Charlemagne (Charles the Great)

By: Adam Ullrich German Honors III

Mr. Manoff

Charlemagne was born in 742 to Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon

He had two siblings, Carloman and Gisela.

He was of German descent

When Charlemagne’ s father died in 768 his land was split between his two sons, Charlemagne and Carloman.

• The empire would

have remained split if not

for Carloman’s death in 771,

reuniting all land under

Charlemagne.

Charlemagne begins to expand his already vast kingdom.

• 772-804 Charlemagne tries to and eventually succeeds in conquering Saxony.

• He was driven by a want to expand the realm of Christianity. The Saxons were pagans and in his mind in need of converting.

In 778 Charlemagne conquered the Slavs and gained their land in Germany and Hungary.

• Slavic warrior - Saxon warrior

Charlemagne was known to have 5 wives and many mistresses. By these women it is said that he had twenty children or perhaps

more.

Charles the Great always served the Pope, many times protecting Papal lands or restoring them to Papal rule.

• In 773-774 Charlemagne offered to pay a Lombard king to return Papal lands, the king refused and Charlemagne conquered him through force.

Charlemagne is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

• In 800 Pope Leo III crowned him, putting him in charge of the largest empire since Roman rule.

Charles the Great did recognize the importance of literacy and strived to become literate.

• After his crowning as Emperor he tried to gather all of the scholars in his realm to create a school where all people could be taught.

• This later fell through, his country was to large and many were against it.

Reasons for his success.

• He is in many different articles described as “very well organized.”

• Charlemagne had a strong personality that helped him with people.

• His willingness to take on anything lead him to his victories in war.

• A strong religious background gave him his drive to expand his lands and convert non- christians.

Charles the Greats last years.

• During the time after his crowning he mainly focused on his country and the peasants living in it.

• One of his main goals was to help out those who he ruled over, and without any wars being fought he was able to focus on this until his death in 814.

• He died at 68 years old having created a legacy that will never die.

END

Sources

• http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03610c.htm

• http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Blair/Courses/MUSL242/f98/charles.htm

• http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/santiago/histchrl.html

• http://www.chronique.com/Library/MedHistory/charlemagne.htm