Louis the Pious: Betrayed by His Sons, the Carolingian Empire Crumbles

Louis the Pious, Charlemagne's sole surviving son, inherited the vast Carolingian Empire. To prevent conflict among his own sons, he drafted the Ordinatio Imperii in 817, dividing the empire among Lothar, Pepin, and Louis the German. However, the plan omitted his nephew Bernard of Italy, who rebelled and was captured, blinded, and died in 818. This event haunted Louis, leading to a public penance in 822 that weakened his authority. In 823, his second wife Judith of Bavaria gave birth to Charles, prompting Louis to revise the succession to give Alemannia to Charles, sparking rebellions in 830 and 833. At the Field of Lies in Alsace in 833, Louis was betrayed by his nobles and forced to abdicate, but was restored in 834. After his death in 840, civil war erupted, culminating in the Treaty of Verdun (843) that split the empire into West, Middle, and East Francia. Louis's attempts to secure a peaceful succession ironically caused the very conflict he sought to avoid.