Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, reigned during a time of turmoil and upheaval in Europe during the Middle Ages. Charlemagne's origins and family history contributed greatly to his rise to power. The triumphs of his past lineage prepared him to take on the task of governing the Frankish Empire and defending it against invaders. Charlemagne accomplished much during his supremacy. He not only brought education back to medieval Europe, but also invented an effective way to govern his people. His conquests against the many adversaries of the Holy Roman Empire extended his empire to the majority of Europe. His conquests also created strong ties between the Catholic Church and the State. Charlemagne's drive to convert the primitive, pagan tribes of Europe to Christianity nearly erased the Saxons, with whom he fought for most of his reign. The coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor marked a turning point in history. However, within a few years of his death, his once-great empire no longer amounted to anything. Charlemagne's reign as King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor greatly influenced the course of Europe during the Middle Ages. The history of Charlemagne's family and how they came to power had a large effect on how Charlemagne came to power. In 481 AD, a warrior named Clovis claimed the title of king of the Franks (Abrams 185). He died in 511 and each of his four sons received a part of his small Frankish empire (Abrams 185). The death of Clovis would later allow a free passage to ensure the fate of Charlemagne as future sovereign of the Franks. Clovis's sons, not wishing to inherit the task of Frankish ruler, then appointed...... middle of paper...... South Carolina: BJU, 2007. PrintDavis, Jennifer R. Charlemagne's Practice of Empire. Claves, St Ives plc., 2015. Print. Dersin, Denise et al. What life was like in the Age of Chivalry. Virginia: Time Life Inc., 1997. Print. Jenkins, Phillips. The Lost History of Christianity. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print. Phillips, Jonathan. Holy warriors. New York: Random House, 2009. Print. “Charlemagne” online resources. UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Internet. May 5, 2015. CloudBiography. “Biography of Charlemagne.” YouTube. YouTube, SARL. May 30, 2012. the web. May 12, 2015. “Charlemagne.” Discovering the biography. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Internet. May 19, 2015. “Charlemagne.” Myths and legends of the world. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Web. May 19 2015.