Charlemagne

“Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky”

-Charlemagne

Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, was born in 742 in Northern Europe and died in 814. Charlemagne conquered much of Western Europe and united it under a great empire. He ruled the Franks after his dad Pepin the short died. The Frank Empire was split in half among Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. However, Charlemagne became sole ruler after his brother died in 771. Charlemagne was determined to strengthen his realm and to bring order to Europe. In 772 he launched a 30-year military campaign to accomplish this objective.

By 800 Charlemagne was the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. His vast realm encompassed France, Switzerland, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It included half of Italy and Germany, and parts of Austria and Spain. By establishing a central government over Western Europe, Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire and paved the way for the development of modern Europe.

Sometime in 800, Pope Leo III placed a golden crown on Charlemagne’s