| Carloman II | |
|---|---|
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| King of West Francia | |
| Reign | 10 April 879 – 6 December 884 |
| Coronation | September 879 |
| Predecessor | Louis II |
| Successor | Charles the Fat |
| Co-Monarch | Louis III (879–882) |
| Born | c. 866 |
| Died | 6 December 884 (agedc. 18) nearLes Andelys |
| Burial | |
| Dynasty | Carolingian |
| Father | Louis the Stammerer |
| Mother | Ansgarde of Burgundy |
Carloman II (c. 866 – 6 December 884) was the King ofWest Francia (futureFrance) from 879 until his death. A member of theCarolingians, he and his elder brotherLouis III, divided the kingdom between themselves and ruled jointly until the latter's death in 882. Thereafter Carloman ruled alone until his own death. He was the second son of KingLouis the Stammerer and QueenAnsgarde.
Carloman II was born around 866 as the second son of King Louis II the Stammerer andAnsgarde of Burgundy. His grandfather wasCharles the Bald, himself a grandson ofCharlemagne, placing him firmly within the prestigious Carolingian dynasty. Carloman and his older brother Louis were born while their father was still King of Aquitaine, before Louis the Stammerer ascended to the throne of West Francia.
Upon Louis the Stammerer's death, some Frankish nobles advocated electing Louis III as the sole king, but eventually both brothers were elected kings. They were both crowned in September 879.[2] Some doubts were cast upon the legitimacy of their birth,[3] but these disappeared after their victory over theVikings on November of that year.[2] In March 880, the brothers divided their father's realm atAmiens, Carloman receiving the southern kingdoms ofBurgundy andAquitaine.[3]
_et_Carloman_(vers_866-884).jpg)
One of the first major challenges faced by the young kings was the rebellion of Duke Boso of Provence, who had renounced his allegiance to both brothers and had himself elected King of Provence in October 879. In 880, Carloman and Louis III marched against Boso and successfully captured the northern parts of his realm.[2]They initiated a siege of Vienne, Boso's stronghold, which would last for two years. While Boso fled to the hills, the brothers maintained the siege, though they were unable to capture the city immediately. The city was finally taken in 882 by Richard, Duke of Burgundy, after Carloman and Louis had received assistance from their cousinCharles the Fat, who ruled East Francia and the Kingdom of Italy.[2]
Like many rulers of this era, Carloman II spent much of his reign defending his territories against Viking raiders. Following theBattle of Thimeon near Charleroi in February 880, where the Vikings had been defeated by Louis the Younger of East Francia, the raiders resumed their attacks on West Francia.[4]
After takingKortrijk in November 880, the Vikings raidedArras andCambrai in December, and later in 881, they sackedAmiens and Corbie. On August 3, 881, Carloman and his brother Louis III achieved a significant victory against the Vikings at theBattle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu.[5]
When Louis III died unexpectedly in August 882 at the young age of 19, Carloman became the sole ruler of West Francia.
The kingdom Carloman inherited was in a deplorable condition, partly due to repeated incursions from Viking raiders. His power was significantly limited by rebellious nobles, especially in Burgundy. Despite these challenges, Carloman continued to defend his territories and maintain the governance structures established by his Carolingian predecessors.[6]
Carloman II died nearLes Andelys while hunting on December 884. He was accidentally stabbed in the leg by his servant Bertoldus while they were attacked by a wild boar.[7] Carloman survived but died seven days later,[7] on 5–6 December.[8][9] He was only about 18 years old.[7] Some modern sources give his death date as 12 December,[3] but this is not corroborated by contemporary sources. Carloman's land were inherited by his cousin, the emperorCharles the Fat.
Carloman II Born: c. 866 Died: 6 December 884 | ||
| Preceded by | King of West Francia 10 April 879 – 6 December 884 withLouis III (10 April 879 – 5 August 882) | Succeeded by |
