What Makes Charlemagne Successful
Charlemagne ruled the Frankish Empire for a total of 46 years and his reign was said to be one of the greatest, not only by those of his time, but by many historians to date. He is known to many as the greatest kings of the dark ages, and his many accolades can back up his given title. The Imperial Coronation on December 25, 800 would be the official stamp of approval and a testament of the faith that he had instilled into not only the Christian population of Franks, but in Pope Leo III himself. To say that Charlemagne’s success ran in his bloodline would not be a far stretch. His predecessors his grandfather Charles the Hammer and his father Pepin the Short. In 768 Charlemagne’s father Pepin passed away, leaving the Franks to Charlemagne and his younger brother Carloman I to split in half. Carloman would take control of the eastern portion and Charlemagne would control the western. Oddly to say, Carloman would pass away only 3
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years later and his portion was annexed by his older brother making Charlemagne the sole ruler of both territories. It was rumored that there had been a disagreement and internal feud between the brothers, leaving some certain sources to believe that Charlemagne had a hand in his brother’s death.
Charles the Hammer and Pepin had managed to take over Aquitaine and Burgandy which Charlemagne would of course inherit. Charlemagne however, was able to conquer lands that were said to be unconquerable by his predecessors. A few of these lands included Lombard, Bavaria, Saxony, and the establishment the Spanish March. Not since as far back as the fall of Rome had there been and individual to rule such a vast majority of any one continent. His intentions to establish Christianity as the dominant and only righteous religion were very clear and couldn’t have been more evident when the Saxons of Northern Germany were conquered in 782. At this time, Charlemagne made himself very clear to what his vision was. Anyone found guilty of taking a corpse to cremation vice a proper burial was subject to execution, anyone caught practicing paganism and praying to pagan Gods were executed, anyone disobeying him would also face execution, and anyone granted the option but refusing baptism would be slain.
Back in Aachen, which was the epicenter of the Carolingian Empire, Charlemagne found it difficult to reign from one place.
One of his strong points being that he constantly traveled to inspect and verify that his kingdom’s counties were in good working order. He would remind his counts that he would be watching and to maintain good order. Among his many reforms and policies imposed within the kingdom, they can be further broken down into different categories. The first, and arguably most efficient would have been the political aspect and more so the ability to monitor his empire. In retrospect, his vision of good rule and an organized administration was very well thought out. There was a Council Hall built which contained key components of the Empires success. Legalities and political affairs were discussed within its walls. Also, there was a treasury and archive tower, the Archive tower would make it possible to maintain a records and a documentation vault for all matters relevant to the history of the Frankish
Territory. The Carolingian Renaissance would become world renown and stick as one of the most selfless and stand-out aspects of Charlemagne’s reign. Architectural advancements would attribute to the support of these interests. From 768-855 which stretched beyond his death, but non-the less a result from his rule, 417 monasteries and 30 cathedrals were constructed. He even summoned Alcuin of York whom was a leading scholar at the time to Aachen. His expectations of Alcuin would be to simply share his intellectual abilities so that they could spread within the Empire. Charlemagne believe that not only should the rich be educated, but the poor as well. He himself even set time aside to learn reading and writing, which was unheard of at the time. Although Charlemagne’s ideas for success were brutal at times, his reform policies were selfless and his ability to conquer and reign over such a large piece of land was a statement of boldness, and perseverance. His dominance during this period was unquestionably the result of his war-fighting abilities and dedication to everything he believed in as a Christian.
years later and his portion was annexed by his older brother making Charlemagne the sole ruler of both territories. It was rumored that there had been a disagreement and internal feud between the brothers, leaving some certain sources to believe that Charlemagne had a hand in his brother’s death.
Charles the Hammer and Pepin had managed to take over Aquitaine and Burgandy which Charlemagne would of course inherit. Charlemagne however, was able to conquer lands that were said to be unconquerable by his predecessors. A few of these lands included Lombard, Bavaria, Saxony, and the establishment the Spanish March. Not since as far back as the fall of Rome had there been and individual to rule such a vast majority of any one continent. His intentions to establish Christianity as the dominant and only righteous religion were very clear and couldn’t have been more evident when the Saxons of Northern Germany were conquered in 782. At this time, Charlemagne made himself very clear to what his vision was. Anyone found guilty of taking a corpse to cremation vice a proper burial was subject to execution, anyone caught practicing paganism and praying to pagan Gods were executed, anyone disobeying him would also face execution, and anyone granted the option but refusing baptism would be slain.
Back in Aachen, which was the epicenter of the Carolingian Empire, Charlemagne found it difficult to reign from one place.
One of his strong points being that he constantly traveled to inspect and verify that his kingdom’s counties were in good working order. He would remind his counts that he would be watching and to maintain good order. Among his many reforms and policies imposed within the kingdom, they can be further broken down into different categories. The first, and arguably most efficient would have been the political aspect and more so the ability to monitor his empire. In retrospect, his vision of good rule and an organized administration was very well thought out. There was a Council Hall built which contained key components of the Empires success. Legalities and political affairs were discussed within its walls. Also, there was a treasury and archive tower, the Archive tower would make it possible to maintain a records and a documentation vault for all matters relevant to the history of the Frankish
Territory. The Carolingian Renaissance would become world renown and stick as one of the most selfless and stand-out aspects of Charlemagne’s reign. Architectural advancements would attribute to the support of these interests. From 768-855 which stretched beyond his death, but non-the less a result from his rule, 417 monasteries and 30 cathedrals were constructed. He even summoned Alcuin of York whom was a leading scholar at the time to Aachen. His expectations of Alcuin would be to simply share his intellectual abilities so that they could spread within the Empire. Charlemagne believe that not only should the rich be educated, but the poor as well. He himself even set time aside to learn reading and writing, which was unheard of at the time. Although Charlemagne’s ideas for success were brutal at times, his reform policies were selfless and his ability to conquer and reign over such a large piece of land was a statement of boldness, and perseverance. His dominance during this period was unquestionably the result of his war-fighting abilities and dedication to everything he believed in as a Christian.