Charles the Bald

Lore & Background

Charles was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder brothers were already adults with assigned subkingdoms. His father Louis the Pious attempted to assign Charles a subkingdom—first Alemannia, then the country between the Meuse and the Pyrenees—but these efforts were unsuccessful due to rebellions by Lothair, Pepin, and Louis the German. After Pepin of Aquitaine died in 838, Charles finally received that kingdom, angering Pepin's heirs. Upon Louis the Pious's death in 840, war broke out among the brothers. Charles allied with Louis the German, defeating Lothair at the Battle of Fontenoy-en-Puisaye on 25 June 841, and confirmed their alliance with the Oaths of Strasbourg in 842. The Treaty of Verdun in August 843 gave Charles the kingdom of the West Franks, roughly corresponding to modern France as far as the Meuse, Saône, and Rhône, plus the Spanish March.

As king, Charles faced repeated rebellions in Aquitaine and against the Bretons, who defeated him at the Battles of Ballon (845) and Jengland (851), gaining de facto independence. He also fought Viking incursions, purchasing their retreat after the sack of Paris in 845 and issuing the Edict of Pistres in 864 to create a cavalry element and fortified bridges. In 858, Louis the German invaded West Francia at the invitation of disaffected nobles, but Charles was saved by the bishops and his mother's family, the Welfs. After the death of his nephew Lothair II in 869, Charles tried to seize Lotharingia and was consecrated king at Metz, but was forced to partition it with Louis the German in 870.

In 875, after Emperor Louis II's death, Charles traveled to Italy, receiving the royal crown at Pavia and the imperial insignia in Rome on 25 December, supported by Pope John VIII. As emperor, he used the motto 'renovatio imperii Romani et Francorum.' Louis the German retaliated by invading Charles's domains. After Louis the German's death in 876, Charles attempted to seize his kingdom but was decisively beaten at the Battle of Andernach on 8 October 876. In 877, Pope John VIII urged Charles to defend Italy against Saracens, but his nobles and regent Boso refused to join. Charles died while crossing the pass of Mont Cenis at Brides-les-Bains on 6 October 877.

Reader's Guide

Charles the Bald's significance lies in his role as the first Carolingian king of West Francia, a kingdom that became the foundation of modern France. Through the Treaty of Verdun (843), he secured the western third of the Carolingian Empire, establishing a political entity that would endure. His reign was marked by constant struggle: against his brothers for territory, against rebellious nobles in Aquitaine, against the Bretons who achieved de facto independence, and against Viking raids that forced him to pay heavy ransoms and issue the Edict of Pistres (864), which created a mobile cavalry force and fortified bridges—precursors to French chivalry. His brief tenure as emperor (875–877) saw him adopt a motto combining his grandfather's and father's formulas, but his imperial ambitions were thwarted by Louis the German's invasion and his own death. Charles was a prince of education and letters, a friend of the church, and relied on higher clergy as councillors. His nickname 'the Bald' may have been ironic, as contemporary depictions show him with a full head of hair; it may instead refer to his initial lack of a regnum. His legacy includes the foundation of the monastery at Compiègne, later known as 'Carlopolis,' and his burial at the Abbey of Saint-Denis.

Did You Know?

• Charles's nickname 'the Bald' may have been ironic; contemporary depictions show him with a full head of hair, and the name may refer to his initial landlessness.
• He received camels from Emir Muhammad I of Cordoba in 865 as part of diplomacy.
• After his death, his body was hastily buried at the abbey of Nantua because bearers could not withstand the stench; his remains were later transferred to the Abbey of Saint-Denis.
• The Edict of Pistres (864) ordered fortified bridges at all rivers to block Viking incursions; two such bridges at Paris saved the city during its siege of 885–886.