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Charlemagne's Forgotten Brother: Carloman A Story Erased from History

The story of Carloman I has been systematically erased from history by sources written to glorify his brother Charlemagne. This meticulously researched biography recovers the forgotten king who ruled Francia from 768 to 771 and who represented an alternative vision of medieval kingship that prioritized governance over conquest and tradition over expansion. Born into the newly established Carolingian dynasty and anointed by the Pope alongside his famous brother, Carloman received the wealthy heartland of Francia while Charles controlled the militarized frontiers. Their rivalry nearly plunged the kingdom into civil war as Carloman attempted sophisticated diplomatic maneuvers including secret negotiations with Rome and an alliance with the Lombards. His sudden and suspicious death at age twenty in December 771 eliminated the last obstacle to Charles's supremacy and enabled the aggressive expansion that would create the Carolingian Empire. Through careful analysis of biased sources and deliberate historical silences, this book reconstructs Carloman's suppressed story and reveals how his elimination shaped the violent militarization of medieval Europe. The forgotten king's fate demonstrates how victors control historical memory and erase alternatives that challenge narratives of inevitable triumph.