West Francia
West Francia, also known as the West Frankish Kingdom or Francia Occidentalis, was a short-lived kingdom. It was the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire. They came under the control of Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, as a result of the Treaty of Verdun of 843.
Kingdom of the West Franks Regnum Francorum Occidentalium | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 843–987 | |||||||||
 Kingdom of the West Franks (red) in 843. | |||||||||
| Capital | Paris | ||||||||
| Common languages | Latin (liturgical; official); (popular:-) Old French, Old Occitan, etc. | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King, Emperor | |||||||||
• 840–877 | Charles II (first) | ||||||||
• 986–987 | Louis V (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• | 843 | ||||||||
| 8 August 870 | |||||||||
| 880 | |||||||||
• | 3 July 987 | ||||||||
| Currency | Solidus, Triens, Denarius, Pfennig | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of |  Andorra Belgium France Netherlands Spain | ||||||||
The Frankish Empire was the great realm united by Charlemagne that was a large part of Western Europe. It was split after a three-year-long civil war between his grandsons (840-843). Charles the Bald and his half-brother Louis the German went against his brother Lothair I.
The Carolingian Empire of the Franks founded by their grandfather lasted only one generation through their father Louis the Pious. His realm was split into East Francia, West Francia or the Western Realm, and Middle Francia. The West Frankish Kingdom is the start of both medieval France and modern France.
In 987 Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, started the Capetian dynasty. The Valois and Bourbon houses ruled France for more than 800 years.
West Francia Media
Map of the division of Francia enacted at Verdun in 843. From Ridpath's Universal History (1895)
The control of Carolingian kings had shrunk greatly by the 10th century (in yellow).
Royal lands (in blue) by the end of the 10th century
