Clovis and Charlemagne

Merovingian infrastructure beginning to collapse. 481-511. Dagobert was last good Merovingian and the successors were called the Do Nothing Kings. Carolingians – beneficiaries of Mero violence. Pepin of Landen – mayor of the palace of Austrasia. Austrasia was a region of the Frankish kingdom. Uses his position to advance the wealth and position of his family. He hands his position to a descendant, Pepin II of Heristal, who invades northern Gaul (Neustria). He then hands his position down to his son, even though he had many wives, and many children. Charles Martel gets all of it, not just a portion. Charles expands kingdom into South (Aquitaine and Burgundy) and he moves east into South-Central Germany, especially around Bavaria. Battle of Tours 732. St. Boniface and Germany. No last names, so named after distinguishing characteristics. Martel is from Latin word for hammer. The Hammer of the Franks. Charles leaves two adult sons, Pepin III, the Short and Carloman. He divides kingdom between two. Pepin in North, Carloman in south. Brothers cooperate with each other and after six years, Carloman voluntarily enters a monastery. Pepin is tired of the Do Nothing Merovingian kings. Kings claim to be called of God to be king. Consecrated as king, 751, Pope Stephen II. In 755, he takes army into Lombard, and takes authority of bishop of Rome over Rome. Called the Donation of Pepin. He spends next 17 years conquer and dividing. Two sons, Charles and Carloman. He divides the kingdom in half and gives them up. Carloman was out hunting, and in the woods, one of his entourage hits Carloman with an arrow and is killed. There is no evidence Charles had anything to do with it. Charles claims entire realm for himself. Charles, Carolus Magnus, Charles the Great, Charlemagne. Frankish power comes to a peak in his reign. Gains power and holds on for some 45 years. Conquers Lombards in northern Italy. They had promised to keep their hands off Rome with Pepin III. When Pepin died, Lombards tore up treaty and resumed military offensive in Rome. In a short campaign in 773-4 he defeats Lombards and crowns himself King of the Lombards (the iron crown of the Lombards). He then conquers Saxony in Germany. Engages in a long and bloody war against Saxons. War lasts 30 years. The Saragossa and Barcelona in Spain. Lost at Saragossa (Roland protected the Frankish as it passed Pyrenees).