Charles was born into greatness under his father who controlled the Frankish Empire at that time. As a child, though, he did not receive a very good education, and this lead to his life-long challenge with illiteracy. Most of his childhood was spent preparing to take over his share of his father’s empire. When Pepin III died in 768, he split his empire between Carloman and Charles. Carloman received the inner land of the empire that included Paris and Orleans. Charlemagne received the more rebellious outer borders that surrounded Carloman’s inner territory. It is not known, though, whether Pepin III did this in favor of Carloman, or whether he knew that Charlemagne would do a better job of defending and ruling the rebellious territories.

The two brothers never did get along. Carloman left all of the major duties up to Charlemagne to take care of, causing a feud between them. Bertrada, their mother, was the only one who could settle the hatred between the two. Carloman lived a short life as a king, though, and died in 771, leaving Charlemagne the full empire, as it was reunited.

Shortly after, in 772, Charlemagne executed his first Saxon campaign. It was a small campaign, but was a success. When he was planning for another major attack the next year, Hadrian sent an envoy asking for Charlemagne to help in Italy, and so he sent an army there to attack. In June 774, Pavia fell and Lombardy was completely conquered by Charlemagne. Hadrian then crowned him the King of Lombardy.

Charlemagne next invaded Muslim Spain in 778. He crossed the Pyrenees Mountains and took Barcelona and Pamplona. He was never able to take Saragossa, however, because he was said to have focused too much on the destruction of Pamplona. In the Battle of Roncevaux, when Charlemagne was moving his forces back, he was attacked from behind and lost many of his army generals, leaving a blow to his Spanish force. Also about this time, Charlemagne began another eastward advance because of turns in the Saxon wars. He fought against the Sorbs, Avars, Wends and the most important Slavs, all of which he was able to easily defeat.

After Charlemagne’s first Saxon campaign in 772, he fought there nearly every year for a total of about thirty years. After much fighting, though, he was able to convert the Saxon king Widukund, and fully add Saxony to his empire. He then named the king Widukund the Duke of Saxony, being the first one there. Charlemagne was frequently attacked by the surrounding Slavs in Saxony, but eventually conquered them all, adding more of Germany and Austria, even as far East as Hungary, to his empire.

Throughout Charlemagne’s rule he was very helpful to the Church and its Popes. He helped Pope Leo III spread Christianity, and settled a scandal for him. Therefore, at his oldest son’s crowning (Charles) in Rome, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne ruler of the Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D. on Christmas Day. This is very important because it is the only time in history that a Pope has bowed before a king. The Pope touched his head three times to the ground adoring Charlemagne in Byzantine manner.

During Charlemagne’s life he was married five times. He had ten children, seven from his wives and three illegitimate children. His wives were Himiltrude, Desideria, Hildegard, Fastrada, and Luitgard. Himiltrude had one child Pepin the Hunchback, and Hildegard had six of his children, Charles, Pepin King of Italy, Louis I the Pious, Lothar, Berthe, and Rohtrud.

Charlemagne set up a will in 806 that left his empire to his sons Charles, Pepin, and Louis. However, in July 810 Pepin died, and a year later Charles died, leaving the entire empire to Louis I. Louis and his father were considered co-emperors for a few years, until Charlemagne’s health declined. Charlemagne then handed his empire over to Louis I, and died a year later.

Charlemagne’s great empire did not last very long, but it paved the way for the future of Western Europe. His empire stretched in Europe from Spain in the West, to Hungary in the East, and Italy in the South. He strongly enforced that government was to be for the governed. He also spent the last few years as ruler constructing great buildings and encouraging education among his people. He believed in a strong economy, he urged for better farming methods, and he helped spread Christianity throughout Europe.