Charlemagne (Charles the Great) is the most discussed political leader of the 8 th and 9th centuries. He became ruler of a vast empire in Western Europe, and from 800AD on held the title of Roman Emperor. Later on Charlemagne acquired an almost divine status, both as a Catholic saint, and as the hero of French epics and Romances. At his death in 814AD, what he left behind was a remarkably well organized and administered empire that stretched from the River Elbe to the Pyrenees. It was Charlemagne that brought about the unity of Medieval Europe through conquest as well as a strong administration. Charlemagne was solely responsible for bringing Europe out of the dark ages and establishing its golden age during his rule.
Among the barbarian tribes who pulled down the Roman Empire, the earliest success in creating a new European state went to the Franks, a group of Germanic tribes who occupied much of what are now France and Germany. …
