yields in fear that Herbert II of Vermandois releases Charles the Simple one only he retains always captive with Péronne. This fear will disappear the October 7th 929, day which sees the death of ex-king Charles the Simple one after several years of captivity.

In 930, Raoul receives the homage of Guillaume Long Sword which succeeded Rollon, his father. This same year, Herbert II of Vermandois seizes the castle of Vitry-en-Perthois pertaining to Boson, younger brother of king Raoul. This last is then combined with his/her Hugues brother-in-law the Large one to fight Herbert II of Vermandois. In 931, they penetrate in Rheims and drive out of it the archbishop Hugues, wire of Herbert II of Vermandois. Herbert II of Vermandois is initially obliged to return Vitry, Laon, Castle-Thierry and Soissons, but receiving from the assistance of Henri I {{er}} of Germanic, it devastates the area around Rheims and of Laon. Finally and in exchange of his tender, Raoul returns to his fields, except Rheims, Castle-Thierry and Laon to him.

In 935, it puts in rout another invader come from the East, the Hungarian which make their appearance in Champagne and in Burgundy. Starting from this date, the kingdom will be temporarily saved invaders.

In January (2 of the ides) 936, after thirteen years of difficult reign, king Raoul dies suddenly in Auxerre, reached body pediculosis, “proliferation of lice, crab-louses and vermins on all the body”. He is buried in the church Abbatiale of Holy-Dove close to Sens. Not having child heir, his brother, Hugues the Black, inherits the duchy of Burgundy.

The royalty fell so low under king Raoul that with its death Hugues Large the prefers to call upon a Carolingien, and makes return Louis IV of Overseas.

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