WI Charlemagne and his family were murdered in late 8th century?

In 780, Charles formally disinherited Pepin and had the pope baptize his third son, Carloman, who now received the name Pepin. The name had a special significance as Pepin had been a recurring name in the Carolingian dynasty. This move may have been prompted by Hildegard, Charles' wife and Carloman's mother, who felt her son's inheritance expectations threatened by the hunchbacked prince.
Pepin was allowed to remain at court, and Charles continued to give the boy precedence over his younger brothers. Pepin also remained a popular "friend" of discontented nobles, and in 792, several counts played upon Pepin's dislike for his brothers to convince the deformed prince to play the figurehead in their rebellion. The conspirators planned to kill Charles, his wife Hildegarde, and his three sons by her. Pepin the Hunchback would then be set upon the throne as a more sympathetic (and more easily manipulated) king. The day of the assassination, Pepin pretended to be ill in order to meet with the plotters. The scheme nearly succeeded, but a Lombard deacon named Fardulf ultimately exposed it.
WI the conspiracy was successful and Charlemagne and his family were wiped out? How is this affecting History? Does Pope Leo III crowns Pepin as Holy Roman Emperor instead of his father? Any thoughts?
 
The Carolingian Empire shatters.

It was built especially at this time on the ability of Charles to conquer lands and dispense loot to his followers in return for service. If Pepin is easily manipulated and not suited for war (both those things appeared true) this immediately goes away. The nobles and some regions will fragment (especially uber-resentful Aquitaine, Tassilo III's plucky Bavaria and semi-pagan Saxony) and the Avars may raid west. It may even be possible that Abd ar-Rahman's Andalus might sieze the chance to retake Narbonne and create a little greater authority by opposing the mighty Franks. The Vikings will also be facing less resistance, but they'll also be facing a poorer land so they might not raid there as much as it will be worth less.

It's possible that some strongman will arise with Pepin (as Martel did with the Merovingians) that is the real power in the land but it's also possible they may not.

I think the most likely result is a stronger Al-Andalus (not much stronger due to the internal divisions but you never know) independant and more pagan germanic peoples along the Elbe and a re-declining west due to the vikings.
 
The Carolingian Empire shatters.



It's possible that some strongman will arise with Pepin (as Martel did with the Merovingians) that is the real power in the land but it's also possible they may not.

I was thinking of that... But i cant find any suitable candidate to be the power behind the throne in the Frankish realm... Well if there is a strongman pulling the strings behind Pepin would Pope Leo III turns for help to the Franks or he is obliged to submit to the Byzantines? Maybe he could let Pepin play the King and crown the strongman as Emperor in Rome... thus disconnecting the Frankish Kingdom with the "reborn" Roman Empire... (since the the Roman Imperial throne of the East was considered vacant at the time... Papacy refused to recognise an Empress regnant...)
 
Would Pepin hold the Kingdom united or after Charlemagne's untimely death would lead to the collapse of his realm?
 
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