Carolingians

The Carolingians succeeded the Merovingians in 751 with the coronation of Pepin the Short. Charlemagne, crowned emperor in 800, built the Carolingian Empire and sparked a revival of learning and the arts. After him, the Treaty of Verdun (843) divided the empire: West Francia gradually became the kingdom of France.

Figures of this era

  1. Pépin le Bref (751-768) — Founder of the Carolingian dynasty, elected king of the Franks in 751 then anointed at Saint-Denis with his family by Pope Stephen II in 754
  2. Carloman Ier (768-771) — King of the Franks (south-eastern part of the kingdom), co-ruled with Charlemagne after the kingdom was divided on the death of Pippin the Short
  3. Charlemagne (768-814) — King of the Franks then emperor of the West (800), greatly enlarged the kingdom and founded the Carolingian Empire
  4. Louis Ier le Pieux (814-840) — Son of Charlemagne, emperor of the West, his reign marked by the revolts of his sons; the empire was divided between them by the Treaty of Verdun (843), after his death
  5. Charles II le Chauve (840-877) — King of West Francia (future kingdom of France), crowned emperor in 875
  6. Louis II le Bègue (877-879) — King of West Francia, father of Louis III, Carloman II and Charles the Simple
  7. Louis III (879-882) — King of West Francia with his brother Carloman II, victor over the Normans at Saucourt (881)
  8. Carloman II (879-884) — King of West Francia with his brother Louis III from 879 to 882, then sole king until 884
  9. Charles III le Gros (884-887) — Emperor and king of the Franks, deposed in November 887 by the kingdom’s great men, discredited by his failure against the Normans, died in 888
  10. Charles III le Simple (898-923) — King of the Franks, ceded Normandy to Rollo (Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, 911)
  11. Louis IV d’Outre-Mer (936-954) — Son of Charles the Simple raised in England, restored royal authority against the great men
  12. Lothaire (954-986) — King of the Franks, last Carolingian to actually reign in West Francia
  13. Louis V le Fainéant (986-987) — Last Carolingian king, his death without an heir in 987 opened the way to the Capetians

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