Holy Roman Empire Collapses

After the death of Charlemagne in the year A.D. 814 his son Louise the Pious took the throne as emperor. Louise was not as effective a leader as his father. Upon the death of Louise, his three sons began fighting over control of the empire.

After several years of civil war, which greatly weakened the empire, the three brothers signed a treaty in A.D. 843, which divided the empire into three equal pieces. Louis The German took control over most of what is now present day Germany. Charles The Bald took control of what is present day France, and Lothair took the land in-between the two, stretching from the North Sea, down into Italy. Lothair retained the title of emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, since Rome laid within his territory.