CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Boon, Colin Geoffrey |
|---|---|
| Title | Kingship in the Dark Ages: The Politics of Rule in Post-Carolingian East Francia, 887-933 |
| Summary | This study focuses on the political relationships between the kings and the nobility in the forty-six years after the fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire in 887. It was during this time the kingdom of East Francia experienced significant political upheaval that would see four different men, from three different families, claim the position of king across these decades. Running in conjunction with the reigns of these kings was an increase in regional factionalism within the kingdom that was a direct result of the retraction of centralized power wielded by the king at the turn of the tenth century. This primary focus of this paper is to show how it was the individual nature and personalities of the kings in this period that created or exacerbated division amongst the territories. Chapter one looks at inheritance and how the manner in which a king was made could lead to a lack of acceptance. Chapter two explores how relationships between kings and the nobility changed as the tenth century progressed, from how they were received after being made king to how the dynamic changed to one of open rebellion. The third chapter is concerned with responses to invasion and the conduct of campaigns beyond East Frankish borders and how both contributed to the nobility’s reception of the kings. It concludes that the individual characters of the kings from 887-933 were the greatest contributing factor in promoting stability or causing further division within the noble sphere. Whether the king inherited naturally or was unanimously elected by his peers was irrelevant if the king could not maintain amicable relations with his vassals, and this is something that becomes more apparent as the tenth century progressed. |
| Supervisor | Ziemann, Daniel |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/boon_colin.pdf |
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