Louis the Younger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louis the Younger
King of Saxony
Reign	28 August 876 – 20 January 882
Predecessor	Louis II as King of East Francia
Successor	Charles III
King of Bavaria
Reign	22 March 880 – 20 January 882
Predecessor	Carloman
Successor	Charles III
Born	830 or 835
Died	20 January 882 Frankfurt, East Francia
Burial	Lorsch Abbey
Spouse	Liutgard of Saxony
Issue	Hugh Louis Bernhard Hildegard
House	Carolingian
Father	Louis II
Mother	Emma of Altdorf

Louis the Younger (born between 830 and 835, died 882) was an important king in a part of Europe called East Francia. He was also known as Louis the Saxon. He was the second son of King Louis the German and Queen Hemma.

Louis became King of East Francia in 876 after his father passed away. Later, he also became King of Bavaria in 879, taking over from his older brother Carloman. When Louis the Younger died in 882, his younger brother, Charles the Fat, took control of all his lands. Charles the Fat was already the emperor at that time.

Louis's Early Life and Military Actions

As a young man, Louis the Younger was involved in military campaigns. He fought against a group called the Abodrites in the east in 858 and 862.

In 854, some nobles from Aquitaine (a region in Gaul, which is now France) invited Louis to become their king. His father and cousin encouraged him. Louis led an army into Gaul, hoping to claim the Aquitainian crown. He marched as far as Limoges before returning home.

Growing Independence and Family Life

Back home, Louis became very close with the nobles in East Francia. He started to act more independently from his father. He even got engaged to the daughter of a count named Adalard.

In 865, Louis and his brother Charles briefly rebelled against their father. However, they soon made peace. Their father, Louis the German, then divided his lands among his sons. Carloman had already received Bavaria. Now, Louis received Saxony, Thuringia, and Franconia. Charles received Alemannia and Rhaetia.

In 869, Louis married Liutgard in Aschaffenburg. Liutgard was a strong and ambitious woman. She often encouraged her husband to pursue big goals. Their marriage sometimes caused tension between Louis and his father. Louis rebelled again in 871 and 873, but each time, he later reconciled with his father.

Becoming King of East Francia

When his father, Louis the German, died in 876, Louis the Younger fully inherited his kingdoms. He used the title rex Francorum, which means "king of the Franks." Louis saw himself as the main heir. He buried his father in Lorsch Abbey, which was in his own territory. This was to show his importance compared to his brothers. Louis also kept his father's main advisor, Archbishop Liutbert. Louis and his brothers ruled their kingdoms independently but worked together peacefully.

Expanding the Kingdom

Louis's rule was immediately challenged by Charles the Bald, who was King of West Francia. Charles wanted to take over parts of Lotharingia and perhaps even control his nephew, Louis. Louis fought back. On October 8, 876, at Andernach, Louis defeated Charles's much larger army from West Francia. The East Frankish army was well-organized and used smart tactics. Louis even dressed his soldiers in white so they looked like an army of spirits!

After this victory, Louis and his two brothers met in November at Nördlingen. They discussed how to divide their father's kingdom and had their armies promise loyalty. They followed a plan made in 865, which their father had confirmed in 872. Carloman kept Bavaria, Charles kept Swabia, and Louis kept Saxony, Franconia, and Thuringia. Even though historians often call him "King of Saxony," Louis never actually visited Saxony itself, even though it was a large part of his land.

At the end of 877, the brothers met again to discuss how to manage their half of Lotharingia. Carloman gave up his claim, so the land was divided between Louis and Charles. They met again in September 878 in Alsace. In 879, Carloman became very ill and named Louis as his successor in Bavaria. Louis officially received Bavaria a year later when Carloman died.

In November 878, after Charles the Bald died, his son Louis the Stammerer and Louis the Younger made a promise. They agreed to respect their sons' rights to inherit their kingdoms. This agreement, called the Treaty of Fouron, was made in Voeren. It was tested soon after, when Louis the Stammerer died in April 879. Some nobles from West Francia invited Louis the Younger to become their king. His wife Liutgard also encouraged him. So, Louis invaded West Francia. He marched as far as Verdun. However, the new kings of West Francia, Louis III and Carloman, gave their part of Lotharingia to Louis. So, Louis retreated. In February 880, this gain was confirmed by the Treaty of Ribemont, signed near Saint Quentin. This treaty set the border between the two kingdoms, and it stayed the same for centuries.

Working with the Nobility

Unlike his father, Louis the Younger preferred to work with the nobles. He tried to make sure the king's interests and the nobles' interests aligned, avoiding conflicts. He managed to connect powerful families to the crown. This included his wife's relatives, the Liudovingian family, who later became kings and emperors themselves.

Louis mostly stayed in the Rhineland. He avoided visiting Saxony or his eastern borders. He did visit Bavaria twice, but he mostly left its government to his nephew, Arnulf, who was Carloman's son.

Fighting Against Viking Attacks

Starting in the summer of 879, Vikings began to attack the Frankish kingdom more often. They sometimes went deep into the land. Louis's kingdom was hit very hard, second only to West Francia.

In February 880, Louis fought and defeated a Norse army at the Battle of Thimeon, near modern Charleroi. Sadly, his son Hugh was killed in this battle. The next year, Louis III, King of West Francia, defeated the Norse at the Battle of Saucourt. Louis the Younger also drove the Norse out of the royal palace of Nijmegen, which they had taken over. In the same month, a Saxon army led by Duke Bruno, Louis's brother-in-law, suffered a big defeat near Hamburg. Bruno and many other Saxon nobles died.

Louis's Death and What Happened Next

Louis became sick in 881 and died in Frankfurt on January 20, 882. He was buried next to his father in Lorsch Abbey.

Louis had a son named Louis (877–879) with his wife Liutgard of Saxony. This son died from a fall from a palace window. He also had a daughter named Hildegard (878–895). Louis also had an illegitimate son named Hugh (born between 855 and 860, died February 880).

Since Louis had no living sons to inherit his throne, all his lands went to his brother Charles. This meant Charles could reunite the entire East Frankish kingdom. Later, Hildegard, Louis's daughter, was involved in a plot against King Arnulf and lost her public honors in 895.

Family

Louis the Younger married Liutgard of Saxony (died 885). She was the daughter of Duke Liudolf of Saxony. Liudolf was the grandfather of King Henry I of Germany.

Louis and Liutgard had these children:

• Louis (876 - November 879)
• Hildegard (born between 875 and 881 - after 900)
• Bernhart

Louis also had an illegitimate son:

• Hugo (around 855/860 - February 880)
• Adalhard, another illegitimate son

See also

• Kings of Germany family tree