The Greatest King of Franks: Charlemagne, is about the hitorical significance and what led him to such a significant reign.

Essay by levenHigh School, 11th gradeA, November 2002

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Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great and King of the Franks, historically was a remarkable influence on the evolution of Europe in the late 700's and early 800's. He was the greatest of medieval emperors; for his dedication and commitment to his people, he was definitely recognized. He immensely expanded his empire across Europe, mainly uniting the Christian lands of Western Europe establishing the power of the church. Many successful military conquests were made during his rule. These conquests of Charlemagne not only defended his family and his empire, but also laid the foundation for the development of a new political entity, the German State. Charlemagne was a hardworking and industrious emperor, reintroducing education under his rule. This was also known as the Carolingian Renaissance. His empire was the basis for the theory of the Holy Roman Empire. It is quite conclusive why Charlemagne was said to be the father of the Middle Ages, through taking care of his empire.

Charlemagne laid the groundwork for what it means to be a great ruler, setting the bar for proceeding emperors to accomplish as much as he did during his rule.

Charlemagne expanded his empire very quickly and established power to the Christian Church. In 772 he launched a thirty-year military campaign to accomplish this objective. By 800, Charlemagne was the ruler of Western Europe, including, France, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, half of present-day Italy and Germany, and parts of Austria and Spain. By establishing a central government over Western Europe, Europe was brought much more to order and strengthened his realm. His empire was developing quickly and it established many Christian churches all over Europe very quickly. This restored much of the unity in the old Roman Empire and carved a pathway for Christian unity in Europe, as Charlemagne was...