Treaty of Verdun

The Treaty of Verdun, made on 10 August 843, ended a civil war in the Carolingian Empire. This empire was built by the great ruler Charlemagne. The treaty divided the empire among three brothers: Lothair I, Louis II, and Charles II, who were the surviving sons of Emperor Louis I.

The treaty happened after more than a year of talks. It was the first of several agreements that slowly split the large Carolingian Empire. These splits helped form the countries of western Europe as we know them today.

Later, there were three more treaties: the Treaties of Prüm in 855, Meerssen in 870, and Ribemont in 880. Together, these treaties showed the end of the united Carolingian Empire.

Background

After Charlemagne died, his son Louis the Pious ruled the Frankish Empire. He shared parts of the empire with his sons, but this caused disagreements. When Louis died in 840, his son Lothair I tried to rule the whole empire. His brothers Louis II and Charles II did not agree and went to war against him. They defeated Lothair and made an agreement to negotiate peace.

Provisions

Lothair ruled the Kingdom of Italy. Louis the German ruled the Kingdom of Bavaria. Charles II ruled the Kingdom of Aquitaine.

Lothair got the Middle Frankish lands. These lands included places that later became the Low Countries, the Rhineland, Lorraine, Alsace, Burgundy, and Provence. He kept his title as emperor but only had control over his brothers' lands in name.

Louis II got the East Frankish kingdom. This was all the land east of the Rhine. This area later became the Kingdom of Germany.

Charles II got the West Frankish kingdom. This was all the land west of the Rhône. This area later became the Kingdom of France.

Legacy

The Treaty of Verdun split the land among the sons of a ruler, following an old Frankish custom. This made it hard to keep the empire together. Only one ruler, Charles the Fat, briefly managed to bring the lands back together.

Over time, the lands split into different areas. The part called Lotharingia was often fought over by nearby kingdoms. The southern part, Alsace-Lorraine, changed hands many times between France and Germany, finally becoming part of France after World War II. The split also helped shape the way countries in Europe developed over many years.