Treaty of Verdun

The Treaty of Verdun, agreed to on 10 August 843, ended a civil war in the Carolingian Empire. This empire was created by the famous ruler Charlemagne. The treaty split the empire among three brothers: Lothair I, Louis II, and Charles II, who were the surviving sons of Emperor Louis I.

The treaty came after more than a year of talks and discussions. It was the first of several agreements that gradually broke apart the large Carolingian Empire. These partitions helped shape the countries of western Europe as we know them today.

Later, there were three more treaties: the Treaties of Prüm in 855, Meerssen in 870, and Ribemont in 880. Together, these treaties marked the end of the united Carolingian Empire.

Background

After Charlemagne died, his son Louis the Pious ruled the Frankish Empire. He shared parts of the empire with his sons, but this caused disagreements. When Louis died in 840, his son Lothair I tried to rule the whole empire and supported his nephew Pepin II to rule Aquitaine. However, his brothers Louis II and Charles II did not agree and went to war against him. They defeated Lothair in a battle and made an agreement, ready to negotiate a peace settlement.

Provisions

Lothair ruled the Kingdom of Italy, Louis the German ruled the Kingdom of Bavaria, and Charles II ruled the Kingdom of Aquitaine.

Lothair received the Middle Frankish lands, including areas that would later become the Low Countries, the Rhineland, Lorraine, Alsace, Burgundy, and Provence. He also kept his title as emperor but only had control over his brothers' lands in name.

Louis II received the East Frankish kingdom, which was all the land east of the Rhine. This area eventually became the Kingdom of Germany.

Charles II received the West Frankish kingdom, which was all the land west of the Rhône. This area eventually became the Kingdom of France.

Legacy

The Treaty of Verdun split the land among the sons of a ruler, following an old Frankish custom of sharing power instead of giving everything to the oldest son. This made it hard to keep the empire together. Only one ruler, Charles the Fat, briefly managed to bring the lands back together.

Over time, the lands split into different areas, and the part called Lotharingia was often fought over by nearby kingdoms. The southern part, Alsace-Lorraine, changed hands many times between France and Germany over the centuries, finally becoming part of France after World War II. The split also helped shape the way countries in Europe developed over the next thousand years.