TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Introduction to Kingdom of the Eastern Franks
Verdun not seen as final – oaths of allegiance but moreover showing mistrust. – ideology of imperium Christianum survived in weakened form – one empire under collective rule of three brothers – there were some cases of cooperation – Kings often met to plan against the other – Aquitainians invite Louis the German to send son Louis the Younger to rule over them
855 and 877 Carolingian politics dominated by attempts Lothar’s remaining brothers – Chares the Bald and Louis the German to inherit nephew’s kingdoms – pattern emerging of Louis the German siding with Lothar I’s sons against aggressive Charles the Bald.
Louis the German gives his three sons power before he dies – Carloman, Louis the Younger and Charles the Fat – upon Louis’ death kingdom split between the two – Charles the Bald dies a year later in 877 and Lothar II of Italy same period
Western unstable C the B follower L the Stammerer dies shortly afterward C the B and his two sons Louis and Carloman also die soon – Louis the Younger invades West Francia and gets land lost in Lotharingia – Charles the Fat takes Italy – brothers Carloman and ouis die off leaving Charles the Fat as only adult legitimate Carolingian; having acquired Italy, inherited remainder East Francia and took kingship in West Francia.
843 to 884 – mistrust, intrigue and treachery – structural characteristics of the Frankish empire:
- no established precedence of sons over brothers, especially if sons minors or young – sons right to inherit but frequency of nephew or brothers taking lnd shows brothers important as well.
Why go for brother’s land? Not just justice – the ninth century inheritance rivalled external conquest and warfare as way to increase power and satisfy following. Italy had many problems – Arabs and Popes but looty, acceptable to take, was so big that in 875 that C the B, and Louis the German’s sons all have a go.
Imperial aristocracy with kindred and contacts in different kingdoms – could look elsewhere for help so kings careful not often powerful people with other links.
Paradoxically existence supra-regional aristocracy and an empire with different kingdoms that led to a regionalisation of this aristocracy. Fluidity of aristocracy and great purges by different Kings, notably in the East after treaty of Coblenz in 600 – moves west notably, number of regional aristocracies replaced an imperial aristocracy – aristocracies coagulated in the different kingdoms and this meant an increasing identification with a territory – in the East this coincided with the split between Louis the German’s brothers leading to the three regional aristocracies. Capable of collective action – increasingly consent of leading men needed for inheritance, or they could invite a Carolingian to lead them
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