Person

Charles the Bald

823–877 · 9th century · Also known as Charles II of France

Charles the Bald was the youngest son of Louis the Pious. By the Treaty of Verdun in 843 he received West Francia, the forerunner of France, and in 875 he was crowned emperor. His reign was troubled by Viking raids and by Breton and Aquitanian rebels, and to defend the realm he relied on great counts, such as those of Flanders, who later became hereditary princes.

Charles the Bald
Image: Comte Vivien - Moines de l'abbaye Saint-Martin de Tours, vers 850 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Carolingian EmpireDeclineKingdom of the FranksDeclineCounty of FlandersFoundation, Summary

Mentioned in 9 state histories

Carolingian Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of AquitaineWest FranciaKingdom of BrittanyKingdom of ProvenceCounty of FlandersCounty of PérigordCounty of AngoulêmeKingdom of Lower Burgundy

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Charles the Bald. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-the-bald
MLA
“Charles the Bald.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-the-bald. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Charles the Bald.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-the-bald.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Charles the Bald’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-the-bald (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻