A Short History of the Middle Ages Fourth Edition

Genealogy 3.1: The Carolingians*

CHARLEMAGNE’S HEIRS

When Charlemagne died, only one of his sons remained alive: Louis, nicknamed “the

Pious.” (See Genealogy 3.1: The Carolingians.) Emperor he was (from 814 to 840),

but over an empire that was a conglomeration of territories with little unity. He had to

contend with the revolts of his sons, the depredations of outside invaders, the

regional interests of counts and bishops, and above all an enormous variety of

languages, laws, customs, and traditions, all of which tended to pull his empire apart.

He contended with gusto, his chief unifying tool being Christianity. Calling on the