From the Margins to the Mainstream: Dutch History to 1384 - The Merovingian and Carolingian Periods - Incursions and Fragmentation

7 important questions on From the Margins to the Mainstream: Dutch History to 1384 - The Merovingian and Carolingian Periods - Incursions and Fragmentation

What was the Treaty of Verdun about?

  • Only one legitimate son survived Charlemagne, Louis the Pouis, but Louis's sons fought with their father in the 830s over their own inheritance, which according to Frankish tradition was divided among all sons.
  • The conflict abated temporarily after Louis's death in the Treaty of Verdun (843), in which most of the Netherlands became part of the Middle Frankish Kingdom under Louis's son Lothair, between what later became France (Western Kingdom) and Germany (Eastern Kingdom).

What did Lotharingia consist of?

The Middle Kingdom, which stretched from Italy to the North Sea, was not a viable political entity, and when the Emperor Lothair died in 855 it was once again divided among his sons, with Lothair II becoming king of what came (in his honor) to be known as Lotharingia, or (in French) Lorraine. This territory included most of the Low Countries.

What happened at Maastricht around 881?

Serious raids by different groups of Vikings continued through the ninth century. Maastricht, situated well up the Maas and thought secure, was sacked around 881; a year later the Vikings encamped at Nijmegen, once the proud site of Charlemagne's palts.
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What made effective defense in the Netherlands more difficult?

  • The increased political infighting among the Frankish kings made effective defense more difficult.
  • It could be added that in the Netherlands, already a relatively unimporant corner of the empire, there was also less to defend: in December of 838 a catastrophic flood washed away many settlements on the western coast, the foreboding of a new period of bad weather and resurgent seas that would last for a century and make low-lying habitation additionally difficult.

How did Frankish overlords try to deal with Vikings?

Various Frankish overlords attempted to make the Vikings vassals and allies against their rivals, giving them land to hold in exchange for recognition of their sovereignty and their right to collect taxes.

Where in the Netherlands did the Vikings settle?

It is striking that - in contrast to England - no permanent Viking settlements seem to have been established in the Netherlands; perhaps the prospects were more attractive to them elsewhere.

What happened after Lothair II's death?

After a struggle for power in the decades after Lothair II's death in 869, and the very brief reunification of the empire under Charles the Fat (884-887), most of the Middle Kingdom was effectively annexed into East Francia by King Henry the Fowler in 925.

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