Discover who Charlemagne was and how he formed the Holy Roman Empire. Learn how Charlemagne became the first Holy Roman Emperor by the divine right to rule.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire | Definition & Reign
Table of Contents
- Who was Charlemagne?
- Charlemagne's Conquests.
- The Divine Right of Kings
- Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first Holy Roman Emperor and how did he get the title?
Charlemagne was the first Holy Roman Emperor. He gained the title after being crowned by Pope Leo III in Rome.
Who started the Holy Roman Empire?
Charlemagne founded the Carolingian Empire after being crowned by Pope Leo III. This was the first phase of the Holy Roman Empire.
What does Charlemagne mean?
Charlemagne is French for Charles the Great. It is title by which Charles I of the Carolingian Empire is known today
Table of Contents
- Who was Charlemagne?
- Charlemagne's Conquests.
- The Divine Right of Kings
- Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire
- Lesson Summary
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Charlemagne was most likely born on April 2, 748, though we cannot be entirely sure on the date. His given name was Charles, but later he would be known as Charles the Great or Charlemagne. Charles was the son of Pippin the Short, a Frankish noble who was the Mayor of Palace for final Merovingian King, Childeric III. By this time the Mayor of Palace had become the de facto ruler of the Merovingian Kingdom, and in 750 Charlemagne's father decided to formalize his power by overthrowing Childeric ending the Merovingian dynasty. King of the Franks, his father now ruled over what would be the beginnings of the Carolingian Empire, the first phase of the Holy Roman Empire. Just a boy at the time, it was young Charles who would escort Pope Stephen II in 753 on his way to crown his father. The pope gave Pippin the title ''The Patrician of Rome.'' Two years later, Pippin the Short invaded Lombardy, an Italian kingdom which had laid siege to Rome. This sealed an alliance with the papacy that would later play a critical role in Charlemagne's quest to become emperor and inspire his religious devotion
After Pippin's death on September 24, 768, his kingdom was split between Charles and his younger brother Carloman. This dual kingship would be short lived, however, due to his brother's sudden death only 3 years later in 771. After inheriting Carloman's lands, Charlemagne, like his father before him, invaded Lombardy. He deposed the Lombard king and declared himself King of the Lombards, shortly after he went to Rome to renew his father's alliance with the papacy. From there Charlemagne began to carve out his empire. At the time it would be known as the Carolingian Empire, it wasn't until the 13th century that it would become known as the Holy Roman Empire.
Charlemagne is called the ''Father of Europe.'' An apt moniker as he would go on to conquer most of modern day western and central Europe. He would do so to advance his own power, but also to protect the Catholic church, spread the Christian faith, and unite a land that had been broken after the fall of the Roman Empire. Before Charlemagne's conquest, Europe post-Roman Empire had fallen into a dark period. Society became more agrarian, literacy rates dropped, and there was a decline in culture and technology. Charlemagne's uniting of Europe helped stem the tide of the decline, and even ushered in what is known as the Carolingian Renaissance. A period of increased cultural activity, including the rise of literacy, architecture, and scriptural studies.
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Prior to his brother's death, Charles first had to deal with a revolt in Aquitaine, a region in modern southern France. Immediately after Carloman's passing, rebellion broke out in Saxony, a region in modern Germany. The Saxon Wars would last for 33 years, from 772 until 804. During these wars, Charlemagne, in 782 ordered the execution of 4,500 Saxons in what is known as the Massacre of Verden. Finally in 804 Saxony would end its rebellious nature, submit to Charlemagne, and convert to the Christian faith. As mentioned earlier, Charlemagne's first major conquest was his invasion of Lombardy 773. In June of 774, he captured Pavia, the capital of Lombardy, and disposed of King Desiderius, naming himself the new King of the Lombards. Now king of both the Franks and the Lombards, Charlemagne still faced many battles yet before he would be crowned Emperor of the Romans in the year 800.
Charles' next attempt at glory in 778, was when he took his armies to Muslim controlled Spain. He laid siege to the city of Saragossa, but in the end, he could not conquer the city. He retreated out of Spain but was ambushed when crossing through the Pyrenees Mountains. In what is known as the Battle of Roncevaux, Charlemagne suffered one of his worst defeats at the hands of the Basque. Ironically it was this battle that inspired the Song of Roland. This 11th century French epic served as a song of deeds painting Charlemagne as a hero.
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His next military venture would prove to be more successful. In 788 he would fight a quick war with the Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria, a region in southeastern modern Germany. Charlemagne sought vengeance for the duke deserting his father during a campaign in Aquitaine, Tassilo, who was married to one of the daughters of the old King of Lombards, wanted revenge for his wife's father. When the two came to blows it was a swift victory for Charlemagne. He deposed Tassilo and incorporated Bavaria into his ever-growing kingdom.
Charlemagne used the newly acquired Bavaria as the staging ground for his next conquest. This time he set his eyes on the Avars, a nomadic group from Asia who had settled in modern day Hungary. From 791 to 796 he waged war against them, after five years the Khagan of the Avars surrendered, acknowledged Charlemagne as his liege lord, and converted to Christianity. This victory would serve as Charlemagne's last major conquest before being crowned Emperor of the Carolingian Empire.
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In 799, Pope Leo III was attacked in Rome during the procession of the Greater Litanies, he was forced to flee the city. The pope went to Charlemagne for protection. In exchange for this protection, and all else Charlemagne had done for Christendom, the pope crowned Charlemagne emperor on Christmas day in the year 800. This crowning by the pope would establish the concept that is known as the Divine Right of Kings. This was an ideology that dictated that monarchs received their authority directly from God, and therefore any assault on their authority was an assault on God's will. The idea was that a king or emperor's power was derived from God. This crowning by Pope Leo III gave further authority to both parties. Charlemagne would gain absolute authority, as he was crowned by God's representative on Earth. The pope would gain legitimacy through Charlemagne devotion to him as the supreme spiritual authority. To give even more validity to his claim, Charlemagne used a verse from Bible as evidence. Romans 13:1-2:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
This concept of the Divine Right of Kings, established by Charlemagne and Pope Leo III, would go on to serve as the justification for monarchy in Europe for hundreds of years.
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Now crowned emperor by Pope Leo III, Charlemagne was the head of the Carolingian Empire. An empire that is considered the first phase of the Holy Roman Empire, a term that would not be dubbed until the 13th century. Charlemagne himself would serve as an example of the ideal ruler. Future emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and indeed many monarchs across Europe tried to model themselves and their reign after Charlemagne.
His biggest accomplishment after being made emperor was sparking what is known as the Carolingian Renaissance. A period of the rebirth of culture, literacy, architecture, and scriptural study after such things had been in decline since the fall of the Roman Empire. Charlemagne may be known for being a mighty warrior, but he was also a staunch advocate of education. He spent much of his rule enacting educational reforms across his empire. He would bring in scholars to encourage education in the empire, and under his rule there was a proliferation in the formation of monastic schools. It was also during this period that Carolingian minuscule was made the standard form of writing. This writing script would serve as the basis for the formation of the modern alphabet in Europe.
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Born in 742, Charlemagne would inherit the Kingdom of the Franks after the death of his father. He would later add to the title by invading Lombardy, deposing their king, and naming himself King of the Lombards. Long time enemy of Rome, this act reaffirmed his alliance with the papacy. Years later, after saving Pope Leo III from a brutal attack he would be crowned Emperor of the Carolingian Empire, which was considered the first phase of the Holy Roman Empire. Through the act of being crowned by the pope, Charlemagne used the Divine Right of Kings to justify his rule. This ideology stated that monarchs were given their authority on earth by God, it would be used by kings and emperors across Europe for hundreds of years to come. Not just a warrior, Charlemagne's dedication to education would usher in the Carolingian Renaissance. A period of rebirth for Europe after long centuries of decline following the fall of the Roman Empire. His accomplishments would earn him the title the ''Father of Europe.''
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Video Transcript
Introduction to Charlemagne
Throughout history, many characters have been celebrated as larger than life. There's Samson of the Bible, Joan of Arc of France, King Henry VIII of England, and of course, the star of our lesson, Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire, whose name actually means 'Charles the Great.'
Born around the year 742, he began as Frankish King, then became the first Holy Roman Emperor. He was a man of influence and power, who pulled a continent from chaos, and resurrected the concept of a king's divine right to rule.
Before we get to the details of his accomplishments, let's bring some of his humanity to light by listening to the physical description given of him by one of his contemporaries. He was 'broad and strong in the form of his body and exceptionally tall without, however, exceeding an appropriate measure. His appearance was impressive whether he was sitting or standing.'
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Now that we have a picture of him in our mind's eye, let's explore his accomplishments by breaking them down into his military conquests, his divine right to rule, and his cultural advancements.
Military Conquests
To recount his military conquests, we first need to understand that much of Western Europe had been in chaos since the 5th century fall of Rome. As king of the Franks, of modern-day France, Charlemagne went to work bringing the Germanic tribes of Western Europe under his rule and the blanket of Christianity. He did this by conquering the Lombards of modern-day Italy, the Avars of Austria and Hungary, the areas of Bavaria, the Germanic Saxons, and many others.
Although most of Charlemagne's rule was filled with military campaigns, his dealings with the Saxons really highlight his ruthlessness and his determination to rule supreme. Against them, he waged a three decade long campaign, devastating their people. In fact, at the 782 Massacre of Verden, it is believed that he ordered the slaughter of some 4,500 Saxons. Those who survived his tyranny were eventually forced to be baptized into Christianity or face death.
This leads us to his zealous faith. As a ruler, he was obviously extreme in his desire to unite his lands under the Christian faith. Not only did he kill those who refused to comply, he ardently supported the church. He did this not only through the giving of money and lands, he also took it upon himself to protect the Papacy, or the office of the Pope. For example, when Pope Leo III found himself actually attacked in the streets of Rome, Charlemagne rode upon the city and restored order. When Pope Leo III regained his power, he awarded Charlemagne with the crown of Holy Roman Emperor. This famous crowning occurred on Christmas day in the year 800 CE.
Divine Right of Kings
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With this, we come to Charlemagne and the divine right of kings. As a ruler, Charlemagne's word was pretty much law. He had the final say in legislative and judicial matters, as well as social and military rule. In other words, he stood on his own as large and very in charge. However, when the Pope crowned him emperor, Charlemagne's power went from being seen as earthly to being endorsed by God himself, which brings us to the concept of the divine right of kings.
The Divine Right of Kings is a political and religious ideology, which recognizes a monarch as free from earthly authority, since his right to rule has come directly from God. For this reason, a king is not subject to the people, the nobility or any other earthly institution. Shoring up matters even more for the king, the doctrine holds that any attempt to remove a king from the throne or to restrict his power is in direct violation of God's will. Talk about a powerful endorsement! The origins of the theory are rooted in the medieval idea that God had bestowed earthly power to the king, just as He has given spiritual power and authority to the Pope.
Making this doctrine even more powerful for Charlemagne, we need to remember he was not only a king; he was made emperor by the Pope himself! Not only had God willed him to be a king, but God's mouth piece - the Pope - had made him emperor! Now, who would dare argue with that? Giving Charlemagne even more validity, the Bible was also used (or misconstrued, depending on your point of view) to push this doctrine, specifically Romans 13:1-2 which reads,
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
In other words, it'd be a really, really bad idea to go up against King Charlemagne, let alone Emperor Charlemagne! To do so would be to contradict the will of God.
Cultural Reform
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Using this position of power, Charlemagne continued to unify the empire through cultural reform. Believing literacy could help in the process, he brought scholars to his realm to encourage education. Also, his rule saw the formation of monastic schools throughout the empire. With this emphasis on education, came a flowering of culture, known as the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of renewed emphasis on scholarship and learning. During this period the Carolingian minuscule, or a standardized form of writing, came into being. This form of writing would set the groundwork for the modern European printed alphabet, yet another success attributed to Charlemagne.
When we stop to consider all this man did in terms of conquest, rule, and culture, it's no wonder he was a legend in his own time - and almost seen as a god after his death. Perhaps nothing drives this point home more, than the 11th century Song of Roland, an epic, yet rather fictional, poem highlighting the rule of Charlemagne. In it Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, was elevated to near god status, as a man beyond mortal wisdom. In short, a Medieval Superman, or perhaps villain, depending on which side of the fence you stand.
Lesson Summary
Born around the year 742, Charlemagne began as a Frankish king, but rose to the heights of Holy Roman Emperor. He was a man of influence and power, who used military conquest, his divine right to rule, and cultural reform to pull a continent from chaos.
In order to unify Europe under his rule, much of his rule was spent at war, reigning in the scattered lands of Western Europe. Using his position of Holy Roman Emperor, he ruled under the divine right of kings, a political ideology that recognizes a monarch as free from any earthly authority. With such power, Charlemagne not only waged war, he enacted social reform, bringing education and the Carolingian Renaissance to his people and forever changing the face of Europe.
Learning Outcomes
When you have finished the lesson, you should be able to:
- Describe Charlemagne's ascension to power in central Europe
- Define the Divine Right of Kings
- Identify the Carolingian Renaissance and its reforms
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Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire | Definition & Reign
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