A Frankish victory over Viking settlers that killed approximately 5,000 Vikings but also cost Louis the Younger his only surviving son.
Key Facts
- Date
- February 880
- Viking casualties
- 5,000 killed
- Viking origin
- Settlers from England on the river Scheldt
- Frankish loss
- Hugh, illegitimate son of Louis the Younger, killed
- Location
- Near Thiméon, north of the Sambre (modern Wallonia)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 879, Vikings from England established a settlement on the river Scheldt in West Francia. Following Christmas celebrations at Frankfurt am Main and the signing of the Treaty of Ribemont with the West Frankish kings Louis III and Carloman II, Louis the Younger of East Francia assembled an army and marched northward to confront the Viking encampment.
In February 880, Frankish forces under Louis the Younger engaged the Viking settlers near Thiméon, north of the Sambre. The battle was a decisive rout for the Vikings, with some 5,000 of them slain on the field, constituting a clear Frankish military victory.
Although the Franks won the engagement, the victory came at a personal cost to Louis the Younger: his only surviving son, the illegitimate Hugh, was killed in action. This removed Louis's sole male heir, with significant implications for East Frankish succession.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Louis the Younger.
Side B
1 belligerent