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| - When Charlemagne approached the end of his life, he had but one remaining son to inherit the empire. That one son, Louis the Pious, was less fortunate. Upon his death, the empire was passed on to three sons, who each took a distinct part, of which the middle part ultimately vanished into history. The division went as follows: Lothair I - Middle Francia. Technically he was also the new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Louis the German - East Francia Charles the Bald - West Francia
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| abstract
| - When Charlemagne approached the end of his life, he had but one remaining son to inherit the empire. That one son, Louis the Pious, was less fortunate. Upon his death, the empire was passed on to three sons, who each took a distinct part, of which the middle part ultimately vanished into history. The division went as follows: Lothair I - Middle Francia. Technically he was also the new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Louis the German - East Francia Charles the Bald - West Francia But the divisions weren't just political, they were cultural and linguistic as well. Whereas the languages of West Francia showed the influences of early Rome, the languages of East Francia were predominantly Germanic. After the death of Louis the Pious, wars between his sons led to the Treaty of Verdun which moved boundaries in 842. However, the treaty didn't prevent additional wars from occurring in subsequent generations. Eventually the heirs of Lothair emerged empty handed. In 884 Francia was briefly reunited under the rule of Charles the Fat. In the end, he couldn't hold it and was deposed 887.
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