Struggle for control of the Frankish Empire of the Carolingian Dynasty (including what is now modern day France) emerged at the time of the death of Louis the Pious (Charlemagne’s son). The result was a period of internal unrest and destabilisation, on which the Vikings capitalised.

Throughout the 830s Danish raids were being conducted regularly on the Frisian coast, a region which covered the Netherlands and north western Germany. Further south, the Vikings established a base on the Island of Noirmoutier at the mouth of the Loire. In the 840s another Viking group started to conduct raids along the Seine

During this time the Vikings also sometimes fought in the civil war which was raging between factions competing for power, aligning to one side or another, and sometimes even fighting other Viking groups.

When the civil war ended, the Frankish Empire was divided between Charlemagne’s sons. There followed a coordinated assault on Frankia by the various Viking groups.

In 845 a Viking group attacked Paris, but were bought off by a huge payment of silver and gold. This was the first of many payments which became known as Danegeld. Notwithstanding this, Paris was attacked again in 856; there have been archeological finds of extraordinary collections of wealth – spoils from these raids.

In the 860s Charles the Bald (the son of Charlemagne who gained control of most of France and the Low Countries) started to fortify France against the Vikings; the Vikings then turned their attention to England for a time.

However, in 879 the Vikings returned after the death of Charles the Bald, when the Franks were again weakened by internal conflicts. In 885 Paris was again seiged by the Vikings, to be eventually repelled in 890/891.

While the period of sustained Viking raiding in Frankia was over, the accumulated damage of attacks, theft and danegeld payments was significant.