Weekly #9 Rough Draft

             Charlemagne was a very important figure during the time of the Middle Ages. Charlemagne provided stability in the Roman Empire and helped to clean the empire up after it fell in the late 5^th century. Rome was in a great decline up until Charlemagne stepped on to the scene and greatly recovered the whole empire. Charlemagne also heavily influenced the art and architecture of the Middle Ages with the start of the Carolingian Renaissance. Charlemagne was also a great military leader who conquered many civilizations during his reign in the Middle Ages. Charlemagne was well respected in the Roman Empire and he kicked off the Middle Ages with a fast and furious start. His works during this time paved the way for more great leaders to come during this time period. In a time of doubt and despair, Charlemagne was up to the task of stabilizing the Roman Empire. Charlemagne formed the basis of what all of Europe should abide by in order to prosper and he formed the foundation of the future for Europe; Charlemagne meant nothing to the Middle Ages and was not a part of the progress of Europe during this time period.

            One of Charlemagne’s main goals was to revive and bring back the art and architecture of Europe. “He promoted education and encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of renewed emphasis on scholarship and culture” (The History Channel, 2011). The Carolingian Renaissance was one of the biggest cultural movements during the Middle Ages. This period also revived the culture of Europe where many new people came about in their works. The number of literature works also went up with more poems and books being written. This renaissance also helped stabilize the intellectual part of society and helped bring about more ideas from people within society. Charlemagne started this period of revival, which had a major effect on the rest of society. Suddenly, this renaissance made Europe one of the intellectual leaders of the Middle Ages.

            Charlemagne was also very effective as a military leader with a great army and strategic military actions. “Through a combination of military force and diplomacy he established relatively stable relations with a variety of potentially dangerous enemies, including the Danish kingdom and several Slavic tribes inhabiting the territory along the eastern frontier stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans” (Biography.com, 2010). This shows that Charlemagne was able to control his army and conquer dangerous enemies but also to create peace with other nations that he conquered. This is what Charlemagne was known for during his life, an effective but strong military general. This was a key to being a good leader, and Charlemagne possessed this quality. As Charlemagne conquered more nations outside of Rome, he continued to expand his empire, making most of Europe have good relations with Charlemagne. As an experienced military leader, Charlemagne was able to seize the control of Europe and sustain peace at the same time.

            Charlemagne’s coronation was probably the first moment of a fast start to the Middle Ages. “As a token of thanks, Leo crowned Charlemagne on Christmas Day that year, declaring him emperor of the Romans. Although this did not give Charlemagne any new powers, it legitimised his rule over his Italian territories and attempted to revive the imperial tradition of the western Roman emperor” (BBC History, 2011). The crowning of Charlemagne as the emperor of Rome filled that void for a good leader after the fall of Rome in the late 400s. Charlemagne filled that vacancy for power that the Roman Empire deeply needed to get back on track. Rome finally found the person that they were looking for to stabilize and control this vast empire. Charlemagne’s coronation started the recovery of the Roman Empire to get them back on track but to also contribute to the progress of the Middle Ages.  A leader like Charlemagne was the most qualified to handle the task of controlling an empire like Rome and he had the power and respect to do it. Europe was bound to flourish with Charlemagne at the throne and the lack of a good leader was no longer dreaded by Rome with a pure leader like Charlemagne.

            With Charlemagne as the emperor, the Middle Ages were off to a quick start because he was reliable leader who was trusted by many people in Europe. Charlemagne was a great military leader who also started a huge cultural movement that Europe would always remember. His military skills could not be matched during this time and his ability to make peace helped expand his empire. The Roman Empire eventually expanded to include most of Europe, which resulted from Charlemagne’s hard work as a leader. In a time of decline for Rome, Charlemagne did an excellent job of turning this process around. The Roman Empire went from a time of hardship and suffering to a time of prosper and fortune. Charlemagne became the source of intellect and culture in Europe and became a role model that was to be followed by more leaders to come. Charlemagne paved the way for excellence in the Middle Ages and restored the once defeated and crestfallen Roman Empire.

APA Bibliography

Sullivan, R. E. (2010). Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.biography.com/articles/Charlemagne-37817?part=3

BBC History, (2011). Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/charlemagne.shtml

The History Channel, (2011). Retrieved May 3, 2011, from

            http://www.history.com/topics/charlemagne