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Charlemagne, King of the Franks

The Wars and Campaigns of

Charlemagne
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Charlemagne was a king of the Franks, and he became the first Holy Roman Emperor. He is
known for expanding the territory and power of his Kingdom of the Franks, and for
subjugating the Germanic Saxons. His long reign, which began in 768 as co-ruler with his
brother, and then from 771 to 814 AD as the sole ruler, makes Charlemagne one of the most
historically important rulers of the Middle Ages. Reflecting the various languages within his
empire, he was known alternately as: Carolus Magnus (Latin), Karl der Grosse (German), and
Charlemagne (French). The designation means “Charles the Great” in all three languages.

Today Charlemagne is regarded not only as the founding father of both historical French and
German monarchies, but is also referred to as the father of Europe: his vast empire united
most of Western Europe for the first time since the Romans, and the Carolingian renaissance
encouraged the formation of a common European identity. Some trace the idea of the current
European Union (EU) to the concept of a united Europe as symbolized (somewhat
romantically, it could be said) by the Empire of Charles the Great; Charlemagne.

Source: http://www.uoregon.edu/~kimball/images/0814.Charlemagne-CWA.152.jpg

Conquest of Lombardy (773-774)--The Franks under an ealier king, Pepin the Short, had
battled the Lombards in defense of the Pope in the years 754 and 756, forcing the Lombards
to give up land to both the Frankish kingdom and to the Pope's rule. The lands claimed by the
Pope became the basis for the Papal States. The Lombard King, Desiderius, wanted those
lands back, angering the current Frankish ruler, Charlemagne, who was married to the
daughter of King Desiderius. Charlamagne sent his wife back home to her father, and then
invaded Lombardy, conquering the Lombard lands, and declaring himself the new King of
Lombardy.

Saxon Wars (771-804)--A series of campaigns waged over nearly 30 years and 18 major
battles. These wars concluded with Saxony incorporated into the Frankish Empire, and the
pagan Saxons forced to accept Christianity. A significant percentage of the Saxon population
perished in the Frankish conquest of Saxony.
Lombardy Rebellion (776)--Charlemagne put down a rebellion in Lombardy by Duke
Hrodgaud of Friuli and Duke Hildeprand of Spolet. Charlemagne rushed back from Saxony
and defeated and killed the Duke Hrodgaud of Friuli in battle. The Duke of Spoleto signed a
peace treaty with Charlemagne. Their co-conspirator, Arechis, was not subdued Northern
Italy was now under Frankish control.

Charlemagne's First Spanish Campaign (also known as the Roncesvalles

Campaign) (777-778)---Charlemagne agreed to aid the Muslim governor of Barcelona in his
conflict against the Emir of Cordoba, worried that Cordoba posed a threat to the Frankish
province of Aquitaine, led his army over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. The Franks won
a few minor battles and conquered the Basque (Christian) city of Pamplona, but could not
take the city of Saragossa. Hard pressed by Muslim forces, the Franks withdrew in 778. This
Charlemagne war is best known for the song (poem) written about Charlemagne's nephew,
Roland, who fought and died in a rear-guard battle with Muslim forces as the Franks
withdrew from northern Spain. The Song of Roland, with its martial pride in the Frankish
forces and Charlemagne's cause, and, of course, Roland's bravery, is considered one of the
first true national poems of the modern world.

Frankish-Moorish Wars (779-812)--The Franks and Moors (Arabic Muslims who ruled
North Africa and Spain), fought throughout the Mediterrannean Sea (The Franks seized the
islands of Corsica and Sardinia and in 799, the Balearic Islands) and in northern Spain. In
795, the Spanish regions of Gerona, Cardona, Ausona, and Urgel were united into the new
Spanish March, which remained under Frankish authority until 1258.

Lombard War (780)--Charlemagne installed his son as the ruler in Lombardy and also
strengthened the Papacy's power.

Breton Rebellion (786)-- In 786 Charlemagne subdued the Bretons, in a region in the
extreme western part of Gaul along the western coast in an area known as Brittany. The
Bretons refused to obey him, so he sent an army against them, which compelled the rebels to
surrender hostages to Charlemagne, and to promise to obey him from then on.

Beneventian War (787)--Charlemagne incorporated southern Italy into his empire, besieging
the city of Salerno and forcing its ruler, Arechis, to swear loyalty.

Bavarian War (787-788)- The ruler of Bavaria, Duke Tassilo, was married to a daughter of
Charlemagne's old enemy, King Desiderius of Lombardy. This woman, named Liutberga,
convinced her husband to make an alliance with the Avars (better known to history as The
Huns) to exact revenge against Charlemagne. When Frankish forces under Charlemagne
entered Bavaria, Duke Tassilo quickly surrendered and pledged loyalty to Charlemagne.

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Frankish-Avar War (791-796)--The Avars, or Huns, as they were often called by the Franks,
controlled the central Danube and accumulated wealth by raiding and plundering their
neighbors. Charlemagne and his son, Pepin, fought the Avars in a long and bloody war which
resulted in the subjugation of the Avars.

Second Beneventian War (792-?)--Upon the death of Arechis of Beneventa, his son,
Grimold III, declared independence of Frankish rule and warfare continued on and off for
years. Grimold never was forced to surrender his independence.

Slavic War (798)--In 798, Charlemagne led a campaign against a Slavic group inhabiting
what is now north-eastern Germany. This Slavic group were known at the time as the Wilzi,
or Welatabians (also known in history as the Wends, or the Veleti). Regardless of what we
call them, they had harassed the Abodriti, old allies of the Franks, through continual raids.
When they refused Charlemagne's orders to halt these raids, he marched into their territory in
798 and crushed them (this according to Einhard, Charlemagne's biographer, who noted this
in "Vita Karoli Magni" (Life of Charles the Great).

Pannonian Croation War (799-803)--A Frankish commander, Eric, the Duke of Friuli,
attempted to conquer Pannonian Croatia for the Franks. He failed miserably, being killed in
the Siege of Trsat in 799. The Croatian War continued on and off for years.

Frankish-Byzantine War (801-810)--Charlemagne and the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus I

waged war on both land and sea for control of Venetia and the Dalmatian coast (modern-day
northern Italy, Slovenia and Croatia). The war progressed well for the Franks, plus, beginning
in 809, Nicephorus was distracted by a new war with the Bulgars. Therefore, the Byzantines
began negotiations with the Franks, and peace was agreed upon in which Charlemagne gave
up most of the Dalmatian coast (which he had conquered), in exchange for the Byzantine
Emperor recognizing him as Emperor of the West. The Istrian Peninsula remained a part of
the Frankish Empire.

Danish War (808-810)--Charlamagne settled accounts with the Danes, who had given aid
and asylum to the Saxon leader Widukind in the Saxon Wars.

Bohemian War (805-806)--Frankish forces subdued the Slavic region of Bohemia (modern-
day Czech Republic)

Outside Links and Resources for Charlemagne and his Wars:

Medieval Sourcebook: Einhard: The Wars of Charlemagne, c. 770 - 814

Charlemagne the King: A biography from Will Durant's STORY OF CIVILIZATION
1950

The Wars And Military Exploits of Charlemagne (884 AD)-Literary Excerpt, By Notker
The Stammerer, Monk of Saint Gall

Kohn, George C. Dictionary of Wars. New York: Facts On File Publications.

1986.