CHARLES III., the Simple (879-929), king of France, was a posthumous son of Louis the Stammerer. On the deposition of Charles the Fat in 887, he was excluded from the throne by his youth ; but during the reign of Eudes, who had succeeded Charles, he obtained the alliance of the emperor, and forced the former to cede Neustria. In 898, by th*s death of his rival he obtained possession of the whole kingdom. His most important act was the treaty which he made with the Normans in 911. They were baptized ; the territory which was afterwards known as the duchy of Normandy was ceded to them ; and their chief, Rollo, married the sister of the king, and was created duke. In 922 the barons, jealous of the growth of the royal authority, rebelled and elected Robert, brother of the late king, in place of Charles. Robert was killed in the battle of Soissons by Charles's own hand, but the victory remained with his party, who elected Raoul, duke of Burgundy, king. In his extremity Charles trusted him-self to Herbert, count of Vermandois, who deceived him, and threw him into confinement. Released by his old enemy, Raoul, he died at Peronne in 929.