Charlemagne

Even before the end of Charlemagne’s reign the empire had stopped expanding. Despite its claim as the successor to the Western Roman Empire, Charlemagne’s realm lacked many of the important institutions that had allowed the old Roman Empire to survive the emperor’s death. Institutions such as a money economy, a strong governmental infrastructure, and a professional civil service were needed to keep the empire from disintegrating. Instead, Charlemagne’s empire was based almost entirely on his own personal ability to hold together a large number of different tribes and ethnic groups. The size of the empire made it difficult to administer, and tribal dissension was a frequent threat. The empire collapsed not long after Charlemagne’s death in 814.

Charlemagne’s sole heir, Louis I, the Pious, ruled until his death in 840. After great dissension among Louis’s heirs, the Treaty of Verdun of 843 divided Charlemagne’s empire among his three grandsons: Charles II, the Bald, received West Francia (roughly modern-day France); Lothair I acquired the title of emperor and an area running from the North Sea through Lotharingia (Lorraine) and Burgundy to northern Italy; Louis II, the German, received East Francia (roughly modern-day Germany). Later, in 870, the Treaty of Mersen divided Lothair’s middle kingdom, with Lotharingia going to East Francia and the rest to West Francia. The Carolingian dynasty ruled in West Francia, or France, until 987; the German branch of the family ruled in East Francia until 911. The title of emperor of the Romans (which would later become Holy Roman emperor) remained in the east, thereafter held exclusively by German kings.

Throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times, Charlemagne has provided the model of the ideal warrior-king and the inspiration for all subsequent empire builders in Europe. In fact, the word for “king” in several modern Slavic languages (król in Polish; král in Czech) is based upon the German name of Charlemagne, Karl. The principal significance of Charlemagne's empire was that it united the Christian lands of western Europe and firmly established the power of the church. Charlemagne ruled as absolute sovereign of the state, as well as head of the church. The conquests of Charlemagne also laid the groundwork for the development of a new political entity, the German state, and for the division of Italy into north and south. In addition, Charlemagne placed his immense power and prestige at the service of Christian doctrine, the teaching of Latin, the copying of books, and the rule of law. Thus the short-lived Carolingian Renaissance brought an end to the period of social and cultural stagnation that had existed in Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. Charlemagne’s life, held up as a model for later kings, embodied the fusion of Germanic, Roman, and Christian cultures that became the basis of European civilization.