V.

Decline of the Empire

Even before the end of Charlemagne’s reign the empire had stopped expanding. Despite its claim as the successor to the Western Roman Empire, Charlemagne’s realm lacked many of the important institutions that had allowed the old Roman Empire to survive the emperor’s death. Institutions such as a money economy, a strong governmental infrastructure, and a professional civil service were needed to keep the empire from disintegrating. Instead, Charlemagne’s empire was based almost entirely on his own personal ability to hold together a large number of different tribes and ethnic groups. The size of the empire made it difficult to administer, and tribal dissension was a frequent threat. The empire collapsed not long after Charlemagne’s death in 814.

Charlemagne’s sole heir, Louis I, the Pious, ruled until his death in 840. After great dissension among Louis’s heirs, the Treaty of Verdun of 843 divided Charlemagne’s empire among his three grandsons: Charles II, the Bald, received West Francia (roughly modern-day France); Lothair I acquired the title of emperor and an area running from the North Sea through Lotharingia (Lorraine) and Burgundy to northern Italy; Louis II, the German, received East Francia (roughly modern-day Germany). Later, in 870, the Treaty of Mersen divided Lothair’s middle kingdom, with Lotharingia going to East Francia and the rest to West Francia. The Carolingian dynasty ruled in West Francia, or France, until 987; the German branch of the family ruled in East Francia until 911. The title of emperor of the Romans (which would later become Holy Roman emperor) remained in the east, thereafter held exclusively by German kings.