Charles the Simple

Born in September 879, Charles III became king of West Francia in 898, taking the throne as a member of the Carolingian dynasty that had dominated European politics for generations. The name "Simplex" attached to him — drawn from Latin and meaning straightforward or honest rather than dim — though the centuries haven't been kind to the translation. In 911 he added Lotharingia to his holdings, ruling both kingdoms until he lost Lotharingia somewhere between 919 and 923, and West Francia itself in 922. He died in October 929, seven years after his reign ended.