Germany / France: Louis I (778 - 840), 2nd Holy Roman emperor, from the book Romanorvm imperatorvm effigies: elogijs ex diuersis scriptoribus per Thomam Treteru S. Mariae Transtyberim canonicum collectis, 1583

Louis I (778-840), also known as Louis the Pious, Louis the Fair and Louis the Debonaire, was the sole surviving adult son of Emperor Charlemagne and Hildegard. Louis ruled from Aquitaine, charged by his father with defending the empire's southwestern frontier from the Muslims of Spain. He conquered Barcelona in 801 and asserted Frankish dominance over Pamplona and the Basques south of the Pyrenees in 812. He was named as co-emperor and King of the Franks by his father in 813, before becoming sole ruler in 814.

When he became sole emperor, he appointed his adult sons Lothair, Pepin and Louis to roles in his government, seeking to establish a suitable division of the realm among them. Several embarrassments and tragedies marred his first decade of rule however, including his brutal tratment of his newphew Bernard of Italy, for which he atoned in a public act of self-debasement. In the 830s, the Holy Roman Empire was beset by various civil wars between Louis' sons, made worse when he tried to include his son Charles by his second wife into his succession plans.

Louis was deposed from 833-834, but soon regained his throne and largely restored order to the empire. He died in 840, and three years of civil war followed his death. Ultimately, Louis is generally compared unfavourably to his legendary father, though his reign faced distinctly different problems.

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