General Notes

Charles II, King de France

(Andre Roux: Scrolls,191.)
(Stuart, Royalty for Commoners, Page 130, Line 171-39.)
(Rosamond, Frankish kingdom under Carolingians, Page 180.)
(Paul, Nouveau Larousse Universel.)
(Andre Castelot, Histoire de La France, Tome 1, Pages 369, 387).

AKA: Charles II, Emperor of the West. AKA: Charles II, King de Bourgogne.AKA: Charles II, King of Italy. Also Known As: Charles "Le Chauve".

Born: on 13 Jun 823 in Francfort-sur-le-Main, Germany, son of Louis I,King de France and Judith de Baviere , Some sources assert King CharlesII was born in the year 829.

Note - between 824 and 875 in France: The birth of Charles II in 823 didnot at first excite jealousy or rivalry among his brothers.  In 829,Charles was granted the region of Alemannia, Rhaetia and part ofBurgundy. In 837, his Father Louis I "Le Debonnaire", by arrangement withLouis the German and Pepin gave Charles the land West of the Meuse,Burgundy, Chartres and Paris together with all the bishops, abbots andcounts who held benefices in these territories.  A portion of Neustriawas added in 838, and upon Pepin's death, Louis Le Pieux made CharlesKing of Aquitaine.  On 24 July 840, the new Emperor, Lothar, inStrasburg, refuses to support the land claims of Charles (from theagreement of Worms on 30 May 839). The two brothers, Louis and Charles,unite against Lothar and the War of the Three Brothers begins. Meanwhile,on 12 May 841, the Normands ravage Rouen and all the localities along theSeine, increasing their wealth considerably. At Fontenoy-en-Puisaye (24June 841), Charles defeats his brothers Lothar (in spite of the arrivalof the Army of Aquitaine in the Imperial ranks -- and at a total loss of40,000 lives at the battle) and Louis Le Germanique. Charles and Louissigned an alliance on 14 February 842 at Strasbourg. Leaving Strasbourg,the two brothers defeat the imperial army of Lothar just West ofComblence. Lothar leaves Aix-le-Chapelle precipitously, pursued by thetwo brothers. In Mellecey, not far from Chalon-sur-Saone, Lothar proposesa plan to establish perpetual peace which is acceptable to both Louis andCharles. On 15 June, they sign the preliminary peace document. On 1October 842, each of them sends 40 commissioners to Metz to forge theofficial document.  Prudence, the Bishop of Troyes, notes that Louisregained Germania in the East, Lothar gets the middle part of the FrancKingdom, including Italy, and Charles obtains the Western lands (West ofthe Rhone, including Soissons). After that Charles goes to the Palace inQuierzy, where he marries Ermentrude.

Charles signed the Treaty of Verdun (843) which split the Kingdom ofCharlemagne. By the Treaty, the destiny of Occidental Europe would beheavily influenced to this day. Louis obtains all lands East of theRhine, including the cities of Spire, Worms, Mayence. Lothar gets all thelands extending between the Rhine and the Escaut, the Cambresis, theHainaut, the country of Mezieres, and all the countships neighboring theMeuse, through the Saone and the Rhone, the Artois and Italy. Charles gotall the lands East all the way to Spain. The Kingdom of Charlemagne thuswas split forever, with the most serious rift between the germanic landsof Louis, and the French lands of Charles.  The intervening landsextending from Frisia to Rome, from the North Sea to the Mediterraneanincluding what would become Holland, Belgium, Lorraine and Switzerlandwould become a sore point of contention between these two peoples.  Theonly thing that mattered to Lothar was the fact that both capitals (Aixand Rome) were located within his territory, thus legitimizing the titleof Emperor.

Meanwhile, the Normands pillage Nantes and lower Aquitaine.  Charles laidsiege to Toulouse in vain (May to July 844).  The Normands led by RagnarLodbrog arrive in Paris and must be heavily bribed to leave. OtherNormand armies ravage Toulouse and Bordeaux (burned to the ground in848). On 6 May 848, Duke Nomenoe proclaims the indepence of