Carloman II

Carloman II ( 866 – 6 December 884) was the King of West Francia (future France) from 879 until his death. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, he and his elder brother Louis 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 King Louis the Stammerer and Queen Ansgarde.

Early Life

Carloman II was born around 866 as the second son of King Louis II the Stammerer and Ansgarde of Burgundy. His grandfather was Charles the Bald, himself a grandson of Charlemagne, 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.

Succession to the throne

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. Some doubts were cast upon the legitimacy of their birth, but these disappeared after their victory over the Vikings on November of that year. In March 880, the brothers divided their father's realm at Amiens, Carloman receiving the southern kingdoms of Burgundy and Aquitaine.

Military Campaigns

Against Boso of Provence

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.

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 cousin Charles the Fat, who ruled East Francia and the Kingdom of Italy.

Against the Vikings

Like many rulers of this era, Carloman II spent much of his reign defending his territories against Viking raiders. Following the Battle 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.

After taking Kortrijk in November 880, the Vikings raided Arras and Cambrai in December, and later in 881, they sacked Amiens and Corbie. On August 3, 881, Carloman and his brother Louis III achieved a significant victory against the Vikings at the Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu.

Sole Rule

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.

Death

Carloman II died near Les 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.''Annales Vedastini.'
Anno DCCCLXXXIIII.
/ref> Carloman survived but died seven days later, on 5–6 December.''Annales S. Benigni Divionensis'' 884.
MGH V, p. 40. "Obiit Karlomannus rex Non. Decemb. December. He was only about 18 years old. Some modern sources give his death date as 12 December, but this is not corroborated by contemporary sources. Carloman's land were inherited by his cousin, the emperor Charles the Fat.

References

Sources

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carloman 02 of France
860s births
884 deaths
9th-century kings of West Francia
Medieval child monarchs
Frankish warriors
Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis
Year of birth uncertain
9th-century people from West Francia
Carolingian dynasty
Deaths by stabbing in Norway