Charles+the+Great+(Charlemagne).

CHARLES THE GREAT .

INTRODUCTION. This text is about Charles the Great (Charlemagne) who ruled the Frankish empire and managed to gather, if only during a short time, the Christian world and reinvigorate the thought of a unified empire with a roman emperor in West. Charlemagne ruled the empire for over forty years and when he died in 814 he hadconquered and ruled over almost the whole present-days west Europe. In the text below you can find out how he managed to conquer such a big part of Europe but also how he was as a person and what kind of impact his time as an emperor meant.  CHARLEMAGNE THE CONQUEROR. In a divided Europe Charlemagne’s father, “Pippin the short” successfully put the formerly king in a monastery and officially became crowned the king of Frankland. The ceremony was blessed by the pope who saw a strong protector in the new Frankish king. Pippin was the first Carolingian to take the title "King of the Franks." The Franks is present-day France, Belgium and Switzerland and parts of Holland and Germany. When he died was the kingdom of Frankland divided between Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. Carloman wasn’t near as good leader as his brother who early proved that he was a capable leader. Because of that their relationship was tense until Carloman died in 771. When Charlemagne brother died he had sole rule of the government of Francia. He started to expand his territory through conquest.  Like his father and his grandfather before him, Charlemagne expanded and consolidated the Frankish nation through force of arms.  

 (The image is taken from []  )  As you can see in the map above Charlemagne was a successful conqueror. He defeated the Lombards in northern Italy and made himself their king. He campaigned in Spain and Hungary. Charlemagne used harsh methods when he, after two decades, subdued the Saxons in the east and had them slaughtered or forcibly baptized to make them Christians. The battle against the Saxons was particularly bloody and included the execution of 4,500 Saxon prisoners in one day. In all, Charles engaged the Saxons 18 times.  This impressed the Slavic people further east and they agreed to pay him tribute. He <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">virtually exterminated the Avar people of present-day Austria and Hungary. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Charlemagne's most serious defeat took place when he failed to take Saragossa, retreated across the Pyrenees, and was ambushed by Basques. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Even though Charles at this time <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">had essentially amassed an empire, Charlemagne did not style himself "emperor," but called himself the King of the Franks and Lombards. His conflicts and battles with the Saxons, Lombards etc not only expanded his national holdings but it also served to strengthen the Frankish military. Moreover, his numerous and impressive victories gained Charlemagne the enormous respect of his nobility. Few would challenge such a fierce and powerful military leader as Charlemagne. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> CHARLEMAGNE THE PATRON OF LEARNING. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Charlemagne was also a beloved man,since he had been married five times he had a lot of children and he loved them all very much. Charlemagne understood the importance and value of education and he also saw that it was in serious decline. So he gathered some of the most valued minds of his day. Most notably [|Alcuin], as well as Paul the Deacon and Einhard, who wrote Charlemagne biography. He sponsored monasteries where ancient books were preserved and copied. He also supported authors and artists. Charlemagne made sure that monastic schools were set up throughout the realm and during his regime the idea of learning was given a time and a place to flourish. Even though he promoted learning, it was only in the royal court, monasteries and schools that there was any real focus on education. So learning never caught fire throughout Europe at the time but Charlemagne’s interest in preserve and developing knowledge was the main reason that the ancient manuscripts were copied for future generations. It also led to a tradition of learning was established in European monastic communities. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Charlemagne died in 814 and of all his heirs only Louis the Pious survived him, and ruled the empire by himself until his death in 840. After his dead did the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Carolingian Empire (Holy Roman Empire) fractured and it was divided into three parts. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> CHARLEMAGNE WAYS TO CONQUER AND HIS LEGACY. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Charlemagne has had a big impact on the history, even though his empire never became as big as the Roman Empire during the ancient Rome he managed to gather and build up a big and well-functioned empire. I think that there are many reasons that contribute. One of them was his close relationship with the pope and the church that had a big role during the Middle Ages both Charlemagne and his father was crowned by the pope (Charlemagne was crowned to Roman emperor in 800). Charlemagne was also very deeply religious and many of his campaigns was not only to conquer land but also supposed to spread the Christian creed. Another reason can be that Charlemagne was a very charismatic person, he was very tall, strong-willed and he was also a great orator. As I menaced above was he also an exceptional leader. All those qualities had probably a big impact on how the Carolingian empire developed. Charlemagne lived during a time were charisma and of course military leadership was crucial to gain trust and create a political union. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Even after Charlemagne dead had he a big impact on the history, he was canonized in the year of 1165. A lot of kings and conquerors during the Middle Ages tried to build up an empire similar with Charlemagne but they didn’t succeed. Charlemagne had the thought of a unified Europe and that thought has lived on during the history, today we have the European Union who also tries to get a unified Europe. There are some differences; the European Union is not ruled by only one king on the other hand can you see the European Union as a feudal system with the countries as vassals with there own laws and own taxes but they are all ruled by the “king” – the European Union. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: SV;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: SV;">Another thing that Charlemagne’s time as an empire has resulted in is the preservation of numerous Latin manuscripts that they copied in the monasteries and saved fore the future, otherwise would that have been lost. He also establishment a good number of monastic schools and created the "Carolingian Miniscule," an alternative to the capital letters used in Latin text .Charlemagne also devised the system of pounds, shillings and pence that was used during the middle ages and in Britain until the 1970s. The monastic school that Charlemagne developed framed the tradition of learning, which could have led to an important burst of medieval scholarship. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: SV;"> CONCLUSION <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> (this imamge is taken from [] ) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: SV;">Charlemagne <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">ruled the Frankish empire and managed to gather, if only during a short time, the Christian world and reinvigorate the thought of a unified empire with a roman emperor in Western Europe. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Charlemagne conquered for example the Lombards in northern Italy, the Avar people and the Saxons in the east, he also had them slaughtered or forcibly baptized to make them Christians.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Charlemagne promoted learning and during his regime the idea of learning was given a time and a place to flourish. He set up monastic schools, supported authors and artists
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: SV;">Charlemagne created the "Carolingian Miniscule," an alternative to the capital letters used in Latin text he also devised the system of pounds, shillings and pence that was used during the middle ages and in Britain until the 1970s. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: SV;">

SOURCE CRITICISM <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">

I choose to use both books and internet sites as sources. For example I use Wikipedia but since that isn’t a very trustful source did I compare it too at least two other sources. The books I used felt and seemed to be very trustful sources. If you want to know and read more about Charlemagne can you visit this site: [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> SOURCES <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">:

[] [] [] [] Books: Tusen år i Europa written by Kim Esmark and Brian Patrick McGurie Karl den Store written by Richard Winston <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> (This image is taken from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[])