AHC: HRE covering the whole Carolingian Empire

France is the only carolingian successor state which wasn't part of the Holy Roman Empire. Can France be become part of it during the reign of the Ottonians or Salians?
 
A stronger ducal caste might help along the way ... If i recall my history correctly (which admittedly i very well might not, as its not in the period that calls my interest), the primary difference between France and Germany before Germany degenerated into the emperor 'merely' being first among equals by the time Salian came around, was the regency of Otto II under a unpopular Queen Dowager, which led to the nobility gaining a lot more independent power ... paired with unstable border provinces, specially to the north and east.

If France could get something similar with a long regency, while having a more unstable border into Iberia (France having a stronger, earlier control of Barcelona and Navarra might do this). But it would have to be early enough that France as an independent nation, haven't solidified just yet so, so by the time 900 comes around I'm relatively certain it's to late, as the lines are to distant unless someone decides to marry the lines together and accidents happen to make it one of a scant few acceptable choices for succession
 
France is the only carolingian successor state which wasn't part of the Holy Roman Empire. Can France be become part of it during the reign of the Ottonians or Salians?

I'm trying to imagine an emperor of the HRE to rule 'France' in addition to his usual headaches in the HRE (of OTL)...
...and I cannot.

Let's begin with the fact, that pretty early even the Frankish elites started speaking the "French language".
 
I'm trying to imagine an emperor of the HRE to rule 'France' in addition to his usual headaches in the HRE (of OTL)...
...and I cannot.

Let's begin with the fact, that pretty early even the Frankish elites started speaking the "French language".

Actually they didn't all do that. The Frankish elites eventually adjusted to the populace they were governing.
The elite of East Francia kept a Germanic tongue, even many of the Alemannian, Bavarian, Saxon and Thuringian dynasties had a Frankish or part Frankish ancestry.
The 'Oaths of Strassburg' is a clear indication that the Franks were linguistically split in a Romance and a Germanic branch, even though the culturally split was at a later date.

There's a difference between the position of the Franks in West Francia and East Francia. In West Francia they hadn't substantially settled in many areas or were a minorities, they were the established elite though. In East Francia, the Franks were one of the Germanic tribes and the elite; however the Frankish element wasn't that dominant in East Francia after the treaty of Verdun (843), that would only gradually improve after East Francia managed to take over Lotharingia. Though in many ways Lotharingia stayed a border region between West and East Francia and their successor states.

In a unified empire, the more established western half would arguably have lead to slightly different language border between Romance and Germanic, in favour of Romance. Though not as much as one would think either.
 
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