Hugh the Great

Hugh the Great (Template:Circa<ref>Linda Seidel, Legends in Limestone: Lazarus, Gislebertus, and the Cathedral of Autun, (University of Chicago Press, 1999), 67.
Widukind (of Corvey), Deeds of the Saxons, transl.Bernard S. Bachrach and David S. Bachrach, (The Catholic University of America Press, 2014), 43.</ref>Template:Snd16 June 956) was the duke of the Franks and count of Paris. He was the most powerful magnate in France. Son of King Robert I of France, Hugh was Margrave of Neustria. He played an active role in bringing King Louis IV of France back from England in 936. Seeking an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great, he married Otto's younger sister Hedwig of Saxony in 937. They were the parents of Hugh Capet. Hedwig's sister, Gerberga of Saxony, was Louis' wife. Although he often fought against Louis, he supported the accession of Louis and Gerberga's son, Lothair of France.

Biography

Hugh was the son of King Robert I of France and Béatrice of Vermandois,<ref name="ESII10-11">Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1984), Tafeln 10-11</ref> a descendant of Charlemagne. He was born in Paris, Île-de-France, France. His eldest son was Hugh Capet who became King of France in 987.<ref>Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (Hambledon Continuum, London & New York, 2007), p. 69</ref> His family is known as the Robertians.<ref>Lucien Bély, The History of France ( J.P. Gisserot, Paris, 2001), p. 21</ref>

In 922, the barons of Western Francia, after revolting against the Carolingian King Charles the Simple (who fled his kingdom under their onslaught), elected Robert I, Hugh's father, as king of Western Francia.<ref name="PR252">Pierre Riché, The Carolingians; A Family who Forged Europe, Trans. Michael Idomir Allen (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1993), p.250</ref> At the death of Robert I, in battle at Soissons in 923, Hugh refused the crown and it went to his brother-in-law Rudolph.<ref name="PR252"/> Charles sought help in regaining his crown from Hugh's cousin Count Herbert II of Vermandois, who instead of helping the king imprisoned him.<ref name="PR252"/> Herbert then used his prisoner as an advantage in pressing his own ambitions, using the threat of releasing the king up until Charles' death in 929.<ref>Pierre Riché, The Carolingians; A Family who Forged Europe, Trans. Michael Idomir Allen (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1993), pp.250-1</ref> From then on Herbert II of Vermandois struggled with King Rudolph and Duke Hugh.<ref name="PR252"/> Finally Rudolph and Herbert II came to an agreement in 935.<ref name="PR252"/>

At the death of Rudolph in 936, Hugh was in possession of nearly all of the region between the Loire and the Seine, corresponding to the ancient Neustria, with the exceptions of Anjou and of the territory ceded to the Normans in 911.<ref>Elizabeth M. Hallam, Capetian France; 987-1328 (Longman Group Ltd., London & New York, 1980), p. 89</ref> He took a very active part in bringing King Louis IV (d'Outremer) from the Kingdom of England in 936.<ref>The Annals of Flodoard of Reims: 919-966, Ed. & Trans. Stephen Fanning & Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. xvii</ref> Historians have wondered why the powerful Hugh the Great called the young Louis to throne instead of taking it himself, as his father had done fifteen years earlier. In the first place, he had many rivals, especially Hugh, Duke of Burgundy (King Rudolph's brother), and Herbert II, Count of Vermandois, who probably would have challenged his election. But above all, it seems that he was shocked by the early death of his father. Richerus explains that Hugh the Great remembered his father who had died for his "pretentions" and this was the cause of his short and turbulent reign. <ref>Sot, Michel. "Hérédité royale et pouvoir sacré avant 987", Annales ESC, n° 43, 1988, pp. 705–733</ref>

In 937, Hugh's second wife, Eadhild, died. Later that year, he married Hedwige of Saxony, a daughter of King Henry the Fowler of Germany and Matilda. Soon after this, his third marriage, he was drawn into a prolonged quarrel with Louis IV.<ref name="EB1911">Template:EB1911</ref><ref>Pierre Riché, The Carolingians; A Family who Forged Europe, Trans. Michael Idomir Allen (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1993), p.262</ref> In 938, King Louis IV began attacking fortresses and lands formerly held by members of his family, some held by Herbert II of Vermandois.<ref>The Annals of Flodoard of Reims; 919-966, Ed. & Trans. Steven Fanning & Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. 30</ref> In 939, King Louis attacked Hugh the Great and Duke William Longsword of Normandy, after which a truce was concluded, lasting until June.<ref>The Annals of Flodoard of Reims; 919-966, Ed. & Trans. Steven Fanning & Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. 31</ref> That same year, Hugh, along with Count Herbert II of Vermandois, Count Arnulf I of Flanders and Duke William Longsword paid homage to the Emperor Otto the Great, and supported him in his struggle against Louis.<ref>The Annals of Flodoard of Reims; 919-966, Ed. & Trans. Steven Fanning & Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. 32</ref>

When Louis fell into the hands of the Normans in 945, he was handed over to Hugh in exchange for their young duke Richard.<ref>David Crouch, The Normans (Hambledon Continuum, London & New York, 2007), p. 16</ref> Hugh released Louis IV in 946 on condition that he should surrender the fortress of Laon.<ref>Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (Hambledon Continuum, London & New York, 2007), p. 40</ref> In 948 at a church council at Ingelheim the bishops, all but two being from Germany, condemned and excommunicated Hugh in absentia, and returned Archbishop Artauld to his See at Reims.<ref name="JB41">Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (Hambledon Continuum, London & New York, 2007), p. 41</ref> Hugh's response was to attack Soissons and Reims while the excommunication was repeated by a council at Trier.<ref name="JB41"/> In 953 Hugh finally relented and made peace with Louis IV, the church and his brother-in-law Otto the Great.<ref name="JB41"/>

On the death of Louis IV, Hugh was one of the first to recognize Lothair as his successor, and, at the intervention of Lothair's mother, Gerberga of Saxony, was instrumental in having him crowned.<ref name="JB41"/> In recognition of this service Hugh was invested by the new king with the duchies of Burgundy and Aquitaine.<ref name="JB42">Jim Bradbury, The Capetians: Kings of France, 987-1328 (Hambledon Continuum, London & New York, 2007), p. 42</ref> In the same year, however, Duke Gilbert of Burgundy acknowledged himself his vassal and betrothed his daughter to Hugh's son Otto-Henry.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref name="JB42"/> At Giselbert's death on 8 April 956, Hugh became effective master of the duchy;<ref name="EB1911"/> Hugh died in Dourdan on 16 June.<ref name="ESII10-11"/>

Family

Hugh married first, in 922, Judith, daughter of Roger, Count of Maine, and his wife Rothilde, a daughter of Emperor Charles the Bald.<ref name="ESII10-11"/> She died childless in 925.<ref name="ESII10-11"/> Hugh's second wife was Eadhild, daughter of Edward the Elder, king of the Anglo-Saxons, and half-sister of King Æthelstan.<ref name="ESII10-11" /> They married in 926 and she died in 937, childless.<ref name="ESII10-11" /> Hugh's married his third wife, Hedwig of Saxony, daughter of Henry the Fowler and Matilda, in 937. She and Hugh had:

• Beatrice married Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine.<ref name="ESII10-11"/>
• Hugh Capet (c. 941–996)<ref name="ESII11">Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band II (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1984), Tafel 11</ref>
• Emma (c. 943Template:Sndafter 968).<ref name="ESII11"/>
• Otto, Duke of Burgundy, a minor in 956.<ref name="JB42"/>
• Odo-Henry (Henry I, Duke of Burgundy) (946–1002)<ref name="JB42"/>