Charlemagne

Andrew-GMS. .

**Early Life**
Charlemagne, born in 742 to [|Bertrada of Laon] (b.710-720 d.783) and [|Pepin the Short] (b.714 d.768), who became king of the Franks in 751. Charlemagne’s exact birthplace remains a mystery but many suggest that he was born in modern day Belgium and Germany. Just as his birth little __is__ known about Charlemagne's childhood and education, although as an adult, could speak and understand multiple languages.(History.com Staff. "Charlemagne.") ====

**Ascension to the Throne**
In 768, at the age of 26 Charlemagne's father died thus, he and his younger brother [|Carloman] inherited the kingdom of the Franks. This divided the kingdom and tensions rose with the brothers making moves to assert their rule, but with the death of Carloman In 771 it brought an abrupt end to the crisis. With Carloman gone Charlemagne could now take over, and he did, he took control of the kingdom disregarding the rights of Carloman's heirs.(Sullivan, Richard E."Charlemagne.")



Military Exploits
When Charlemagne became the sole ruler of the Frankish kingdom his first military conquest was against the Saxons in the east. Charlemagne saw the Saxons as a threat to his new kingdom and had the ambition to spread Christianity like his father before him. The first invasion of the Saxons began in 772 but it would take another 32 years to completely end all resistance. In 782 Charlemagne established the first Frankish province in Saxony along with the first church there. In 785 with the capture of the Saxon warlord Widukind and the mass deportation of the Saxons Most resistance died out. Using similar tactics he forcibly annexed in 788 Bavaria and the Avars along with their former subjects the Slavs with conquests in 791, 795, and 796. To the south Charlemagne answered the appeal of pope [|Adrian I] against the Lombard kingdom in 773. He defeated them and deposed their king Desiderius, taking control of the Lombard kingdom and essentially all of north Italy.Through this he gained influence over the pope and the title Patrician of the Romans. This marked the end of Rome's dependence on the east Roman empire. In the west Charlemagne attacked Spain being stopped at Saracen in 778. While on retreat his army was defeated which gave rise to the medieval epic "The Song of Roland". Despite this Charlemagne came back in 781 establishing the Spanish march.("Charlemagne"Merit Students Encyclopedia.)As a conqueror Charlemagne slaughtered anyone who did not convert to Christianity or accept his rule as Emperor.("Charlemagne | King of the Franks | Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.") =Charlemagne the Emperor= In 799 when pope [|Leo III] was attacked by a Roman faction that threatened to depose him, Charlemagne came to the Pope's aid and destroyed the rebellion. Since Charlemagne had already been a christian king and spreading his faith this chain of events tipped the scales into him becoming the emperor of the Romans. On Christmas of 800 Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Romans, this legitimized his rule over his territories in Italy and revived the tradition of having a Western Roman emperor. Nonetheless this title gave him no new land or powers. Another thing to note, his empire would later come to be known as the Holy Roman Empire.("Charlemagne"Merit Students Encyclopedia.)

Public Works
Charlemagne introduced reforms throughout the lands he controlled, establishing representatives in each region and holding a meeting each year at his court at Aachen. He standardized weights, and measures which helped improve commerce and started important legal reforms. Charlemagne wanted to take up all the laws of each region and give them the same set of laws, since the peoples of his empire were so diverse, but he could only just begin due to his death in 814. He also spread and enforced Christianity throughout his vast empire. He encouraged many scholars to come to his court and established a library of Christian and classical works. This brought about a renaissance in his kingdom and reunited most of Europe under the same religion, ensuring the survival of Christianity in the west. His renewal of the Roman Empire in the West provided the foundation for a politically unified Europe, a prime example is the EU. ("BBC - History - Charlemagne.")

Charlemagne's Death and Succession
According to Einhard, Charlemagne was in good health until the final four years of his life, when he often suffered from fevers and acquired a limp. So in 813 Charlemagne called his son [|Louis], king of Aquitaine and crowned him next emperor. Charlemagne had originally had intended to divide his empire among his sons according to Frankish traditions but, with the death of the two elder sons it left Louis as the sole heir to the throne. In 814 Charlemagne dies leaving his Empire intact to Louis who rules until 840, when Louis dies and the empire is divided among his sons and eventually dissolves.("HISTORY OF CHARLEMAGNE.")



=Works Cited=

History.com Staff. "Charlemagne." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. Jan. & Feb. 2017. "Charlemagne | King of the Franks | Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire." Charlemagne | King of the Franks | Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. Jan. & Feb. 2017. Sullivan, Richard E. "Charlemagne." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, inc., 09 Dec. 2014. Web. Jan. & Feb. 2017. "BBC - History - Charlemagne." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. Jan. & Feb. 2017. "HISTORY OF CHARLEMAGNE." HISTORY OF CHARLEMAGNE. N.p., n.d. Web. Jan. & Feb. 2017. "Charlemagne" Merit Students Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Macmillan Education, 1974. 332-333