Judith of Bavaria, Louis's second wife, had won the consent of her stepson Lothair on his return to his father's court,to her plan for securing a kingdom for her son Charles, a scheme that had been implemented in 829 when the young prince was given Alemannia as king.

Lothair, however, soon changes his attitude.

In Gascony and the chronically troublesome Pyrenees borderlands, Counts Hugh and Matfrid have failed to support the Louis’s military efforts, and the emperor has summarily stripped them of their positions.

This forceful action and a growing resentment of the efforts of Judith on behalf of her seven-year-old son, the target of resentment by his three adult half brothers, is the cause of a growing dispute between Louis and his son and coemperor, Lothair.

The quarrel over Charles’ future inheritance leads in 830 to open conflict.

Pepin, Louis the German, and Lothair, aided by Hugh and Matfrid, seek to “free”; the emperor from the tyranny of the “jezebel” Judith, but Louis's supporters, sowing discord among his elder sons, in October 830 restore him to authority.

The abortive coup claims a victim, however, when the Ordinatio imperii is replaced by a new Divisio regnorum, which calls for a division of the empire into four approximately equal kingdoms that are to become independent upon Louis's death, thus restoring the traditional Frankish practice of succession.

Supporters of a unified empire agitate against the Divisio, while the involvement of opportunistic nobles exacerbated the continuing conflict among the brothers.