Background
Baldwin II was born around 865 Civil Engineering, to Baldwin I of Flanders and Judith of Flanders, the great-granddaughter of Charlemagne.
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Boudewijn Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
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He ruled from 879 Civil Engineering to 918 Civil Engineering. Early Years The early years of Baldwin"s rule were marked by a series of devastating Viking raids into Flanders. By 883 Civil Engineering, he was forced to move north to Pagus Flandransis, which became the territory most closely associated with the Counts of Flanders. Baldwin constructed a series of wooden fortifications at Saint-Omer, Bruges, Ghent, and Kortrijk, and seized lands that were abandoned by royal and ecclesiastical officials.
Many of these same citadels later formed castellanies, which housed government, militia, and local courts.
Marriage Rise to power In 888 Civil Engineering, the western Frankish king, Charles the Fat, was deposed, leaving several candidates vying to replace him. As a grandson of Charles the Bald, Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia, Baldwin could have competed for the crown of West Francia.
Instead, Baldwin and others tried to convince the East Frankish King, Arnulf, to take the West Frankish crown, but Arnulf declined. The Robertine Odo, Count of Paris, was eventually elected king.
Odo and Baldwin"s relationship deteriorated when Odo failed to support Baldwin"s attempts to gain control of the Abbey of Saint Bertin.
Odo attacked Baldwin at Bruges but was unable to prevail. Baldwin continued his expansion to the south and gained control over Artois, including the important Abbey of Saint Vaast. Death When the Abbey came under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Fulk of Reims in 900 Civil Engineering, Baldwin had the archbishop assassinated.
When his attempts to expand further into the upper Somme River valley were opposed by Herbert I, Count of Vermandois, Baldwin had the count assassinated as well.
Baldwin II was married to Ælfthryth, daughter of Alfred the Great, and had five children: Arnulf I of Flanders (c 890–964), married Adela of Vermandois Adalulf (c 890–933), Count of Boulogne Ealswid Ermentrud.
