Charlemagne invades Denmark?

[Faeelin]

We've discussed more successful Vikings before; but what about the other way?

After the conquest of the Saxons, the Danes and the Franks found themselves as neighbors, something that both peoples understandably found to be a cause for concern. The Danes attacked Frisia, pillaging the countryside, and attacked the Slavs along the Elbe, who Charlemagne saw as his vassals.

In response, he prepared an army to invade Denmark in the summer of 810, but news reached him that the Danish king, Godefrid, had been assasinated and Denmark had been plunged into civil war. With the king of the Danes dead, there was no need for Charlemagne to invade?

What if Godefrid had lived, and Charlemagne had pressed foward with his invasion?

 

[Scarecrow]

i thought Charelmagne did invade Denmark, didnt he die falling from his horse going back to Frankia?

hmm, perhaps Denmark becomes part of the HRE, and if the vikings happen, perhaps England is brought into the HRE, and is more germanified?

or not.

 

[Max Sinister]

Didn't he conquer parts of it, founding the Danish mark (same as Spanish mark, only in another country)?

 

[Faeelin]

i thought Charelmagne did invade Denmark, didnt he die falling from his horse going back to Frankia?

Actually, he died after getting sick while hunting in the Ardennes.

 

[Redbeard]

Charlemagne never invaded Denmark, but the idea was live enough to have various Danish Kings build fortifications across Southern Jutland (Dannevirke - remains can still be seen).

At this time the Danish Kings were capable of raising a considerable force and even sacked Aachen - Charlemagne would risk ending like Varus in the Teutoburger Forrest.

If invading just was a matter of deciding it or not Charlemagne of course would have used the opportunity of a Danish civil war, but probably it was considered a very risky business no matter what.

Regards

Redbeard

 

[Scarecrow]

Actually, he died after getting sick while hunting in the Ardennes.

realy? i guess its a case of me confusing ATL with OTL then

 

[Faeelin]

At this time the Danish Kings were capable of raising a considerable force and even sacked Aachen - Charlemagne would risk ending like Varus in the Teutoburger Forrest.

Mmm. Remember, the Franks are just coming off their conquest of Saxony, which took decades; and the sack of Aachen took place during the chaos after his death, when the resources of the empire were squandered in a civil war.

 

[MerryPrankster]

At this time the Danish Kings were capable of raising a considerable force and even sacked Aachen - Charlemagne would risk ending like Varus in the Teutoburger Forrest.

That's a possibility. Rather than smoking out a pirate's nest, this could turn into a full-blown monstrous war.

Might the Lombards in Italy survive if the Franks are busy fighting the Danes? The Papacy might be in trouble...