WI: A Different Carolingian Inheritance/Partition

So, in OTL the Carolingian Empire was divided up in 843 along these lines creating East Francia, Middle Francia, and West Francia wherein all of Middle Francia would eventually become a part of the Holy Roman Empire which succeeded East Francia.

652px-Partage_de_l%27Empire_carolingien_au_Traité_de_Verdun_en_843.JPG


While they were all reunited very briefly, the division became permanent after 887. What if after this point West Francia were able to hold onto the Lotharingia portion of Middle Francia, within Burgundy/Provence and Italy falling into the HRE as per OTL, thereby preventing it from becoming a part of the Holy Roman Empire and becoming a part of France instead? Would Aachen/Aix-La-Chapelle remain the capital of West Francia/France?
 

dead_wolf

Banned
Someone's been playing CK2 lately :p

Charles the Bald was incredibly unpopular with both the nobles and the peasantry; his only saving grace being his close ties to the church (or rather, the rest of his families' conflict with the Holy See). When Louis II the Younger & Louis the German invaded the lands of Charles & Lothair II in 858 the former couldn't even raise an army against them and had to flee to Burgundy, and only the Frankish bishops' refusal to crown Louis & the timely election of Pope Nicholas I, through Louis' influence, who negotiated a peace, saved him. Perhaps a Louis that cares more for the Frankish lands rather than having a pet Pope. Really there's lots of potential PODs around Louis II and the whole later Carolingian dynasty.
 
I'm much more interested in the reverse: what if Burgundy and Italy came under West Francia?
A Holy Roman Empire based around "France" rather than "Germany" would be very interesting to watch!
 
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