| Charles The Fat |
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| carolingian dynasty | |
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| 839 births | |
| 888 deaths | |
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.]] Charles the Fat (in , 888 ) was a king of East Franks, king of Italy, a King of France and, as '''Charles III''', Holy Roman Emperor . He was the son of Louis The German . Granted lordship over Alemannia in 876 , he became King of Italy in 879 upon the abdication of his older brother Carloman. Crowned Emperor in 881 , his succession to the territories of his brother Louis The Younger the following year reunited the entire Kingdom of the East Franks ( Germany ). Upon the death of Carloman , the King of the West Franks (France), on December 12 , 884 , he achieved that throne as well, thus reviving, if only briefly, the entire Carolingian Empire , aside from Burgundy . His rise to power was accompanied by hopes of a general revival in western Europe , but he proved unequal to the task. Lethargic and inept — he is known to have had repeated illnesses which are believed to have been Epilepsy — he conducted several unsuccessful expeditions in Italy against Saracen incursions, and purchased peace with Viking raiders at the Siege Of Paris in 886 . In 885 , he sought to have his illegitimate son, Bernard, confirmed as his successor at the Diet of Worms , for he was childless in his marriage to Richardis. Pope Hadrian III died ''en route'' to Worms at Nonantula . The nobility, however, soundly rejected any such course and events in Italy took his attention away. With Charles increasingly seen as spineless and incompetent, matters came to a head in late 887 . First, he accused his wife Richardis of having an affair with his chief minister and Archchancellor , Liutward , bishop of Vercelli . She proved her innocence in an ordeal of fire and left him for the monastic life. Then, his first cousin once removed, Ermengarde , daughter of Emperor Louis II and wife of Boso Of Provence , brought her son Louis to him for protection. Charles confirmed Louis in Provence and allowed them to live at his court. However, an ambitious nephew, Arnulf , then fomented a general rebellion and seized Germany in November . Charles did nothing to prevent the move and, retiring to Neidingen , died two months later, on January 13 , 888 . His empire broke asunder, never to be restored — Arnulf retained Germany and Lotharingia, France was obtained by Odo, Count Of Paris , Italy by Berengar Of Friuli , Upper Burgundy by Rudolph and Provence by Louis The Blind .
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