TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Aquitaine
Conflict between the Royals – Charles the Bald and Pippin increased the region’s vulnerability – Pippin’s failure to defend Bordeaux triggered widespread Aqutainian defection to Charles in 848 – heavy losses 840s including Bordeaux.
Importance of royal action – always local will to resist Northmen – the King pegged local resistance to a wider defence strategy – when Charles the Bald was able to help Aquitaine, like re-fortification of Angouleme relatively successful
Charles the Bald cooperates with Salomon (head of Bretons) scoring some successes against the NorthMen
Charles the Bald’s preferred tactic of recruiting one Viking group to use against others
Severity of attacks in 880s? Why so severe?
Concentre on middle kingdom of Lotharingia – split between East and West kingdoms, no one considered it heartland, vulnerable.
Not just fatalistic passivity – some resistance with payments The Frankish elite might choose to defend their own social position in preference to their own people – peasants thought safest defence was flight.
Charles may have belittled “unauthorised castella” or aristocratic defences
Viking effects on the Frankish economy – were Viking activities a stimulus to the Frankish economy – flight of labour from Seine to Champagne meant Charles the Bald had permitted peasants to keep wages earned as wage labourers, short-term effects for those that fled painful predatory consumers were not imperialists.
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