The Impact of Charlemagne Upon Europe

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Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, reigned during a time of much turmoil and upheaval in Europe during middle ages. Charlemagne’s background and family history contributed much to his rise to power. The triumphs of his past lineage prepared him to take on the task of governing the Frankish Empire, and defending it from invaders. Charlemagne accomplished much during his supremacy. He not only brought education back into medieval Europe, but also invented an efficient way to govern his people. His conquests against the many adversaries of the Holy Roman Empire expanded his empire across the majority of Europe. His conquests also formed strong ties between the Catholic Church and the State. Charlemagne’s drive to convert Europe’s primitive and pagan tribes to Christianity nearly effaced the Saxons, whom he battled with for the majority of his reign. The crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor created a turning point in history. Within years after his death, however, his once great empire amounted to nothing. Charlemagne’s reign as King of the Franks and as Holy Roman Emperor greatly influenced the course of Europe during the middle ages.

The history of Charlemagne’s family and how they came to power had a large effect on how Charlemagne came to power. In the year 481 A.D, a warrior named Clovis claimed the title of King of the Franks (Abrams 185). He died in the year 511, and each of his four sons received a portion of his small Frankish empire (Abrams 185). Clovis’s death would later allow a clear passage to ensuring Charlemagne’s fate as future ruler of the Franks. Clovis’s sons, not wishing to inherit the task of being a Frankish ruler, then appointed ...

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...outh Carolina: BJU, 2007. Print

Davis, Jennifer R. Charlemagne's Practice of Empire. Claves, St Ives plc., 2015. Print.

Dersin, Denise et al. What Life was Like In the Age of Chivalry. Virginia: Time Life Inc., 1997. Print.

Jenkins, Phillips. The Lost History of Christianity. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print.

Phillips, Jonathan. Holy Warriors. New York: Random House, 2009. Print.

Online Resources

"Charlemagne." UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 May 2015.

CloudBiography. "Charlemagne Biography." YouTube. YouTube, LLC. 30 May 2012. Web. 12 May 2015.

"Charlemagne." DISCovering Biography. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 May 2015.

"Charlemagne." Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Web. 19 May 2015.

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