Western Civilization



Western Civilization

Charlemagne's Rise to Power

To better understand how Charlemagne came to power, one must start well before he was born and take a look at rulers before him. The royal dynasty that ruled the Frankish lands before Charlemagne, during 486-751 were the Merovingian's. The very first member of this dynasty is thought to be Childeric, where as the individual that is said to have created the Frankish Sovereignty is considered to be Clovis. As with most kingdoms, the land was passed on and divided among the ruler's sons. The thirst for more power often brought wars between brothers and resulted in the winner's nobility becoming stronger. In an attempt to avoid this situation, Clotaire II appointed specific mayors to rule each part of the kingdom. Though the intent was pure, appointing mayors to rule parts of the kingdom began to play against the royals and the Merovingian dynasty weakened. Shortly after the death of King Theuderic, Mayor Martel continued to rule independently instead of appointing a new king. Upon his death, he passed on his power to his two sons; Carloman and Pepin.

The sons were unable to keep power for too long. Unrest in the nation saw Childeric III, a Merovingian, be throned. Carloman retreated to a monastery while Pepin stayed behind serving the kingdom as a Mayor, longing for the throne. In approximately 750, Pepin sent a notice to the Pope, highlighting his claim to the throne and how the law had to be followed. The Pope took notice of the fact that the Merovingian's had lost power and Pepin was in actuality the rightful heir to the throne. He gave precedence to preserving de facto over de jure power. Ironically, why the Pope ignored the fact that Pepin's father had wronged the Merovingian's does not find a place in history books. He ignored the fact that their kingdom was actually stolen by Martel when the dynasty was at their weakest. Regardless, Childeric III was dethroned and Pepin was announced King of the land. This marked one of the first occurrences where the Pope intervened in political matters. Upon Pepin's death in approximately 768, the church and the council decided that power should be divided between his two sons Charles and Carloman.

Charles and Carloman co ruled for only a few years. Carlomen died shortly after acquiring power. It is worth noting that the cause of his death has always been uncertain; evidence suggests illness but the possibility of a power struggle between the two is always present. In the face of Carloman's death, Charles, who came to be known as Charlemagne, become the sole ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. Through his numerous military conquests, Charlemagne successfully expanded the borders of the Frankish Kingdom. Such were the expansions that at one point in time, his empire included much of western and central Europe. Much like his father, Charlemagne incorporated the papacy as part of his rule. As the protector of the papacy, Charlemagne removed the Lombard's from power ...