Carloman II

A denarius minted in the name of Carloman II

The realm of Carloman II after the division of the Carolingian Empire in March 880 is shown in blue

Carloman II (c. 866 – 12 December 884) was the King of West Francia from 879 until his death. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, he and his elder brother, Louis III, divided the kingdom between themselves and ruled jointly until the latter's death in 882. Thereafter Carloman ruled alone until his own death. He was the second son of King Louis the Stammerer and Queen Ansgarde.

Upon Louis the Stammerer's death, some Frankish nobles advocated electing Louis III as the sole king, but eventually both brothers were elected kings. Carloman was crowned in September 879 at Ferrières-en-Gâtinais. Although some doubts were cast upon the legitimacy of their birth, the brothers obtained recognition and in March 880 divided their father's realm at Amiens, Carloman receiving southern Kingdom of Burgundy and Kingdom of Aquitaine.

Meanwhile, the powerful Duke Boso of Provence had renounced his allegiance to both brothers and had been elected King of Provence. In the summer of 880 Carloman and Louis III marched against Boso, took Mâcon and the northern parts of his realm. Despite receiving help from their cousin Charles the Fat, who ruled East Francia and Kingdom of Italy the siege of Vienne lasted from August to November without success. Only in the summer of 882 Vienne was taken after being besieged by Richard, Count of Autun.

After the accidental death of Louis III in August 882, Carloman II became the sole king of West Francia. The kingdom was in a deplorable condition partly owing to repeated incursions from the Viking raiders, and his power was very limited by rebellious nobles, especially in Burgundy.

Carloman II died near Les Andelys while hunting on 12 December 884 and was succeeded in the throne by his cousin, the Emperor Charles the Fat. He is buried in the Saint Denis Basilica in Paris.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carloman II of France.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Carloman (Frankish princes)". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Pippinids, Arnulfings, and Carolingians
Legend: → ≡ "father of", * ≡ "brother of" Begga, the daughter of Pepin I, married Ansegisel, the son of Arnulf of Metz, and was the mother of Pepin II.
Pippinids	Carloman → Pepin I → Grimoald I → Childebert the Adopted
Arnulfings	Arnulf of Metz → Chlodulf of Metz Martin Ansegisel → Pepin II, his sons Drogo, sons Arnulf Hugh of Champagne Godfrey Pepin Grimoald I, son Theudoald Charles Martel, sons Carloman Pepin III Grifo Bernard Jerome Remigius Childebrand I, son Nibelung I → Nibelungids
Early Carolingians	Sons of Charles Martel Carloman, son Drogo Pepin III, sons Charlemagne, sons Pepin the Hunchback Charles the Younger Pepin Louis the Pious Lothair Drogo Hugh Theoderic Carloman, son Pepin Pepin Bernard, sons Wala Adalhard Bernhar
Carolingian Empire	Sons of Charlemagne Pepin, son Bernard → Pepin, Count of Vermandois → Counts of Vermandois Louis the Pious, sons Arnulf of Sens Lothair I, sons Louis II of Italy → Ermengard → Louis the Blind → Bosonids Lothair II → Hugh Charles Pepin I, son Pepin II Louis the German, sons Carloman → Arnulf → Louis the Child Ratold Zwentibold → Godfrey Otto Louis the Younger → Louis Hugh Charles the Fat → Bernard Ratold → Adalbert Charles the Bald, sons Louis the Stammerer → Louis III Carloman II Charles the Simple Charles the Child Carloman Lothair the Lame Drogo Pepin Charles
West Francia	West Francia was in the hands of the Robertians from 888 until 898. It was the last Carolingian kingdom. Charles the Simple, sons Louis IV Arnulf Drogo Rorico Louis IV, sons Lothair IV Charles Louis Charles of Lorraine Henry Lothair IV, sons Louis V Arnulf Charles of Lorraine, sons Otto Louis Charles

Carolingian Kings of France
Pepin (751–768) Charles the Great (768–814) Carloman I (768–771) Louis I (814–840) Charles I (840–877) Louis II (877–879) Louis III (879–882) Carloman II (879–884) Charles II (884–888) Charles III (898–922) Louis IV (936–954) Lothaire (954–986) Louis V (986–987)

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Merovingians	Clovis I Childebert I Chlothar I Charibert I Guntram Chilperic I Sigebert I Childebert II Chlothar II Dagobert I Sigebert II Clovis II Chlothar III Childeric II Theuderic III Clovis IV Childebert III Dagobert III Chilperic II Chlothar IV Theuderic IV Childeric III
Carolingians, Robertians and Bosonids	Pepin the Short Carloman I Charlemagne (Charles I) Louis I Charles II Louis II Louis III Carloman II Charles the Fat OdoR Charles III Robert IR RudolphB Louis IV Lothair Louis V
Capet	Hugh Capet Robert II Henry I Philip I Louis VI Louis VII Philip II Louis VIII Louis IX Philip III Philip IV Louis X John I Philip V Charles IV
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