CHARLES III, 879–929, French King (Charles the Simple)

(Charles the Simple), 879–929, French king (893–923), son of King Louis II (Louis the Stammerer). As a child he was excluded from the succession at the death (884) of his half brother Carloman and at the deposition (887) of King Charles III (Charles the Fat), who succeeded Carloman. Instead, Eudes, count of Paris, succeeded Charles the Fat. In 893, however, Charles was crowned by a party of nobles and prelates and became sole king at the death of Eudes in 898. He put an end to Norse raids by the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte (911), ceding to the Norse leader Rollo part of the territory later known as Normandy, and in 911 Charles acquired Lorraine. In 922 some of the barons revolted and crowned Robert I, brother of Eudes, king. In 923, at the battle of Soissons, Robert was killed, but Charles was defeated. Raoul of Burgundy was elected king, and Charles was imprisoned.

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