The Legacy Of Charlemagne

Charlemagne, or Charles the Great left a momentous legacy behind as the King of the Franks, emperor of the west and the Father of Europe. The era of Charlemagne established a turning point in Europe as a revival and renewal of the west as a religious, cultural and economic force in the world. Throughout the 8th century, we find the strengthening of economic stability and political civilization, the foundation of the Carolingian Dynasty and the unification of Europe under the Holy Roman Empire. During his reign, Charlemagne pushed Europe to be a unique entity and civilization separate from that of Rome and other empires. Charlemagne is known as one of the greatest figures in medieval Europe and over the course of this essay his greatest

First being Desiderius, the ruler of the Lombard’s, a German group of people, then settled in northern Italy, threatening the papacy. In 774, Charlemagne was anointed as the new “King of the Lombard’s” by Pope Adrian I. This new relationship brought an alliance between the Franks and the pope and allowing for more wealth and diversity within his kingdom. One of his biggest campaigns, most ruthless endeavors and religious conquests that Charlemagne pursued was the Saxon wars. The Saxons were a pagan group of Germanic tribesman. Charlemagne was a very religious man and it can be said that he, “Believed that it was his duty to conquer these people for the glory of God, in order to save their souls and in order to protect his Empire, Charlemagne tirelessly campaigned against the Saxons from 772 until 804” (“Charlemagne’s Reign”). Ironically, he made them convert under the tip of a sword, forced baptism or otherwise had them killed. His devotion to Christianity and the church actually ended up playing a vital role because it brought stability and morality to the empire. Nonetheless, through these wars, his ruthlessness and leadership skills were revealed. Throughout his reign, Charlemagne continued to conquer lands surrounding him, including Spain, and continuing the expansion of the Frankish

Before his own death, however, Charlemagne’s two oldest sons die, leaving The Carolingian Empire to his youngest son, Louis the Pious. He takes a different role than his father did, gaining power through the church, rather than on the battlefield. The empire remains intact throughout the reign of Louis but begins to deteriorate after his death in 840. Nonetheless, “His Empire did not long survive him, but Charlemagne served as the model prince during most of the Middle Ages. The goals he pursued—orderly government, religious reform, cultural renewal, Christian expansion—influenced the programs of many later medieval kings. What he actually achieved during his reign laid a firm basis upon which an orderly, civilized society was later built in Western Europe” (Sullivan). And that is worth writing