Evaluation of Charles the Bald in relation to his predecessors
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INTRO

• Examine success different rulers – as we shall see different measures different context
• Context crucially important – inherited reign and circumstance, esp. C the Bald difficult to follow
• Careful not o go wholly fo military success – much more than that.

WHAT SUCCESS? SUCCESS OF HIS PREDECESSORS

• Military success high 1,2000,000 – huge empire, not all centrally ruled, upmost limites by 806
• Pippin reestablishment of  political consensus, inspired cooperation – Charles Martel Saoxny, Bavaria, Aqutaine, Burgundy – winning internal power – reduce power independent lordships
• 751 Pippin military impossible to bear 0 war every year, Saxons, Aquitaines, waiting to crush Lombardy when threatens 774– links to Pope Stephen II, never fully beats the Saxons – admin reforms – ecclesiastical reform, recovering property and reinstitution ecclesiastical immunities – loads of power East of the Rhine  -Hesse, thrunigan diocesan striucture of West
• Charlemagne great leader, energy enthsuaism, battles Saxons – coronation 800 – 774 responds to Lombardy request for help, beats Saxons loyalty og subjects shown – 791-96 remarkable victory and importantly plunder against the Aavrs – keeping Italy secure, legitimize emperor – never mastered living in peac – towards end of reign increasingly concerned getting military service and support – optimistic view of internal reforms missi scabini – did actually have any effect?

CHARLES LAND GAINS

• No imperial expansion – Verdun 843 – limited land without eastern frontier  - Lothar, Louis trade offs – 843-79 series of ephemeral maps of Carolingian regna
• Charles works hard to defeat usurper Pippin II in Aqutaine, not the easiest place to fight- charters and coins
• Faces threats 854 and 858,
• Obligaory rebellion of own son – 860s
• Took aachen in 869 – imperial capital vacant family situation Louis recovered
• 870s – Lothar’s uncles divide up kingdom, does not get Aachen – provokes Carloman rebellion – ferociously put down by CharlesLoses 876 Lotharingia acquired 843 - loses at Andernach
• Into Italy 877 and dies – pretty powerful by then
• Impact northmen raids difficult to judge – river defenses and negotiation – not that bad market as well as ravages. – reputation.

Danes, Sales Anglo –Saxons – two need Navy and plunder poor

Left with sustainable empire and defensio patriae

PROBLEMS OF END EMPIRE

Charles Martel fighting war every year – plunder and tribute in various forms – direct to King, even plunder, loot from avar raid in Ireland, Rome and Britain – circulation of goods and gifts – largely controlled by the King inflow of plunder and tribute – language through which to express power relationships.  Problems income

War weariness – nobility fight in expansionary wars for gains – defensio patriae – defense of realm C the B good at – difficulty, even Louis the Pious and Charlemagne difficulty in raising these troops as no rewards

Nature – tribute and plunder difficult for warriors – won’t fight defensio patriae as easily

Difficult for C the B where does he get resources from – tribute, plunder language of over West Francia – distributing gifts, benefices and allowing local, loyal aristos. to rule random parts of the empire – needs money to utilize church and aristocratic support

ECONOMIC REFROMS

Reform money system, exertion taxes, tools trading routes, market licenses, coinage debasement – no control but let it happen and developed new way of extracting wealth.

POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR

Affirms loyalty, incorporation with centralized regime – lay abbacies crucial support of the church, maintenance missi dominici etc

Inherently count ships – argued this highly destructive – M. 12 th century houses of France – links not that strong, local roots – concept Konigsnahe still important – magnates pretty fluid

Robert the stronger etc not direct linkage – other choices?

CONCLUSION

Militarily less successful – but empire expansion left an entirely different context to judge Charles – maintenance Gaul, even though his rule not long erm and ways of restructuring methods of rule innovative and long lasting – still successful.

Other Notes in this Category

1. After Charles the Bald
2. Aquitaine
3. Caroligians - Vikings and Frankish Empire
4. Charlemagne and the Imperial Coronation of 800
5. Crisis 829 – 30
6. Ecclesia Francorum
7. Evaluation of Charles the Bald in relation to his predecessors
8. Frankish Gaul to 814 - Paul Fourace
9. Frankish Kingdoms 814 – 898 – The West
10. Germany In The Early Middle Ages – Reuter
11. Judith Herrin – Carolingian Innovation From The Formation Of Christendom
12. Lateran Synod 769
13. Populus Francorum
14. Regnum and Regna
15. Scandinavians and Others
16. The Emergence Of The East Franksih Kingdom 800 – 43
17. The end of Carolingian Expansion - Timothy Reuter
18. Varities of Viking Impact - Seine

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