LOTJIS II. 472 LOUIS VI. He was a bachelor ami occcntric, showing himself infrequently to his subjects, and being devoted more to art, especially music, than to the cares of government. His gcnerositj' toward Kichard V'agner, the composer, upon whom he bestowed gifts and honors, caused great dissatisfaction in the country. He joined Prussia against France in 1870-71, though he did not go to the front in person, and favored the unity of Germany under the Imperial rule of William I. He fol- lowed his own oapric-es rather than the guidance of any political party, though he used his in- iluence against the Ultramontanes. He piled up beautiful buildings, regardless of expense, and imposed an immense debt on the country. It was his extravagance that caused the ministers to have him declared insane, June 10. 1886. Three days later he drowned himself in the Starnberger See. liOUIS II., THE Strict (1228-94). A Duke of Bavaria, grandson of Louis I. and successor and son of Otho II. In 1253 he began to rule, together with his brother Henry; but two years afterwards divided the duchy with him. taking for his own share Upper Bavaria and tlic Rhen- ish Palatinate. Louis's nickname, 'the Strict,' he gained by frequent fits of unreasonable sever- ity. In 1256 he executed Marie of Brabant, his first wife. He made many wars, and on the wliole was the greatest prince of his day in Southern Germany. With the Archbishop of Mainz he urged the election of Rudolph of Haps- burg to the Imperial throne, and was the only one of the electors to stand by the Hapsburgs after Rudol])h's death. He married, for his third wife, Mathilde, Rudolph's daughter, and left his lands to his sons, Rudolph and Louis. Consult SiJlte. Ludmig dcr Strenge (Nuremberg, 1857). LOUIS VII., THE Be.eded (1365-1447). A Duke of Bavaria and Ingolstadt. He was brother to Elisabeth, wife of Charles VI. of France, and had a great influence on his brother-in-law. His greed won him the hate of the Parisian mob, from which he was barely rescued in 1413. In Germany his imperious temper kept him in con- tinual quarrels, and in 1417 he was set upon by assassins, hired by Duke Henry the Rich, and severely wounded. In the politics of the period Louis was prominent. He joined the jMarbach League in 1406; fought bravely and cruelly to win back the old Wittclsbaeh title of Margrave of Brandenburg from Friedrich, brother-in-law of Duke Henry; and, in 1433, fell under the Papal ban for failure to appear at the Council of Basel. His son Louis (1404-45) made war on him in 1438, because of his partiality to Wieland, a natural child, captured him iii 1443. and kept him in constraint until 1445. Then the Duke fell into the hands of his old enemy. Henry of Landshut, and died after a year in prison at Burghausen, his property going to Henry. Con- sult Lang, (Icschichte Ludwigs des Bartigen (Nuremberg. 1821). LOUIS I. King of the Franks. See Locts I.. THE Pious. LOUIS II., LE Bl>GUE, i.e. the Stammerer (846-879). King of the West Franks from 877 to 879. He was a son of Charles the Bald, and in 867 he was crowned King of Aquitaine. He succeeded his father in 877 and died April 10, 879. Louis had little power. LOUIS III. (S63?-882). King of the West Franks from 879 to 882. He was the son of Louis II. At his father's death he and his brother Carloman succeeded to the throne, although not without opposition, as their legitimacy was ques- tioned. Louis was successful against the rebel- lious nobles and expelled the Northmen from the region of the Loire and Sonmie, defeating them in a great battle at Saucourt, which has been conunemorated in the German pocnl the Lud- iiigslicd. LOUIS III. (II.), THE You.XGER (c.825-882). A King of the East Franks, son of Louis the German. In 865 he received from his father, as his share of the kingdom. Franconia, Saxon.y, and Thuringia. He rebelled repeatedl,v against his paternal overlord. Louis the German died in 876 in the midst of a war against Charles the Bald, King of the West Franks. Louis the Younger in the same year defeated Charles at Andernaeh. He secured the royal title, and added Friesland and Bavaria to his possessions. Louis in 879 attempted to win the crown of the West Franks. In this he failed, l)Ut he became master of the whole of Lorraine. He died at Frankfort after a severe campaign against the Normans. LOUIS IV., called d'Outbemer ('from beyond the sea') (921-954). King of France from 936 to 954. He was a son of Charles the Sim- ple, and was taken by his mother to England in 921, where he was educated at the Court of King Athelstan, his mother's brother, hence his surname. On the death of Rudolph of Bur- gundy, in 936. he was called to the French throne bv Hugh of Paris and William of Normandy. At first his reign was troubled by a revolt headed by Hugh, who was dissatisfied with his policy, and in 940 Louis was compelled to tlee. His return was efTected largelv liy the exertions of William of Normandy. On the latter's death, nevertheless, Louis tried to wrest Normandy from the young Duke Richard, who, however, aided by the King of Denmark, made Louis prisoner. He was re- leased, but soon was again engaged in a war with Hugh and Ricliard. which lasted until 950. Twice also Louis had to repel Hungarian invaders. He died September, 954, leaving two sons, Lothair, who succeeded him, and Charles, who became Duke of Lower Lorraine. LOUIS V.J I.E Faineant ('the Sluggard') (e.967-987). King of France from 986 to 987. He was a son of Lothair and a grandson of Louis d'Outremer. He was associated with his father in the kingship in 979. He was the last King of the Carolingian dynasty in France. His sur- name was not justified. Consult Lot, Leu der- niei's CaroJingifiifi. Ijothaire, Louis V., Charles de Lorraine (Paris, 1891). LOXnS VI., LE Grcs. i.e. the Fat (c.l080- 1137). King of France from 1108 to 1137. He was the son of Philip I., and was associated with his father in the government in 1100; he succeed- ed his father in 1108. -As King he did much for the defense of the Church, but his main ef- forts were directed toward controlling the feudal lords of the Isle de France and adding to the royal domains. He destroyed manv of the nobles' castles and never neglected an opportunity to gain additional lands, no matter how small the territory in question. From the beginning of his
