This article is about the specific polity East Francia and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
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Was one of the kingdoms that emerged from the Treaty of Verdun of 843 that divided the Frankish Empire among the surviving sons of the emperor Louis I, the son and successor of Charlemagne. The treaty was the first of the four partition treaties of the Carolingian Empire. These Partition Treaties were the Treaties of Verdun (843), Prüm (855), Meerssen (870), and Ribemont (880).
Establishment
September 843: The Treaty of Verdun, signed in August 843, divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms among the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, who was the son of Charlemagne. The treaty, signed in Verdun-sur-Meuse, ended the three-year Carolingian Civil War.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
The Frankish Kingdom was partitioned and reuinited several times as the Frankish rulers used to divide their territories equally among their heirs. This lead also to a number of wars and revolts.
1.1.Partition of the Frankish Empire (Treaty of Verdun)
The Treaty of Verdun, signed in August 843, was the first of the treaties that divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms among the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, who was the son of Charlemagne. The treaty, signed in Verdun-sur-Meuse, ended the three-year Carolingian Civil War.
1.2.East Francia invades West Francia
Encouraged by his nephews Peppin II and Charles of Provence, Louis of East Francia invaded in West Francia in 858. Charles the Bald could not even raise an army to resist the invasion and fled to Burgundy.
January 859: Encouraged by his nephews Peppin II and Charles of Provence, Louis invaded in West Francia in 858. Charles the Bald could not even raise an army to resist the invasion and fled to Burgundy. Later that year Louis issued a charter dated "the first year of the reign in West Francia." .
June 860: However, treachery and desertion in his army, and the continued loyalty of the Aquitanian bishops to Charles the Bald, brought about the failure of the whole enterprise. As such on 7 June 860 at Koblenz, both Louis and Charles made public vows to uphold the peace.
1.3.Partition of East Francia (864)
In 864 Louis of East Francia was forced to grant his son Carloman the Kingdom of Bavaria. In 865 he divided the remainder of his lands between his other two sons - Saxony with Franconia and Thuringia went to Louis the Younger and Swabia with Raetia to Charles the Fat.
January 865: In 864 German king Louis was forced to grant Carloman the kingdom of Bavaria, which he himself had once held under his father.
August 876: Louis of Germany was preparing for a new war when he died on August 28, 876 in Frankfurt. He was buried at the abbey of Lorsch, leaving three sons and three daughters. His sons, unusual for their earlier behaviour, respected the divisions made a decade earlier and each contented himself with his own kingdom.
1.4.Partition of Lotharingia (treaty of Meerssen)
The Treaty of Mersen or Meerssen, concluded on 8 August 870, was a treaty of partition of the realm of Lothair II, known as Lotharingia, by his uncles Louis the German of East Francia and Charles the Bald of West Francia, the two surviving sons of Emperor Louis I the Pious.
August 870: The Treaty of Mersen or Meerssen, concluded on 8 August 870, was a treaty of partition of the realm of Lothair II, known as Lotharingia, by his uncles Louis the German of East Francia and Charles the Bald of West Francia, the two surviving sons of Emperor Louis I the Pious.
1.5.East Francia reunited
After the death of Louis the younger, his surviving brother Charles the Fat reunited East Francia.
January 882: Ludovico died in 882, according to the Annales Fuldenses, following an illness, while the chronicler Reginone, recalling the death of the king of Germany, recalls that during the occupation of the kingdom of Bavaria in 879, his heir of about two years old, also named Ludovico, fell from a window of Reganesbourgh Castle. Ludwig died without legitimate male heirs, so his territories and the royal title of the East Franks passed into the hands of his brother Charles the Fat.
1.6.Unification of the Frankish realm under Charles the Fat
After the death of the Emperor of East Francia, Charles the Fat, who was already Emperor of West Francia, was able to reuinite the whole Frankish Empire. Charles the Fat was the last Carolingian emperor of legitimate birth and the last to rule a united kingdom of the Franks.
December 884: Carloman II died near Les Andelys, while he was hunting, on 12 December 884. Leaving no direct heirs, the Franks reunited and decided to turn to the Emperor, Charles the Fat, who succeeded Carloman both on the throne of Aquitaine and on that of the West Franks.
1.7.German Invasion of Italy
Arnulf of East Francia invaded Italy.
October 900: When Arnulph died, the imperial title was once again vacant, so the Marquis of Tuscany Adalbert and Pope Benedict IV proposed the imperial crown to Louis the Blind, King of Provence. The latter went down to Italy, defeated Berengari, had himself elected King of Italy by the Diet of Pavia (900) and had himself crowned Emperor by the Pope (901).
1.8.Unification of East Francia
At the death of Zwentibold, who was king of Lotharingia, his brother Louis the Child inherited the kingdom and reunited East Francia.
August 900: Welthybald died on 13 August 900. Upon his death, his half-brother Ludwig also became king of Lotharingia.
1.9.Burgundian annexion of Basel
Charles the Simple, the West Frankish Emperor, invaded Burgundy.
January 912: In 911, taking advantage of the struggle between the king of the eastern Franks or of Germany, Conrad I of Franconia and that of the western Franks or of France, Charles the Simple, Rudolf took the city of Basel away from Conrad.
1.10.French Annexion of Lotharingia
Charles the Simple, the West Frankish Emperor, invaded Lotharingia.
January 912: The opportunity was provided by the childless death of the East Frankish King (King of Germany), Ludwig IV, who had succeeded his half-brother Wentibold as King of Lotharingia. Conrad I of Franconia was elected as king of Germany, who did not meet many sympathy among the most influential families of Lotharingia, who in fact already in November had elected their king Charles III, who, having sanctioned peace with the Normans on the western border, was able occupy the kingdom of Lotharingia and settle from 1 January 912.
1.11.Burgundian Annexion of Argovia and Turgovia
During the election of the East Frankish Emperor, the King of Burgundy annexed territories in modern-day Switzerland.
January 920: In 919, after the death of Conrad I of Germany, the Magyars raided Saxony, Lotharingia and West France.
1.12.German Annexation of Lotharingia
Henry the Fowler, King of East Francia, invaded Lotharingia, part of West Francia at the time.
October 929: Henry I after Charles had been imprisoned, re-annexed Lotharingia.
1.13.German Annexation of Eider and Schlei territories
Henry the Fowler, King of East Francia, invaded the territories between the rivers Eider and Schlei.
January 935: The King of East Francia Henry the Fowler attacked the Danes 934 and conquered the territories between the rivers Eider and Schlei.
1.14.German Annexation of italy
East Frankish King Otto I annexed the Kingdom of Italy.
December 961: Subsequently, Berengario implemented an aggressive policy towards the Papacy which prompted John XII to ask Otto to go down to Italy. In 961 the king of Germany arrived in Italy for the second time. Berengario's troops refused to fight, forcing father and son to barricade themselves at the fortress of San Leo. Otto formally deposed them from the royal title and had himself crowned Emperor by John XII.
1.15.Incoronation of Otto I
East Frankish King Otto I was crowned first Holy Roman Emperor.
February 962: In 962, Otto was crowned Emperor by Pope John XII, thus intertwining the affairs of the German kingdom with those of Italy and the Papacy. Otto's coronation as Emperor marked the German kings as successors to the Empire of Charlemagne, which through the concept of translatio imperii, also made them consider themselves as successors to Ancient Rome.
The Magyars (or Hungarians) successfully conquered the Carpathian Basin (corresponding to the later Kingdom of Hungary) by the end of the ninth century, and launched a number of plundering raids thoughout Europe.
January 901: In 900, the Hungarian army, led by Prince Árpád, conquered Pannonia after their alliance proposal to the East Francians, led by King Louis the Child, was rejected. This marked a significant expansion of the Principality of Hungary's territory.
January 902: In 901, the Magyars attacked Italy again.
January 902: Lower Pannonia conquered by the Hungarians.
February 902: In 901, the Magyars attacked Italy again. The territories were left after the raid.
January 903: In 902, the Magyars led a campaign against northern Moravia.
February 903: In 902, the Magyars led a campaign against northern Moravia.The territories were left after the raid.
September 908: The Battle of Eisenach in Thuringia in 908 was won by the Hungarians under the leadership of Grand Prince Árpád. This victory solidified Hungarian control over the region and expanded the Principality of Hungary's territory.
October 908: The Battle of Eisenach in Thuringia in 908 was a victory for the Hungarians led by Grand Prince Árpád. The defeat of the East Frankish forces led by King Louis the Child resulted in Thuringia becoming part of the Hungarian territory.
July 910: The Battle of Lechfeld in 910 was a decisive victory for the Magyar army led by Grand Prince Árpád over the united Frankish Imperial Army of Louis the Child. This victory solidified the Magyar control over Bavaria, which became part of the Principality of Hungary.
August 910: The Battle of Lechfeld in 910 was a decisive victory for the Magyar army led by Grand Prince Árpád over the united Frankish Imperial Army of Louis the Child. This battle marked the end of the Magyar invasions into Bavaria and solidified East Francia's control over the region.
January 911: Three major Frankish imperial armies were defeated decisively by the Hungarians between 907 and 910. The Hungarians succeeded in extending the de iure Bavarian-Hungarian border to the River Enns.
January 918: Between 917 and 925, the Magyars raided through Basel, Alsace, Burgundy, Provence and the Pyrenees.
February 918: Between 917 and 925, the Magyars raided through Basel, Alsace, Burgundy, Provence and the Pyrenees. The Magyars then left the raided territories.
February 920: End of the 919 Magyar raid in Saxony, Lotharingia and West France.
January 922: In 921, the Hungarians raided Italy, reaching Apulia in 922.
February 922: In 921, the Hungarians raided Italy, reaching Apulia in 922. The territories were left after the raid.
January 927: In 926, the Hungarians ravaged Swabia and Alsace, campaigned through present-day Luxembourg and reached as far as the Atlantic Ocean.
February 927: In 926, the Hungarians ravaged Swabia and Alsace, campaigned through present-day Luxembourg and reached as far as the Atlantic Ocean. After the raid, the Magyars left the occupied territories.
January 928: The Hungarians marched up to Rome and imposed large tribute payments on Tuscany and Tarento.
February 928: The Hungarians marched up to Rome and imposed large tribute payments on Tuscany and Tarento. After the raid, the Hungarians left these territories.
January 934: In 933, a substantial Magyar army appeared in Saxony.
February 934: An invading Magyar army is defeated by Henry I of Germany at Merseburg (15 March 933).
January 936: Magyar attacks against Upper Burgundy (in 935).
February 936: Magyar attacks against Upper Burgundy (in 935). The territories were left after the raid.
January 937: Hungarian raid against Saxony (in 936).
February 937: Hungarian raid against Saxony (in 936). The territories were left after the raid.
January 938: In 937, the Hungarians raided France as far west as Reims, Lotharingia, Swabia, Franconia, the Duchy of Burgundy and Italy as far as Otranto in the south.
February 938: In 937, the Hungarians raided France as far west as Reims, Lotharingia, Swabia, Franconia, the Duchy of Burgundy and Italy as far as Otranto in the south. After the ride they left these territories.
January 939: In 938, the Magyars repeatedly attacked Saxony.
February 939: In 938, the Magyars repeatedly attacked Saxony. The territories were left after the raid.
January 948: In 947, Bulcsú, a Hungarian chieftain of Taksony, led a raid into Italy as far as Apulia.
February 948: In 947, Bulcsú, a Hungarian chieftain of Taksony, led a raid into Italy as far as Apulia.
August 955: The Hungarians invaded the Duchy of Bavaria in late June or early July 955.
2.1.Battle of Lechfeld
The Battle of Lechfeld was a series of military engagements over the course of three days from 10-12 August 955 in which the Kingdom of Germany, led by King Otto I the Great, annihilated the Hungarian army. With the German victory, further invasions by the Magyars into Latin Europe were ended.
August 955: Battle of Lechfeld.
September 955: The German forces of King Otto I the Great annihilated a Hungarian army (Second Battle of Lechfeld) led by harka Bulcsú and the chieftains Lél and Súr. With this German victory, further invasions by the Magyars into Latin Europe were ended.
Was a land battle between a Saxon army of the Kingdom of Germany and the armies of the Slavic Redarii and Linonen peoples.
August 929: The Saxons laid siege to Lenzen, a Slavic fortress.
September 929: Battle of Lenzen.
January 851: In the middle of the 9th century, the state in Raska (Serbia) was already quite extensive and militarily strong.
January 930: Marca Geronis was a medieval territory in East Francia, created in the 920s for Thietmar, a nobleman and military leader.
January 936: The Billung March was formed in 936, when Otto II, Duke of Saxony and King of East Francia, made Hermann Billung princeps militiae (margrave, literally "prince of the militia"), granting him control of the border with rule over the West Slavic Obotrite tribes, including the Polabians, Warnabi and Wagri, as well as the Redarii, Circipani, and Kissini tribes of the Veleti confederation, and the Danes, who had repeatedly campaigned the territory.
January 961: From c. 960 Harald Bluetooth appears to have established a kingdom in the lands of the Danes which stretched from Jutland to Skåne.
Disestablishment
February 962: In 962, Otto was crowned Emperor by Pope John XII, thus intertwining the affairs of the German kingdom with those of Italy and the Papacy. Otto's coronation as Emperor marked the German kings as successors to the Empire of Charlemagne, which through the concept of translatio imperii, also made them consider themselves as successors to Ancient Rome.
Selected Sources
Kristó, G. (1993): A Kárpát-medence és a magyarság régmultja (1301-ig), Szeged (Hungary), p. 299
Lajos G. (2011): Hungary in the Carpathian Basin, Budapest (Hungary), p. 18
Leyser, K. (1982): Medieval Germany and its neighbours, 900-1250, London (UK), p. 50
Makkai, L. (1990): The Hungarians' prehistory, their conquest of Hungary and their raids to the west to 955, in: A History of Hungary, Bloomington (USA) p. 8-14
Reuter, T. (1995): The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 900-c. 1024, Cambridge (UK), p. 543
Reuter, T. (1995): The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 900-c. 1024, Cambridge University Press, p. 543
Sugar, P. F. / Hanák, P. (1994): A History of Hungary, Bloomington (USA), p. 13
Timothy R. (1995) The New Cambridge Medieval History Volume 3, c. 900-c. 1024, Cambridge (UK), p. 543
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East Francia
