The Treaty of Meerssen was signed in 870 AD, following the death of Emperor Louis the Pious. It aimed to divide the Carolingian Empire among his three grandsons: Charles the Bald, Louis the German, and Lothair I. This treaty was part of a series of agreements that sought to manage the complex political landscape of the empire. The treaty resulted in the redistribution of territories, with Charles the Bald receiving parts of West Francia and Lothair I retaining a central region. This division laid the groundwork for future conflicts and further fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire in subsequent years.