843: Verdun, Three Francias

The Treaty of Verdun (843) ends a phase of civil war among Louis the Pious’s sons. It stabilises a partition of Carolingian space and creates durable political frameworks.

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🗺️ Three sets

Verdun divides the inheritance into three zones:

• West Francia: in the West, under Charles the Bald;
• East Francia: in the East, under Louis the German;
• Middle Francia (Francia media): a long corridor from the North to Italy, given to Lothair, who keeps the imperial title. This set is later often associated with the name Lotharingia (from Lothair/Lothar), even though its borders and unity vary over time.

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🇫🇷 Why it matters for the history of France

West Francia is not “France” in the modern sense, but it is a foundation: a western, largely Romance‑speaking kingdom that will gradually build institutions, borders, and dynastic continuity.

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⚠️ A partition that does not end conflicts

The treaty stabilises a situation but does not solve everything:

• the middle space is hard to hold and becomes a permanent stake;
• heirs continue to negotiate, fight, and redivide regions;
• in the West, the king must negotiate with powerful regional elites under military pressure (Viking raids).

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🧠 Key takeaways

• Verdun durably structures post‑Carolingian Europe.
• West Francia becomes a central reference for the history of France.
• The treaty fixes a framework, but political fragmentation continues.