The Treaty of Verdun in 843 created the Kingdom of East Francia. Within that kingdom were a handful of what were later called stem duchies: Bavaria, Franconia, Lotharingia, Saxony, and Swabia. The rulers of these, the dukes, had greater and lesser power during the several decades in which the Kingdom of East Francia existed.

The first ruler of East Francia was Louis II, known as Louis the German (right). He was on the throne for nearly three decades. He had three sons: Carloman, Louis, and Charles. Each of them succeeded their father as King of East Francia. When Louis the German died, in 876, his sons assumed joint rule of the kingdom. Carloman and Louis died after a few years, and Charles inherited not only East Francia but all of the realm once ruled by Charlemagne. Charles (now called Charles the Fat) ruled until 887, when a nephew named Arnulf gained enough support to take control. That monarch was on the throne for 12 years, giving way to his son, known as Louis the Child. He was 7 when he became king and died 11 years later, only barely coming into his known as a ruler. The teen's death left no successor, and the East Francia nobles elected their next ruler, Duke Conrad of Franconia, who became Conrad I. Seven years later, Conrad died and again the nobles selected their ruler, Henry the Fowler.

Henry (left), the former Duke of Saxony, was the first non-Frankish ruler of East Francia. His father was Otto I of Saxony. Henry had rebelled against Conrad in 915 and was the nobles' prime choice when Conrad died, three years later. Henry provided a strong hand at the helm as East Francia held off repeated threats from the Danes, Magyars, and Slavs. Of particular effectiveness was a system of fortifications that Henry ordered built. As well, Henry's embrace of heavy cavalry proved the difference-maker at the Battle of Riade, a 933 rout of the Magyars. When Henry died, in 936, his son became King Otto I, whose reign was so influential that he became known as Otto the Great. His ascendancy to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire marked the end of the Kingdom of Francia.