West Francia

Kingdom of the West Franks
Francia occidentalis
843–987
West Francia within Europe after the Treaty of Verdun in 843.
Capital		Paris
Languages		Gallo-Roman, Latin
Religion		Catholic Church
Government		Monarchy
King of the Franks
•	840–877	Charles the Bald (first)
•	986–987	Louis V of France
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Treaty of Verdun	843
•	Treaty of Meerssen	870
•	Capetian dynasty established	987
Currency		Denier
Preceded by Succeeded by Francia Lotharingia Kingdom of France
Today part of		Andorra  Belgium  France  Netherlands  Spain

In medieval historiography, West Francia (Latin: Francia occidentalis) or the Kingdom of the West Franks (regnum Francorum occidentalium) was the western part of Charlemagne's Empire, inhabited and ruled by the Germanic Franks, and forms the earliest stage of the Kingdom of France, lasting from about 840 until 987. West Francia was formed out of the division of the Carolingian Empire in 843 under the Treaty of Verdun after the death of Emperor Louis the Pious and the east–west division which "gradually hardened into the establishment of separate kingdoms (...) of what we can begin to call Germany and France."

West Francia extended further south than modern France, but it did not extend as far east. By the 10th century the rule of its kings was greatly reduced and it did not include Lorraine, Burgundy, Alsace and Provence as well as Normandy which was given to Normans in return for end of raiding. In Brittany and Catalonia the authority of the West Frankish king was barely felt. West Frankish kings were elected by the secular and ecclesiastic magnates, and for the half-century between 888 and 936 they chose alternatingly from the Carolingian and Robertian houses. By this time the power of king became weaker and more nominal, as the regional dukes and nobles became more powerful in their semi-independent regions. The Robertians, after becoming counts of Paris and dukes of France became kings themselves and established the Capetian dynasty.

In August 843, after three years of civil war following the death of Louis the Pious on June 20, 840, the Treaty of Verdun was signed by his three sons and heirs. The youngest, Charles the Bald, received the western Francia. The contemporary West Frankish Annales Bertiniani describes Charles arriving at Verdun, "where the distribution of portions" took place. After describing the portions of his brothers, Lothair the Emperor (Middle Francia) and Louis the German (East Francia), he notes that "the rest as far as Spain they ceded to Charles". The Annales Fuldenses of East Francia describe Charles as holding the western part after the kingdom was "divided in three".