*Background* Merovingian Dynasty (Germanic Tribes, Franks, of Gaul)
Early Middle Ages. (After the Fall of the Roman Empire). In continental Europe, this Germanic evolution saw the rise of Francia in the Merovingian period under the rule of Clovis I who had deposed the last emperor of Gaul… they remained the most powerful kingdom in Western Europe and the intermixing of their people with the Romans through marriage rendered the Frankish people less a Germanic tribe and more a “European people” in a manner of speaking… Frankish historian Gregory of Tours relates that Clovis converted to Christianity partly as a result of his wife’s urging and even more so - due to having won a desperate battle after calling out to Christ… Clovis used his new faith as a means to consolidating his political power by Christianizing his army...
When Merovingian rule eventually weakened, they were supplanted by another powerful Frankish family, the Carolingians, a dynastic order which produced Charles Martel, and Charlemagne. The coronation of Charlemagne as emperor on Christmas Day, 800 AD represented a shift in power structure from the south to the north. Frankish power ultimately laid the foundations for the modern nations of Germany and France.
*The Merovingian Dynasty, the expansion and the decline.
https://en.wikipedia. During the final century of Merovingian rule, the kings were increasingly pushed into a ceremonial role; its rule ended in March 752 when Pope Zachary formally deposed Childeric III. Zachary’s successor, Pope Stephen II, confirmed and anointed Pepin the Short in 754, beginning the Carolingian monarchy.
http://fosterfamilyhistory. Merovech, King of the Franks, ruled 430-458 in Francia. Leader of the Salian Franks from the death of Pharamond. He fought against and caused Attila the Hun to retreat. [476, Fall of the Roman Empire] His grandson, Clovis I, King of Franks, ruled 482-511 (1st as King of the Salian Franks, in 509 he began his reign as King of all the Franks). He defeated the last Roman Governor of Gaul and expelled the Visigoths. Now the new Francia was truly the country of the Franks, the land of the Merovingians. A vital factor in his success was his and his people’s conversion to Christianity. It assured their support by the powerful Catholic hierarchy of Gaul and Rome, making the Franks more acceptable to the Romish population of Gaul. https://en.wikipedia. Under Clovis, the first codification of the Salian Frank law took place. The Roman Law was written with the assistance of Gallo-Romans to reflect the Salic legal tradition and Christianity, while containing much from Roman tradition. Shortly before his death, Clovis called a synod of Gallic bishops to meet in Orleans to reform the Church and create a strong link between the Crown and the Catholic episcopate… 31 decrees on the duties and obligations of individuals, the right of sanctuary, and ecclesiastical discipline. These decrees, equally applicable to Franks and Romans, first established equality between conquerors and conquered. Legacy. The legacy of Clovis’s conquests, a Frankish kingdom that included most of Roman Gaul and parts of western Germany -to the French people, he is founder of France. By his conversion to Christianity he made himself the ally of the papacy and its protector as well as that of the people, who were mostly Catholics.
Dagobert I, King of the Franks, ruled 620-637. His reign was to be the culminating point of the Merovingian Dynasty. His authority was ill respected, he was king in name only. His predecessors had virtually assigned their direct oversight of their kingdoms to their vassal Counts and Lords. The rights of the Counts were irrevocable and hereditary; they appointed judges and tribunals without consulting the king. In 621, Dagobert divided his kingdom into several provinces and bestowed their government to his most trusted knights. For having killed the tyrant Phinart, Dagobert I invested Lyderic, his brother-in-law, with the government and fiefdom of all Flanders, gave him the name of “Le Buc”, the title Grand Forester and a coat of arms. In this manner the long dynasty of powerful Grand Counts of Flanders came into being. (According to this document, 35th GGF Baldwin I, Margrave of Flanders was a descent of Lyderic de Buc).
*The Carolingian Dynasty, the expansion and the decline.
(BP) Timeline, see link at the end of this Blog Post. The building of the first European Dynasties (687-ca. 987).
687, 40th GGF Pepin of Herstal [https://en.wikipedia.] became Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Neustria, Burgundy and began calling himself Duke and Prince of the Franks. He further increased the power of the Franks by his subjugation of the Alemanni, the Frisians, and the Franconians. He ruled until his death in 714.
714, 39th GGF Charles ‘the Hammer’ Martel [https://en.wikipedia.] founded the Carolingian Dynasty after the death of his father. He was crowned Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia in 715; Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace of Neustria in 718; King of the Franks in 737.
*Background* (BP) Timeline. - Islamic advance into Western Europe: Arab and Berber Islamic forces had conquered Spain (711), crossed the Pyrenees (720), seized a major dependency of the Visigoths (721-725), and after intermittent challenges, under Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, the Arab Governor of al-Andalus, advanced toward Gaul and on Tours. In Oct 732, the army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Al Ghafiqi met Frankish and Burgundian forces under Charles Martel in an area between the cities of Tours and Poitiers, leading to the Battle of Tours. https://en.wikipedia. and an important Frankish victory, ending the “last of the great Arab invasions of France”... He thereafter made significant external gains, establishing Frankish control over Bavaria, Alemannia, and Frisia; extending his authority in the south and laying the foundations of the Carolingian Empire. He died in 741; in 740 he had divided his territories among his adult sons: Carloman, Austrasia, Alemannia, and Thuringia; Pippin the Younger, Neustria, Burgundy, Provence, and Metz and Trier.
Burial, https://en.wikipedia.. Basilica of St. Denis; became a place of pilgrimage and the burial place of French kings with nearly every king from the 10th to the 18th centuries being buried there.
741, 38th GGF Pepin the Short [https://en.wikipedia.] succeeded his father as the Mayor of the Palace; he reigned over Francia jointly with his elder brother Carloman; they supported Saint Boniface in reforming the Frankish church and evangelizing the Saxons.
747, Carloman retired to religious life, Pepin became the sole ruler of the Franks. In 751, Childeric (the last Merovingian monarch) was forced into a monastery and Pepin proclaimed himself King of the Franks with the support of Pope Zachary... In wars of expansion, 752-759, Pepin conquered Septimania from the Islamic Umayyads, and subjugated the southern realms. In 753, Pepin defeated Aistulf and gave the Pope the lands which Aistulf had taken earlier.
754, Pepin was anointed King of the Franks for the second time; the Pope also anointed Pepin’s sons, Charles (Charlemagne) (age 12) and Carloman (age 3).
760, Expedition into Aquitaine, spreading terror, burning villages, destroying vineyards and depopulating monasteries.
768, Pepin died during a campaign, he was succeeded by his sons Charlemagne and Carloman; they were co-rulers of the Frankish Kingdom until Carloman died in 771. *Salic Law*
754, 37th GGF Charlemagne [https://en.wikipedia.] was anointed King of the Franks (age 12) together with his father Pepin and his brother Carloman (age 3)
771, brother Carloman died (age 20); his widow Gerberga fled with her sons and Charlemagne took all of Francia; consequently there is no continued titled heirs of Carloman
772-804, Saxon Wars [https://en.wikipedia.], a campaign led by Charlemagne; which resulted in the incorporation of Saxony into the Frankish realm and their forcible conversion from Germanic paganism to Catholicism.
774, (after a siege that began in 773, by invitation of Pope Adrian) the Lombards surrendered to Charlemagne who had himself crowned King of the Lombards (master of Italy); placing the Papal States under Frankish protection. The Duchy of Bavaria was absorbed and the Bavarian policy continued of establishing tributary marches (borders protected in return for tribute or taxes) among the Slavic Serbs and Czechs.
781, Charlemagne made his two youngest sons kings, crowned by the Pope; Carloman (age 8, renamed “Pepin”) was made King of Italy; Louis (age 3) became King of Aquitaine; Charlemagne ordered them to be raised in the customs of their kingdoms, gave their regents some control of their sub-kingdoms, but kept the real power to himself. Later, his sons fought many wars on behalf of their father who was preoccupied with the Bretons, whose border he shared and who insurrected on at least two occasions... he also fought the Saxons on multiple occasions…
782, Charlemagne instituted a code of law in Saxony; the laws were draconian on religious issues, prescribing death to Saxon pagans who refused to convert to Christianity. In Oct 782, Charlemagne ordered the execution of 4,500 Saxon prisoners, known as the Massacre of Verden. [https://en.wikipedia.]
794, Tassilo was deposed (after Charlemagne made a claim against his ability to rule) and at the synod of Frankfurt was made to renounce any claim to Bavaria which was subdivided into Frankish counties.
800 (Christmas Day) Charlemagne crowned “Emperor of the Romans” in Saint Peter's Basilica in Italy by Pope Leo III. For centuries to come, the Emperors of both West and East would make competing claims of sovereignty over the whole. By bestowing the crown upon Charlemagne, the Pope arrogated to himself “the right to appoint… the Emperor of the Romans,... establishing the imperial crown as his own personal gift but simultaneously granting himself implicit superiority over the Emperor whom he had created.” Charlemagne used these circumstances to claim that he was the renewer of the Roman Empire. “Charles, most serene Augustus crowned by God, the great, peaceful emperor ruling the Roman empire”. The empire would remain in continuous existence for nearly a millennium, as the Holy Roman Empire. |
| Conquests of Charlemagne - Frankish Kingdom, 814 |
801, Louis 'the Pious' marched the entire army of his kingdom over the Pyrenees and besieged Barcelona for two years, in 801 it capitulated.
808, Godfred, king of the Danes, built the vast Danevirke (a system of Danish fortifications) across the isthmus of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany… After the conquest of North Albingia, the Frankish frontier was brought into contact with Scandinavia (the Vikings).
813, Charlemagne’s son Louis succeeded him as Emperor.
814, Charlemagne died of pleurisy. He was buried in Aachen Cathedral. In 1215, Frederick II re-interred him in a casket made of gold and silver; created the Karlsschrein (Shrine of Charlemagne). Iconographic concept: Emperor, viceroy over Christ, towering over the Pope and archbishop. In 1874, Scientific investigation of the remains of Charlemagne. The skull shows a dolichocephalic form (elongated), the seams closed without a trace, which is a sign of old age; reconstructed skeleton estimated to measure 6’5” (av. male height was 5’7”).
Marriages and heirs. Charlemagne refused to let his daughters contract sacramental marriages, possibly to prevent the creation of cadet branches of the family to challenge the main line; yet he tolerated their extramarital relationships, even rewarding their common-law husbands, and treasured the illegitimate grandchildren… Charlemagne had 18 children with 8 of his 10 known wives or concubines. Nonetheless, he only had four legitimate grandsons, the four sons of his fourth son, Louis. In addition, he had a grandson (Bernard of Italy, the only son of his third son, Pippin of Italy), who was born illegitimate, but included in the line of inheritance.
Beatification: Charlemagne was accorded sainthood after the 12th century and canonized by Antipope Paschall III, but was never recognized by the Holy See and annulled in 1179. He beautification is celebrated January 28.
Legacy: Charlemagne united most of Western Europe in the early Middle Ages. Throughout his reign he was engaged in almost constant battle; the Saxon Wars, spanning 30 years and 18 battles, conquered Saxonia and converted them to Christianity. He removed the Lombard from power in northern Italy. The Holy Roman Empire would remain in continuous existence for nearly a millennium. When the family of Charlemagne ceased to produce heirs the title was dormant 924-962, Otto I was crowned emperor as a successor of Charlemagne.
Sons of Charlemagne:
Charles the Younger, crowned King of the Franks, the same day his father was crowned Emperor, 12/25/800. He died 811 (age 39), of a stroke, he has no recorded wife and left no children.
Carloman (renamed Pippin, after Charlemagne’s father) was made King of Italy (age 8) after his father’s conquest of the Lombards; crowned by Pope Hadrian I with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. He died 810 (age 37), from an illness contracted at a siege of Venice. His illegitimate son Bernard succeeded him as King of Italy.
781, 36th GGF Louis the Pious [https://en.wikipedia.] crowned (age 3) King of Aquitaine and sent there with regents and a court; Charlemagne constituted the sub-kingdom in order to secure the border.
801, Louis conquered Barcelona from the Muslims.
813, Louis the Pious Coronation, King of the Franks, co-ruler until the death of his father in 814.
815, Louis sent (his sons) Lothair (age 20) to govern Bavaria; Pepin (age 18) to govern Aquitaine (both without the royal title).
816, Louis the Pious Coronation, Holy Roman Emperor.
817, Lothair crowned co-Emperor by his father. Pepin proclaimed King of Aquitaine (as a sub-kingdom) his territory including Gascony, the march around Toulouse, and the counties of Carcassonne, Autun, Avallon and Nevers. Louis II proclaimed King of Bavaria (as a sub-kingdom) including the neighboring marches.
822, Louis the Pious performed penance for his “wrongdoing” including causing the death of his nephew Bernard, King of Italy.
Beginning in the 830s, Louis’ empire was torn by civil war between his sons, exacerbated by his attempts to include his son Charles the Bald by his second wife in his succession plans.
838, Pepin died (age 41), his sons were minors so Louis awarded Aquitaine to his youngest son, Charles the Bald. The Aquitaines, however, elected Pepin’s son as Pepin II (he died without heir).
840-843, Civil War between the sons of Louis the Pious.
842, they met to negotiate peace at an Island in the river Saone, each appointed 40 representatives to arrange the boundaries of their respective kingdoms.
843, Treaty of Verdun, [https://en.wikipedia.] divided territories of the Carolingian Empire between the sons of Louis the Pious, King of the Franks (whose death in 840 resulted in Civil War between his sons): Lothair, King of Middle Francia; Louis King of East Francia; Charles the Bald, King of West Francia.  |
| 843. Pink, West Francia -Charles. Green, Middle Francia -Lothair. Yellow, East Francia -Louis. |
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| 845, Siege of Paris |
845, Siege of Paris [https://en.wikipedia.] by the Danish Vikings, under the command of Reginherus (possibly Ragnar Lodbrok); after plundering and occupying the city, the Vikings finally withdrew after receiving a ransom payment of 7,000 French livres of silver and gold from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia.
853, Charles the Bald appointed 33rd GGF Robert the Strong, Margrave in Neustria; his primary duty was to defend Neustria from Viking and Breton raids; this appointment signifies the rise of the Robertian Dynasty.
854, Charles had his son Carloman (age 3) tonsured in preparation for an ecclesiastical career; he was tutored by Abbot Wulfad. In 860 he was ordained a deacon.
855, Lothair died (age 60) (no heirs listed)
856, Charles arranged the marriage of his daughter Judith (age 12) to Ethelwulf, King of Wessex (age 50)
858, after the death of her first husband, Charles arranged the marriage of Judith (age 14) to her stepson Ethelbald (age 24)
860, after the death of her 2nd husband, Charles sent Judith to a convent so that she would remain chaste until he arranged for a suitable marriage
861, Charles created the Fortresses of the Breton March
862, daughter Judith eloped with Baldwin of Flanders; Charles had them both excommunicated; they went to Rome and pleaded their case; they were successful and Charles had to accept the marriage; he appointed 35th GGF Baldwin; Margrave of Flanders -a medieval title for the military commander of a kingdom whose primary responsibility was to protect the borders. Moreover, a margrave might expand his sovereign’s realm by conquering additional territory. During Baldwin’s life, he expanded his territory into one of the major principalities of Western Francia -refer to the Map, below. He died in 879 and was succeeded by his son 34th GGF Baldwin II.
862, Charles’ son Charles II married against his father’s will; in 863 he was forced to put her away and be loyal to his father.
863, Charles’ son Louis secretly married Ansgarde of Burgundy (Charles later had the marriage dissolved, see, 875)
866, Charles’ wife Ermentrude separated from his after he executed her rebellious brother William; she retreated to a life in a nunnery
870, Carloman rebelled and tried to claim part of the kingdom; he was arrested, tried and imprisoned; he escaped to Flanders, where he gathered a small army
873, Carloman was caught, retried and blinded, he escaped to East Francia where his uncle, King Louis the German gave him protection; he died there about 877
875, Coronation of Charles the Bald as Holy Roman Emperor
875, Charles’ son Louis married Adelaide of Paris after Charles had his first marriage to Ansgarde dissolved by Pope John VIII
876, Louis the German died (age 74); his sons, respected the divisions made a decade earlier and each contented himself with his own kingdom.
877, Charles the Bald died (on expedition) crossing the pass of Mont Cenis at Brides-les-Bains; he was succeeded by his son, 34th GGF Louis the Stammerer (coronation, 10/8/877). Burial; Charles was hastily buried at the abbey of Natua because his body was decaying (his body may have been transferred later to the Basilique Saint-Denis.
877, 34th GGF Louis the Stammerer [https://en.wikipedia.] coronation, King of West Francia (after the death of his father)
879, death of Louis the Stammerer; his sons, Carloman II and Louis III, co-ruled until Louis died in 882. When Carloman died in 884 (age 18) with no known children, he was succeeded by his cousin, Carolingian Emperor, Charles the Fat.
879, 33rd GGF Charles the Simple [https://en.wikipedia] born 5 months after the death of his father Louis the Stammerer, King of West Francia.
883, after Viking raids into Flanders, 34th GGF Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders was forced to move north to Pagus Flandrensis, which became the territory most closely associated with the Counts of Flanders; afterwards he seized lands that were abandoned by royal and ecclesiastical officials.
884 - 34th GGF Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders married Elfthryth, daughter of 35th GGF Alfred the Great King of Wessex -the goal of the Anglo-Flemish alliance was to help Baldwin control the lower Canche River Valley.
885 - Siege of Paris [https://en.wikipedia.] on the Seine, West Francia (885-886). In late Nov 885, with hundreds of ships, and possibly tens of thousands of men, the (Norwegian and Danish) Vikings arrived outside Paris, at first demanding tribute; which was denied by Odo, Count of Paris (son of 33rd GGF Robert IV the Strong)… as the siege went on, most of the Vikings (led by Sigred) left Paris to pillage further upriver; another Viking leader, 32nd GGF Rollo stayed behind with his men. In Oct 886, Charles 'the Fat', Carolingian Emperor arrived with his army but instead of attacking them he promised a payment of 700 livres of silver and allowed them to sail further up the Seine to raid Burgundy, which was in revolt. When the Vikings withdrew from France the next spring, he gave them 700 livres of silver as promised. Aftermath: throughout the next century Robert the Strong fought the Carolingians for the French throne. Their duchy (Francia) gave its name to the Kingdom of France and the Carolingian Empire was never again reconstituted. Robert (son of Robert the Strong, Margrave in Neustria) participated in the defense of Paris and was, afterwards, appointed by Odo as ruler of several counties, including the county of Paris, and abbot in commendam of many abbeys; Dux Francorum, military dignity of high importance.
893, Charles the Simple crowned (age 14) King of West Francia by a faction opposed to the rule of Odo, after Odo’s death.
900, When the Abbey came under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Fulk of Reims, Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders had him assassinated. When his attempts to expand further into the upper Somme River valley were opposed by 33rd GGF Herbert I, Count of Vermandois, Baldwin had the count assassinated as well.
911, Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte [https://en.wikipedia.], in return for the Vikings’ loyalty Charles the Simple, King of West Francia granted them all the land between the river Epte and the sea, creating the Duchy of Normandy -so named for the Norsemen who ruled it. The Viking leader, Rollo, became the 1st Count of Normandy -his descendants referred to as ‘Normans’*he is the 3rd great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, the 1st Norman King of England (1066).
911, Robert (son of Robert the Strong’, Margrave in Neustria) became Margrave of both Marches, Breton and Norman. |
| Realms ruled by Charles the Simple, 915 |
920, Louis the Stammerer arranged Charles’ marriage to Eadgifu of Wessex (age 17), daughter of 34th GGF Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons; they were immediately crowned King and Queen of Aquitaine.
921 - Robert, Margrave of the Breton and Norman Marches, defeated a band of Norse in the Loire Valley and they converted to Christianity. He also took up arms and drove Charles the Simple, King of West Francia into Lorraine.
922, Charles the Simple was deposed from the throne of West Francia by the nobles; they chose Robert I to replace him; he was crowned King of the Franks.
923, Charles the Simple marched against Robert I; Robert I was killed, but his army won the battle and he was succeeded by his son-in-law, Rudolph or Burgundy as King… Charles the Simple was captured by 32nd GGF Herbert II, Count of Vermandois (Charles’ wife, Eadgifu, took their son, Louis IV (age 3) to Wessex where he was raised in the Anglo-Saxon court.)
929, Charles the Simple died while held captive in the dungeons by Rudolph. He was buried in the abbey.
936 32nd GGF Louis IV [https://en.wikipedia.] (age 16) Coronation as King of West Francia (age 16), 31st GGF Hugh the Great (Robertian Dynasty), Margrave of Neustria and Duke of the Franks was appointed his guardian.
939 Louis IV (age 19) married Gerberga of Saxony (age 26), daughter of 32nd GGF Henry the Fowler, King of East Francia (widow of the Duke of Lotharingia); as an opportunity to strengthen his domain over Lotharingia.
945, Louis IV captured by the Normans, they demanded the Queen send her sons as hostages; she sent only Charles, the youngest. Louis was eventually released (after surrendering Laon) and his title restored but he held little power
948, Trial of Hugh the Great, determined to be the invasor and abductor of Louis, to be excommunicated. Hugh attacked and devastated Soissons, Reims and profaned dozens of churches
954, death of Louis IV after a fall from his horse while hunting; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Lothair.
Sons of Louis IV, King of West Francia.
970 Charles m. Adelaide of Troyes, daughter of a vassal of Hugh Capet, she was a lower class of nobility; the marriage was considered disgraceful since Charles was the son of a king.
976, Charles accused his brother’s wife of infidelity; she was exonerated and he was driven from the kingdom
982 - Louis V, co-King of West Francia married the twice widowed Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou; daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou (Louis was 15, Adelaide was 40); his father Lothair, King of West Francia arranged the marriage to restore the royal Carolingian presence in the semi-independent south of West Francia -they were immediately crowned King and Queen of Aquitaine. They lived mostly separate from each other and obtained a divorce in 984; it was a childless union.
987, Charles became a candidate for King of West Francia when his brother Lothair’s son Louis V died; however, due to his disgraceful marriage and behavior, Hugh Capet was chosen.
(Robertian) 30th GGF Hugh Capet was elected to the throne and crowned, King of the Franks; thus ending the rule of the Carolingian Dynasty and the beginning of the Capetian Dynasty.
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| 10th Century, lands controlled by Carolingians and Robertians; the map also shows the territories of Normandy and Flanders |
Summary of the Rise, Decline and Extinction of the Carolingian Dynasty. Military prowess, beginning with 39th GGF Charles Martel, brought the Carolingian Dynasty to its greatest expansion, climaxing in 800 when 37th GGF Charlemagne was anointed the Holy Roman Emperor. The dynasty began to decline with Charlemagne’s death and the division of the empire. In 843, after the death of his son, Louis the Pious, it was split into three kingdoms, West, Middle and East Francia.
The Siege of Paris by the Danish Vikings in 845 would lead to the further decline of the Carolingian Dynasty and the rise of two new dynasties; the Robertian’s of Neustria and the Baldwin’s of Flanders when 35th GGF Charles the Bald appointed them Margraves to defend his borders; they became powerful military commanders who expanded their own territories. In 853 Charles appointed 33rd GGF Robert the Strong, Margrave in Neustria and Robert created the Robertian Dynasty; his descents would replace the Carolingians as Kings of the Franks. In 862 Charles appointed his son-in-law 35th GGF Baldwin I, Margrave of Flanders to defend its borders; Baldwin created the House of Flanders and expanded his territory into one of the major principalities of Western Francia.
In 885, Paris was again attacked by the Vikings. In the 911, Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, 33rd GGF Charles the Simple King of West Francia, granted the Vikings led by 32nd GGF Rollo all the land between the river Epte and the sea, creating the Duchy of Normandy; leading to the rise of the Normans -Rollo’s 3rd great-grandson, William would conquer England in 1066.
In 921 Robert the Strong drove Charles the Simple out of West Francia; Charles the Simple was deposed in 922, the nobles crowned Robert I, King of the Franks. In 945, 32nd GGF Louis IV was captured by the Normans, he was later released and his title restored but he held little power.
Carolingian Emperor Charles the Fat was seen as spineless and incompetent and by Nov. 17, 887 was deposed; the Empire fell apart, never to be restored. After Charles’ death in 888, Odo the eldest son of Robert the Strong was elected King of West Francia.
Another factor in the decline of the Carolingian Dynasty was that their kings died young and consequently their heirs were young when they succeeded to the throne; they were appointed regents: In 936, when 32nd GGF Louis IV became King of West Francia he was 16 years old, 31st GGF Hugh the Great was appointed his guardian; Hugh became the most powerful person in France; he possessed nearly all the region between Loire and the Seine. In 954, Lothair, son of Louis IV, became King of West Francia at the age of 13, Hugh the Great was appointed his guardian.
The Capetian Dynasty, founded by 30th GGF Hugh Capet, ruled France from 987 to 1328.
Related Blog Posts:
*Blog Post: Timeline, earliest Dynasties in Europe (687-ca. 987) end of Carolingian Dynasty. https://gray-piperfamily.blogspot.com/2017/02/timeline-earliest-dynasties-in-europe.html. *Quick Links to all
Blog Post: House de Vermandois http://historicalandmisc.
Blog Post: Evolution of Government, Property, “Taxes” and Laws. http://indextoblogposts.* Salic Law. https://en.wikipedia.*
Blog Post: Military Strategy, protection and expansion. http://indextoblogposts.*
Blog Post: Carolingian Dynasty, National Heroes. http://historicalandmisc.*
Blog Post: Charlemagne, 782, Massacre of Verden. http://historicalandmisc.
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Blog Post: Military Strategy, protection and expansion. http://indextoblogposts.*
Blog Post: Carolingian Dynasty, National Heroes. http://historicalandmisc.*
Blog Post: Charlemagne, 782, Massacre of Verden. http://historicalandmisc.
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