King Charlemagne

Charlemagne was born in April 747 and died on January 28, 814. The place where Charlemagne was born is unknown historians. He was best known as the Frankish king and the Holy Roman Emperor. He was the Frankish king who conquered most of Europe and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800. Charlemagne united most of Europe and created a period of order during the Middle Ages. He was the first Germanic ruler to get the title of emperor. Charlemagne left his mark on the newly rising civilization of the West. He was the son of Pepin the Short and the grandson of Charles Martel. From 768 to 771, Charlemagne shared the kingdom with his brother, Carloman. When Carloman died, He became the main ruler.

Charlemagne became a giant figure in the western world especially in Europe during all his reign and even after his death, he would never be forgotten. Though Charlemagne's empire was very great, it did not replace the lost government of Rome. He contributed to the Early Middle Ages because of his concern with law. His main goal was to reform the legal system in the Frankish empire. He had eventually strengthened the feudal, political, and economic systems. Charlemagne appeared to be both a Christian and barbarian leader and emperor. Though it was said, that he was a Christian emperor, he was very brutal and violent. Though he was a Christian, he had no ideal of what Christianity was really about. ( Middle Ages 171, 172 & The Early Middle Ages 56, 57)

Charlemagne married the daughter of the Lombard king Desiderius in 770 in order to maintan an alliance with each other. When his brother dies, he sent his wife back to the Lombard king and began to expand his empire by attacking the Lombards. By the year 774, He had defeated his father-in-law and had gained control of northern Italy. Charlemagne had one of the best intelligence networks of the time, he sent out spies and scouts to determine locations of his enemies. He often divided his army into two columns and reunited them at the minute of the attack. Charlemagne's army were almost always successful because of their number and individual abilities.


Charlemagne was the most powerful ruler of Western Europe and the realm he had conquered covered what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire and brought much of the development to modern Europe. On Christmas Day in 800, while Charlemagne knelt in prayer in Saint Peter's in Rome, was crowned King. The church shouted, " great and pacific emperor, long life and victory." He is considered the first Holy Roman emperor , and got the title Charles the Great, though he did not use it.

In 811, Charlemagne began the march to Verden to meet Godefrid, the king of the Norsemen. Before Charlemagne and Godefrid could meet for battle, Godefrid was murdered. Charlemagne was now seventy years old and when he heard news of what had happened, began the trip back home. This would be his last expedition. In 813, his health became very bad, so he gave his power and empire to his son Louis and less than a year later, he was dead.

Cantor, Norman. The Civilization of the Middle Ages. New York: HarpersCollins Publishers Inc. 1963
Corrick, James. The Early Middle Ages. San Diego: Lucent Books, Inc. 1995

Thanks for letting me turn this in late Mr lockwood!!!!!!!