Charles the Fat

Charles the Fat (c. 839–888) was a Carolingian ruler who became emperor in 881 and briefly ruled most of the former Carolingian Empire before his deposition in 887.

Louis the German: A Carolingian king who ruled East Francia from 843 until his death in 876. Charles inherited East Francia after his father’s death.
Holy Roman Emperor: A title used by rulers who claimed imperial authority in western and central Europe. Charles received the imperial crown from Pope John VIII in 881.
Treaty of Verdun: The 843 agreement that divided the Frankish Empire among the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious. Its division created the kingdoms Charles later reunited briefly.
Charlemagne: A Frankish king crowned emperor in 800 who greatly expanded the Carolingian realm. Charles ruled territories once united under his great-grandfather.
East Francia: A post-Carolingian kingdom in central Europe that preceded the medieval Kingdom of Germany. It was Charles’s first major kingdom and the base of his power.
Viking expansion: The movement of Scandinavian raiders, settlers, and armies across Europe from the late eighth century onward. Viking attacks exposed the difficulty of defending Charles’s far-flung territories.
Deposition of Charles the Fat: The removal of Charles the Fat from power by East Frankish nobles in November 887. The deposition ended his attempt to rule the Carolingian kingdoms together.
Louis the Pious: A Carolingian emperor who ruled from 814 to 840 and was Charlemagne’s only surviving son. His sons’ inheritance settlements shaped the kingdoms Charles later assembled.
Kingdom of Italy: A medieval kingdom centered on northern and central Italy, contested by Carolingian and later rulers. Charles acquired its crown in 879, extending his rule southward.
Siege of Paris (885–886): A Viking siege of Paris that lasted from November 885 to October 886. Charles’s delayed relief and negotiated withdrawal damaged his standing.

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