Charlemagne
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Charlemagne (Latin: Carolus Magnus, English: Charles the Great, German: Karl der Große, Dutch: Karel de Grote) (ca. 742 or 747 - 28 January, 814) was the king of the Franks who started the Holy Roman Empire.
[edit] Life
The Franks — one of the Germanic peoples who had moved their homes over the River Rhine into the Roman Empire as it was falling apart — were, by the year 700, the rulers of Gaul, and a lot of Germania east of the Rhine. They also protected the Papacy and the Roman Catholic faith. When their king Pippin the Short died, his sons, Charlemagne and Carloman were chosen to share the kingdom. They divided it into two parts: one half for Charlemagne, and the other for Carloman. Carloman died on December 4, 771, leaving Charles (Charlemagne) as the leader of the whole Frankish kingdom.
He was king of the Franks from 786, and king of the Lombards from 774. He was crowned Imperator Augustus (Emperor) in Rome on Christmas Day by Pope Leo III in 800, starting the Holy Roman Empire, that they hoped would be a kind of second Roman Empire. After many wars, he spread his empire throughout much of Western Europe.
Charles fought in wars all the time he was king. He is known for using his sword, “Joyeuse”, in each of the thirty years of war and the 18 battles he fought in. He also finally managed to conquer Saxony, something the Roman Emperor Augustus could not do 800 years earlier. He was able to convert the Saxons to Catholic Christianity. He also had many schools built so his people could learn.
Charles the Great died in 814, leaving his kingdom to his only son, Louis the Pious.
[edit] Battles and Campaigns
Saxon wars
