The Western Empire

Timeline of Western European History
1186 August 19 - Geoffrey, Count of Brittany falls from a horse in Paris while engaging in a tournament. Although severely injured, he survives. He spends the next year recuperating at Nantes.

1199
 * April 6 - Richard the Lionhearted dies and is succeeded by Geoffrey as Geoffrey I *of England.

1208
 * March 16 - Geoffrey dies and is succeeded by his son Arthur as Arthur I of England. Arthur is the rightful heir to Normandy, Anjou, Brittany and Aquitaine.  As such, he is the largest landholder in France.
 * June 1 - Arthur declares to Philip II of France that he will not recognize Philip as his feudal overlord.
 * August 11 - Arthur, in a private communique with Duke Eudes of Burgundy, offers to give eastern France to Eudes in exchange for the Duke's assistance in fighting Philip for control of the Kingdom.

1209
 * October 1 - Eudes attacks into Languedoc. Philip rushes with a portion of his army to counter the Burgundian attack.
 * October 6 - Philip is defeated at Montpellier, and flees back towards Paris. Burgundy begins its domination of eastern France.
 * November 5 - Philip is thrown from his horse and killed. He is succeeded by his son, Louis VIII.  But Louis is in the East, attempting a counter-attack on the Burgundians.  With no leader in the West, Arthur faces no opposition.
 * November 12 - Louis is killed in battle with the Burgundians. His only heir is the infant Philip III, who was born in September of the same year.  The infant Philip and his mother, Blanche of Castile, flee to Castile, where they attempt to regain Philip's throne, but to no avail.
 * December 16 - Arthur marches into Paris and proclaims himself King of France.

1218 - Philip III dies in exile in Castile at the age of nine.