Charles II "the Bald" Holy Roman EMPEROR

Sources:

Encyclopedia Britannica, Treatise on, Charles II
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by FrederickLewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr.,, 49-16
GEDCOM File : ~AT71D2.ged

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 the Church ofBretagne and the following year proclaims himself King of Bretagne.Charles fought Brittany (Bretagne) in 845-851 and was victorious. Notliking Pepin II, the people of Aquitaine request Charles' help, and heobliges by accepting the Crown, and on 6 June 848 is consecrated King ofAquitaine, though he could not defend his kingdom against the Normands.He had Charles of Aquitaine jailed (849 in Corbie). In 850 Charlesattacks Bretagne and leaves a garrison in Rennes. No sooner does heleave, that Nomenoe takes the city and then takes Nantes as well. Thenext year, Nomenoe ravages Maine, but, fortunately for Charles, the Kingof Bretagne dies suddenly on 7 March in Vendome. Charles has Pepin IIlocked in the Monastery of Saint-Medard de Soissons in 852. The Normandsunder Godfrid pillage Tours and Angers and penetrate via the Valley ofEscaut all the way to the Seine.  The loyalty of Aquitaine shifts in 853,and Louis the German is called upon to help against Charles le Chauve. Hein turn defeats Louis and offers Aquitaine his son by Ermentrude,Charles, who would be crowned sovereign in Limoges in October 855. BothPepin II and Charles d'Aquitaine escape raise armies against Charles leChauve. Charles fought against Louis for Lorraine (859, 870 [Treaty ofMersen] and 875).

When Louis le Germanique becomes ill in 869 near Rastisbonne, shortlyafter his nephew Lothar II died, Charles see the opportunity to claim hisheritage as Uncle of the deceased. He has himself annointed King ofLorraine in Metz on 9 September, by the Bishop Hincmar. In March, 867,Charles d'Aquitaine dies, and his father Charles le Chauve is recognizedas King by the Assembly in Pouilly-sur-Loire. Upon the death of hisnephew, Lothar II on 8 August 869, Charles sped to Lotharingia and hadhimself crowned King of Lotharingia annointed on 9 September in thecathedral at Metz by Bishop Adventius of Metz and Archbishop Hincmar ofRheims. In 9 August 870, through the Treaty of Meerseen, Louis "LeGermanique" and Charles "Le Chauve" reach an agreeable compromise wherebythey divide the lands of Lothar II between themselves, leaving Louis IIno part of the inheritance. As soon as Louis II died on 12 August 875,Charles rushed to Italy and received the imperial crown and is annointedby Pope John VIII on 25 December 875. In Pavia on 5 January 876, byacclamation of the counts and nobles of Italy, Charles becomes King ofItaly. On 31 January 876, the Archbishop of Milan proclaims Charles asEmperor. The French ecclesiasticals and nobles, having some misgivingsabout Charles' ability to take care of his Kingdom meet in Ponthion.Charles joins them dressed in the attire of the Frankish King. As soon asthey declare him elected and recognize his imperial authority, Charlesdonned the Byzantine crown, and purple vestment of emperor. When Louis leGermanique dies on 28 August 876, Charles claims Lorraine as his own.While on an expedition in Italy against the Sarrasins, through thespecific request of Pope Jean VIII, Charles le Chauve dies at the foot ofMount Cenis.

Married on 13 Dec 842 in Quierzy-sur-Oise, Aisne, Ile-de-France, France:Ermentrude d'Orleans , daughter of Odon=Eudes, Count d'Orleans andIngeltrude de Paris; Ermentrude was crowned Queen of France in 866,having already produced a number of children including 6 sons but none ofthem was satisfactory as far as Charles Le Chauve was concerned. BySeptember 866, four of them were dead.

Married on 25 Nov 869 in Aix-la-Chapelle, France: Richilde de Bourgogne,daughter of Beuve=Bouin, Comte de Bourgogne and Richilde d'Arles; Thehoneymoon is short-lived, as Louis le Germanique demands, as part of hisheritage from the death of his nephew Lothar II, a part of Lorraine.Died: on 6 Oct 877 in Avrieux, Dauphine, France, at age 54 Charles II isburied at Saint Denis although originally he was buried in Nantua. Beforeexpiring, he named his son, Louis Le Begue as his successor, and theEmpress Richilde, crowned by Pope Jean VIII earlier that year, is chargedwith taking the royal garbs and sword to her step-son.