Charles the Fat

Long ago, a man named Charles was a king.

He was the son of Louis the German. Charles grew to rule many lands.

He brought many lands together into one big empire. This was a very big job. He also ruled in Italy.

Viking raiders came to his lands. Charles gave them silver to keep peace. This made some people unhappy with him. After Charles died, the big empire fell apart. It split into five smaller lands.

Charles the Fat was a leader of the Carolingian Empire. He was the youngest son of Louis the German.

Charles was a very religious man. He spent much time in prayer.

Over many years, Charles became a very powerful ruler. He took over many different lands. He ruled in Italy and in parts of France.

In 884, he ruled the whole empire. This was a big task. He was the last ruler to hold a united empire.

Life was not easy for Charles. He was often sick. Viking raiders also came to his lands. These raiders were fighters from the north.

To stop the fighting, Charles gave the Vikings silver. He paid them to leave. This made many people lose respect for him.

In 887, his nephew led a group to take his power. Charles was forced to step down. He died a few weeks later in 888. After he died, the large empire fell apart. It split into five smaller kingdoms.

Charles the Fat was a ruler of the Carolingian Empire. He lived from the year 839 until 888. He was part of a famous family called the Carolingians. This family included the great leader Charlemagne. Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma. He was a very religious man who loved prayer. He spent much time following the rules of the Church.

Charles became a leader of many different lands over time. First, he was given rule over Alamannia in 876. Later, he became the king of Italy. This happened after his brother Carloman of Bavaria became ill. In 881, Pope John VIII crowned him emperor. After his brother Louis the Younger died, Charles took his lands too. By 884, he ruled all of West Francia. This meant he had reunited the whole Carolingian Empire.

Being an emperor was a very hard job for Charles. He was often sick and may have had epilepsy. Some people thought he was not a strong leader. He had to deal with Viking raiders who attacked his lands. During the Siege of Paris in 885, the Vikings came up the Seine river. Charles did not want to fight them. Instead, he gave them 700 pounds of silver to go away.

Many important things happened during his reign. In 881, he was crowned emperor in Italy. He even started building a new palace at Sélestat in Alsace. He wanted this palace to look like the one Charlemagne built at Aachen. In 885, he was also recognized as a king in West Francia. He worked with many leaders, like the Duke of Burgundy. Even with these big tasks, the empire was hard to keep together.

Charles's time as ruler did not end peacefully. In November 887, his nephew Arnulf of Carinthia led a coup. This was a move to take his power away. Charles was forced to step down from his throne. He lived in quiet retirement for a short time. He died on 13 January 888. After he died, the large empire broke into five separate kingdoms.

Charles the Fat was a major ruler of the Carolingian Empire. He lived from 839 until January 13, 888. He belonged to the famous Carolingian dynasty. This family included the great leader Charlemagne. Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma. He was known as a very religious prince. He followed the orders of the Church with great devotion. He spent much time in prayer and song.

Charles's rise to power involved many different territories. In 859, he was made Count of the Breisgau. This was an area on the border of southern Lotharingia. In 876, he was granted lordship over Alamannia. This happened after the division of East Francia. Later, he took the Italian throne. This occurred because his brother, Carloman of Bavaria, suffered a stroke. In 881, Pope John VIII crowned him emperor.

Through a series of events, Charles briefly reunited the empire. In 882, he took the lands of his brother, Louis the Younger. These lands included Saxony and Bavaria. This reunited the kingdom of East Francia. In 884, his cousin Carloman II died. This allowed Charles to inherit all of West Francia. For a short time, he ruled the entire Carolingian Empire.

Ruling such a large area was very difficult for Charles. He was frequently ill during his life. Some historians believe he may have had epilepsy. Because of this, many people saw him as lethargic or inept. He struggled to manage the various leaders in his lands. He also faced serious threats from Viking raiders. These groups attacked the coasts and rivers of Europe.

Charles used different methods to deal with the Vikings. During his campaign in the Low Countries, he used negotiations. He met with Viking chiefs named Godfrid and Sigfred. Charles made Godfrid a vassal through a treaty. He also had Godfrid accept Christianity. However, his approach in France was different. In 885, Vikings besieged Paris. Charles did not want to fight them. Instead, he paid them 700 pounds of silver to leave. This choice hurt his reputation with the people.

Charles also tried to build a strong imperial presence. He began building a new palace at Sélestat in Alsace. He wanted this palace to look like Charlemagne's Palace at Aachen. He hoped to emulate the greatness of his ancestor. In Italy, he dealt with local leaders like Guy II of Spoleto. Charles even held a diet, or a formal assembly, in Ravenna in 882. He worked to keep peace between the Pope and local dukes.

His reign ended because of a political coup. In mid-November 887, his nephew Arnulf of Carinthia led a revolt. This coup removed Charles from power in several places. He lost control of East Francia, Lotharingia, and Italy. Charles was forced into a quiet retirement. He died of natural causes just a few weeks later. His death marked the end of a united Frankish kingdom. The empire soon split into five separate successor kingdoms. It would not be united again until the time of Napoleon.