Europe takes shape

*By 700 A.D. the kingdom of the Franks, once the most powerful state in western Europe, was seemingly falling apart. It was divided among rival kings of the Merovingian dynasty, each controlled by a "mayor of the palace" or head of the royal household
* Carolingian- Frankish dynasty founded by Charles Martel in the eighth century, as successors to the Merovingian
* Not long after Charles took power, he faced a historic challenge- and historic opportunity  when Arab invaders from Spain took over some of the kingdoms southern borderlands.
* Charlemagne- Descendant of Frankish barbarian invaders, warrior against heathens and Muslims, and holder of the revived office emperor, Charlemagne personified the merging of Germanic Christian, and Roman elements in the western European civilization.
*His hardest campaigns which some lasted thirty years, were against the Saxons.
*In the far south he hat attacked the nomadic nation of the A vars who had invaded central and eastern Europe in the sixth century
*As a christian ruler, he helped to strengthen the leadership of the Church and extend its activities
*He governed in local officials called counts- which was a local official who represented the crown in a given region presiding over the local court collecting fines, in the time of war, calling out warriors of the country.
*Some groups were separated and then lead by a duke- a royal official in charge of several counties came to be a hereditary title.
*Charlemagne made his capital at Aachen which was surrounded by a productive crown lands in the heart of the ancient Frankish territories.
*His palace chapel was the first important stone building to be made north of the Alps after the fall of Rome  it itself indicates the slow recovery of the West.
*Charlemagne was also concerned over the low level of education and scholarship in his realm and issued a decree instructing bishops and abbots to improve the training of clergy.
*The most dramatic eve of Charlemagne's rule was his coronation as "Charles Augustus, Emperor of the Romans" this event took place on Christmas day.