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Charles II (823-877), more commonly nicknamed Charles the Bald, was the son of Emperor Louis the Pious from his second wife. It was his mother's attempts to ensure Charles was included in Louis' succession plans that led to the multiple civil wars by Charles' half-brothers against his father.<br/><br/> When Charles' father died in 840, another civil war broke out between the emperor's sons, with Charles allying himself with his half-brother Louis the German against the new emperor, Lothair I. They defeated Lothair in 841, and cemented their alliance with the Oaths of Strasbourg and the Treaty of Verdun in 843, where he received the Kingdom of West Francia. His reign was peaceful for many years until 858, when Louis the German invaded West Francia, invited by disaffected nobles wanting to get rid of Charles. Louis the German was eventually repulsed, but other matters preoccupied Charles, such as unsuccessful attempts to seize the kingdoms of his nephews or the repeated rebellions and attacks by the Bretons and Vikings.<br/><br/> When Emperor Louis II died in 875, Charles became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Louis the German, furious he was not chosen, retaliated by invading and devastating Charles' lands, though he died a year later. While travelling back from Italy to defend his lands from his nephew Carloman, son of Louis the German, Charles fell ill and died in 877, with his son Louis the Stammerer (846-879) succeeding him as King of West Francia but not as emperor.
Charles II (823-877), more commonly nicknamed Charles the Bald, was the son of Emperor Louis the Pious from his second wife. It was his mother's attempts to ensure Charles was included in Louis' succession plans that led to the multiple civil wars by Charles' half-brothers against his father.<br/><br/> When Charles' father died in 840, another civil war broke out between the emperor's sons, with Charles allying himself with his half-brother Louis the German against the new emperor, Lothair I. They defeated Lothair in 841, and cemented their alliance with the Oaths of Strasbourg and the Treaty of Verdun in 843, where he received the Kingdom of West Francia. His reign was peaceful for many years until 858, when Louis the German invaded West Francia, invited by disaffected nobles wanting to get rid of Charles. Louis the German was eventually repulsed, but other matters preoccupied Charles, such as unsuccessful attempts to seize the kingdoms of his nephews or the repeated rebellions and attacks by the Bretons and Vikings.<br/><br/> When Emperor Louis II died in 875, Charles became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Louis the German, furious he was not chosen, retaliated by invading and devastating Charles' lands, though he died a year later. While travelling back from Italy to defend his lands from his nephew Carloman, son of Louis the German, Charles fell ill and died in 877, with his son Louis the Stammerer (846-879) succeeding him as King of West Francia but not as emperor.
Charles III (839-888), more commonly known as Charles the Fat, was the youngest son of Louis the German, King of East Francia, and great-grandson of Emperor Charlemagne. Following the division of East Francia among Louis' sons, Charles inherited Alamannia in 876, but soon inherited the Kingdom of Italy in 876 after his older brother Carloman of Bavaria abdicated.<br/><br/> Charles was eventually crowned as Holy Roman emperor in 881, and succeeded his brother Louis the Younger as king of Saxony and Bavaria a year later, reuniting the Kingdom of East Francia. He was forced to deal with the Great Heathen Army, a large force of Vikings that had been repelled from Britain by King Alfred the Great in 878, something he dealt with through assassination and bribery. After his cousin Carloman II died in 884, Charles also inherited all of West Francia, reuniting the Carolingian Empire under his reign.<br/><br/> Charles' reunited kingdom did not last long, as a coup in November 887 led by his nephew Arnulf of Carinthia eventually deposed him. He was forced to retire, and soon died of natural causes a year later in January 888, only weeks after his deposition. The Carolingian Empire soon fell apart after his death, split into five successor kingdoms.
Charles III (839-888), more commonly known as Charles the Fat, was the youngest son of Louis the German, King of East Francia, and great-grandson of Emperor Charlemagne. Following the division of East Francia among Louis' sons, Charles inherited Alamannia in 876, but soon inherited the Kingdom of Italy in 876 after his older brother Carloman of Bavaria abdicated.<br/><br/> Charles was eventually crowned as Holy Roman emperor in 881, and succeeded his brother Louis the Younger as king of Saxony and Bavaria a year later, reuniting the Kingdom of East Francia. He was forced to deal with the Great Heathen Army, a large force of Vikings that had been repelled from Britain by King Alfred the Great in 878, something he dealt with through assassination and bribery. After his cousin Carloman II died in 884, Charles also inherited all of West Francia, reuniting the Carolingian Empire under his reign.<br/><br/> Charles' reunited kingdom did not last long, as a coup in November 887 led by his nephew Arnulf of Carinthia eventually deposed him. He was forced to retire, and soon died of natural causes a year later in January 888, only weeks after his deposition. The Carolingian Empire soon fell apart after his death, split into five successor kingdoms.
Charles II (823-877), more commonly nicknamed Charles the Bald, was the son of Emperor Louis the Pious from his second wife. It was his mother's attempts to ensure Charles was included in Louis' succession plans that led to the multiple civil wars by Charles' half-brothers against his father.<br/><br/> When Charles' father died in 840, another civil war broke out between the emperor's sons, with Charles allying himself with his half-brother Louis the German against the new emperor, Lothair I. They defeated Lothair in 841, and cemented their alliance with the Oaths of Strasbourg and the Treaty of Verdun in 843, where he received the Kingdom of West Francia. His reign was peaceful for many years until 858, when Louis the German invaded West Francia, invited by disaffected nobles wanting to get rid of Charles. Louis the German was eventually repulsed, but other matters preoccupied Charles, such as unsuccessful attempts to seize the kingdoms of his nephews or the repeated rebellions and attacks by the Bretons and Vikings.<br/><br/> When Emperor Louis II died in 875, Charles became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Louis the German, furious he was not chosen, retaliated by invading and devastating Charles' lands, though he died a year later. While travelling back from Italy to defend his lands from his nephew Carloman, son of Louis the German, Charles fell ill and died in 877, with his son Louis the Stammerer (846-879) succeeding him as King of West Francia but not as emperor.